“We must intensify the protection of Jewish citizens, including on our territory, because the risk of emulation of the criminal acts by Hamas could reach us here,” Meloni said after visiting the Great Synagogue of Rome.
“So I am here to say that we will defend these citizens from all forms of anti-Semitism.
“Clearly the aim of this visit is to show solidarity to the Roman and Italian Jewish community because, in the terrible scenes coming from Israel, there is something more than what one sees in a normal, yet tragic, war scenario.
“There is hatred towards an entire people in the hunting down of civilians, house-to-house, in the rounding up of children and young people.
“Defending Israel’s right to exist and defend itself is also about defending these young people, these children, these women.”
The conflict within Israel between Palestinians and Israelis is complex and how it ought to be framed has long been debated.
Amnesty international considers Israel an apartheid state that is responsible for the countless deaths of Palestinian civilians, including children.
Many experts on the conflict believe that Israel’s right to exist is not mutually exclusive with equal rights for Palestinians, many of whom currently live in the ‘open-air prison’ that is Gaza.
ANSA
