Worried about growing hatred towards Jews in unis - Di Segni

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 20 - 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. (ANSA).