Please take the draft bill on anti-Semitism and pass it, please

To the Editor – This morning (2 November), the esteemed Mariano Giustino, in his usual commentary on Radio Radicale, highlighted that relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkey (a single nation comprising two states) are no longer quite so harmonious. Among the various points of friction are the recent ban in the former on wearing the hijab in schools – a commitment to secularism – and, to top it all off, an excellent relationship, including on military matters, with Israel.

To the Editor – According to an old adage, “when the United States sneezes, the world catches a cold”. Let’s hope that today the Americans vote with their noses and mouths covered.

We shall see how Trumpism fares in America; as for Trumpism in the world, we already know where it stands: in strategic retreat, even where nationalism harbours hopes for its own future.

To the Editor – There is no longer any talk of the anti-Semitism bill. With the start of the budget session, its approval is likely to be postponed until next year. If the Chamber of Deputies were to make any amendments, the bill would have to return to the Senate, towards the end of the parliamentary term. Given the current climate, we must remain vigilant.

Having accustomed its followers to viewing the defence of Jews as an attempt to turn a blind eye to the actions of the Israeli government, a section of the Italian political establishment is now struggling to recognise a basic truth: defending Jews from those who wish to harm them does not mean defending those in power in Israel. If even the fight against antisemitism has become divisive, the responsibility lies not with Israel, but also with those who, in recent months, have casually employed the famous ‘three Ds’ identified by Natan Sharansky: demonisation, double standards, delegitimisation. Please take this bill and pass it.

To the editor – A word of advice for Lorenzo Pacini: if he is truly convinced that the shop windows smashed by protesters have merely provided work for glaziers, let him take it one step further and he can easily theorise that a dead police officer, after all, provides work for funeral directors. Joking aside, the real advice for this young member of the PD is to think long and hard before speaking.

To the Editor – The Ilva case is a striking example of the disasters that can be caused by judges who make decisions in sectors that are strategic for the economy, social and labour policies, and public health, without having been elected and without any accountability whatsoever. Judges make decisions as if they held absolute power, with no checks and balances to restrain them. Kind regards.