Shock and concern in the Jewish community in Rome, after photographs were discovered of hundreds of Nazi supporters raising their hands outside the old headquarters of the neo-fascist party in the city. The salute, associated with Benito Mussolini’s fascist movement, became illegal in Italy after World War II.
The throngs of men gathered outside the former headquarters of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), a neo-fascist party that was founded after World War II and later became the Brotherhood of Italy, which Maloney now heads.
Rome, Italy, 2024.
— Paolo Berizzi (@PBerizzi) January 7, 2024
Vergogna di Stato. #AccaLarentia pic.twitter.com/yR7VtvmfVR
The incident occurred during an annual event commemorating the 78th anniversary of the assassination of three young men associated with a neo-fascist organization. Usually, such gatherings manage to avoid showing images of the banned Nazi salute. However, this year footage emerged of participants performing the salute and reading “present” three times.
The Jewish community expressed its condemnation and shock at the incident, claiming that it is a “threat to democracy and human rights in Italy”. The president of the Jewish community in Rome, Ariela Pachenik, said that “this incident is a disturbing reminder that anti-Semitism still exists in Italy.”
Many European countries also expressed their concern about the incident. The French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said that “this event is an attack on the values of Europe”. The German Foreign Minister, Anhelana Barbuk, said that “this incident is an attack on democracy”.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney, who leads a right-wing government, faced criticism for allowing such an event to take place under her government. Italy urged Meloni to condemn the incident and take steps to prevent its recurrence, but it has not yet responded.
This event is another case of an increase in anti-Semitism in Italy. In recent months, several cases of anti-Semitic violence have been recorded in the country. In October, for example, a Jew was attacked in Rome when the attacker shouted – “Allah is Akbar”, in November, two Arabic-speaking men were arrested after attacking Jews in Rome.
The increase in anti-Semitism in Italy is causing concern among the Jewish community in the country. The community calls on the authorities to take significant steps to protect it.
background:
The Fascist regime led by Benito Mussolini came to power in Italy after the March on Rome in October 1922. He recorded a resounding victory in the general election in April 1924 and fell in the mid-1940s.
The Italian constitution, written after World War II, prohibits the reorganization of Mussolini’s National Fascist Party and the presentation of fascist ideology and propaganda. However, neo-fascist organizations such as the MSI, founded by Giorgio Almirante, a minister in the Mussolini government, managed to circumvent the ban by using a different name and claiming to be new political forces. MSI’s successor, Italy’s Brotherhood Party, was founded by Maloney, who came to power in the country in October 2022.
