Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti met with leaders of Italy’s Jewish community to reassure them of the government’s enduring commitment to their position in Italian society, after the historically close Israeli ally’s unprecedented vote for Palestinian statehood at last month’s UN General Assembly sent shockwaves through Italian and global Jewry.
Recalling the government’s involvement in Holocaust memorial events, the Italian Prime Minister stressed “his government’s firm and determined intention not to hesitate to respond to any sign of a resurgence of anti-Jewish feelings”. Declaring the combating of anti-Semitism to be a “common and fundamental need”, he insisted “the protection and safety of Italian Jews remains a commitment and a responsibility of the Italian State”.
Invited guests to the premier’s official residence in Rome included the President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) Renzo Gattegna, the President of the Jewish Community of Rome Riccardo Pacifici, as well as UCEI Vice Presidents Roberto Jarac, Giulio di Segni, Noemi Signs and Alessandro Ruben.
According to an official statement by the Prime Minister’s office, the meeting was intended “to confirm that Italy and Israel are bound by a deep friendship”, as Monti told the community representatives that “far from affected the excellent relations between Italy and Israel”, the Italian delegation’s ‘yes’ vote at the UNGA “was motivated by the objective of strengthening the moderate leadership of the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in order to revive the peace negotiations and isolate all forms of extremism”.
However, he added, a Palestinian State can only be achieved “through direct negotiation and agreement between the parties, with the goal of creating two states for two people with a Palestinian State that is home to the Palestinian people and the State of Israel as a Jewish State, so (that both nations) can live in peace and security within mutually-recognised borders”.
The premier also conveyed to the Jewish leaders that he had reiterated his calls to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for the “immediate restart of peace talks without preconditions and to refrain from using he General Assembly vote to gain access to other specialised agencies of the United Nations…(as well as) emphasizing the unacceptability of any discourse that denies Israel's right to exist and its legitimacy”.
A corroborative statement by the UCEI confirmed that the meeting had taken place amid “an atmosphere of great cordiality and friendship”.
“Italy has always been considered the closest friend of Israel in Europe,” said Gattegna, as he added that he had received “important assurances” from Morsi as to the government’s “current position on the Middle East and possible further development of our foreign policy (in that regard)”.