54 Italian Jews called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the war on the Gaza Strip, and they also urged Jews around the world to consider the dire effects of the current tragedy on the future, in an open letter published by Italian newspapers, including “Il Fatto Quotidiano,” on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day ( Holocaust).

In the letter titled “What is the value of memory if it does not stop death in Gaza and the West Bank?”, the signatories wrote that the attack of last October 7 shook them violently, just as they were violently shaken by the crimes overseen in Gaza and the occupied West Bank by Netanyahu, who wants - According to them - prolonging the war to stay in power.

The letter's authors - who describe themselves as secular Jews who are involved in the "Jewish Voices for Peace" organization - accused Netanyahu of lacking a political way out for the war, and expressed their regret that part of Israeli society and many Jews around the world realize the tragedy of what is happening and its effects on the future.

Futile discussion

According to the signatories, discussing whether the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza are classified as genocide will not help in alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian victims, hostages, and their families.

At a time when the Jews of the world commemorate “International Holocaust Remembrance Day” (January 27), this occasion cannot be transformed into a mere ritual, the signatories wrote.

They also called for this day to be restored to its true spirit, which was intended - when its founding was announced 24 years ago - to be an occasion “to reflect on what happened to prevent it from happening again, not only to the Jewish people, but to all peoples,” to ask “what use is memory?” Today, if you do not succeed in stopping the production of death in Gaza and the West Bank?

The signatories criticized Israel's use of victim rhetoric and the use of anti-Semitism to justify crimes, and wrote that the resistance attack "cannot be an excuse used to ignore the pain of others, dehumanize the weak, and practice violence against them."

The signatories also distanced themselves from the references contained in a statement by the Union of Jewish Communities in Italy, which classified any criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism, saying: “We know very well the meaning of anti-Semitism, and we will not tolerate its use.”

Source: Italian press+ Aljazeera