Noemi Di Segni, the president of the
Union of Italian Jewish Communities, on Wednesday expressed
concern over the growing expressions of hatred towards Jews and
Israel in Italian universities amid the war in Gaza sparked by
the October 7 massacres by Hamas in Israel.
There is "a worrying escalation in universities, with
expressions of hatred towards Israel and Jews that in recent
weeks have reached levels of very serious concern" said Di Segni
in a letter addressed to University Minister Anna Maria Bernini
and the president of the Conference of Italian University
Rectors (CRUI) Giovanna Iannantuoni on the eve of a meeting to
address the growing climate of protest in Italian universities
over the condition of the civilian Palestinian population in
Gaza.
Di Segni called for "certain episodes and situations to be
curbed and avoided", "favouring rather than isolating knowledge
of the reality in Israel".
"No to boycott, no to demonization, no to violence and
prevarication in Italian universities in the name of
constitutional rights and academic motions that thus become a
means of evasion and abuse, instead of an exercise of knowledge
and respectful confrontation, so that Italian universities may
be that place capable of generating innovation, knowledge and
intelligence useful to the country and humanity, to peace and
coexistence," she continued.
The letter came after Turin University's Academic Senate decided
not to participate in a call for scientific cooperation with
Israel and La Repubblica editor Maurizio Molinari was
de-platformed at a Naples university on Friday.
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