Cease verbal violence against us say Italy's Jews

(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 21 - Noemi Di Segni, the president of the union of Italian Jewish communities (UCEI), on Sunday called for an end to the "verbal violence" directed against the nation's Jews since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
    "Cease the fire of words against us is what we say to those who continue to accuse Israel of war crimes and genocide, with slogans based on nationality and faith, giving credence only to Hamas propaganda and giving new life to prejudices that we had hoped were extinct," Di Segni said.
    She appealed to "to all political sides, to those who teach at universities and in schools, to cease verbal violence, which is an assist to terrorism and the squadrismo of (left-wing) social centres and neo-fascists, in the name of solidarity with a people and a land they know nothing about".
    A petition calling on Cagliari University to end its relations of cooperation with Israeli institutions, meanwhile, has been signed by around 1,000 students.
    The document will be discussed on 30 January in the university's Academic Senate. (ANSA).