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Italian Jews ask PM Meloni to act against youth-group hatred

Members of Gioventù Nazionale, the youth group of the Italian prime minister’s party, were recorded shouting Nazi slogans.

"With Giorgia, Italy changes Europe," read the posters in Rome depicting Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ahead of June’s European Parliament election, April 27, 2024. Photo by Simona Granati-Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images.
“With Giorgia, Italy changes Europe,” read the posters in Rome depicting Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ahead of June’s European Parliament election, April 27, 2024. Photo by Simona Granati-Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images.

After a reporter exposed Nazi chants and antisemitic remarks directed at a Jewish Italian senator at the youth movement associated with the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Roman Jews are calling for a response with “adequate measures.”

“The Jewish Community of Rome condemns the shameful images of racism and antisemitism that emerged from the Fanpage investigation and expresses solidarity with Senator Ester Mieli, victim of intolerable offenses,” wrote Victor Fadlun, president of the Jewish Community of Rome, in Italian.

“We ask that adequate measures be taken, including by FDI as announced,” he said. “It is imperative that society and institutions react forcefully against all forms of hatred and discrimination.” (FDI is Brothers of Italy, Meloni’s party.)

Members of the Gioventù Nazionale (“National Youth”) movement called themselves fascists, yelled “Sieg Heil” and mocked Mieli, a member of the Brothers of Italy party, Reuters reported.

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