An Italian Jewish organization urged American Jewish groups this week not to meet with right-wing National Alliance leader Gianfranco Fini during his planned upcoming visit to the United States.
“Fini is hoping that American Jews will hand him that certificate of democracy that he has failed to receive from Italian Jews,” members of Martin Buber-Jews for Peace stated in what was called “An Open Letter to American Jews.”
“We Italian Jews ask of our American brethren to help us in our daily battle to defend the memory of the Shoah (Holocaust),” the letter said. “The Jews of the world are the custodians and guardians of this memory. The words of someone who calls himself `post-fascist’ will certainly not suffice to erase that memory.
“We ask you not to meet with Gianfranco Fini.”
The Italian Embassy did not confirm Fini’s U.S. visit. But an embassy official said that if Fini did visit the United States, it would be in the spring.
The Buber group is a political-cultural organization dedicated to combatting racism and anti-Semitism, promoting Jewish cultural activities and promoting an Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Its members are highly active in the Jewish community in Rome.
Although the letter was addressed to American Jews, it was issued as Fini left for London Tuesday. Members of the Buber group said the message also applied to British and other foreign Jewish organizations.
In London, Fini was scheduled to address the Royal Institute for International Affairs.
He also was scheduled to speak at an international relations institute in Paris on his way back to Italy.
On the eve of leaving for London and Paris, Fini told a news conference that the aim of the trips was to “make the National Alliance better know and to address the prejudices.”
Last month, Fini presided over the formal transformation of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement, which he led for years, into the National Alliance, which officially aims to be a mainstream conservative movement.
The National Alliance had allied itself with the Forza Italia Party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and became a powerful player on the political scene. But Berlusconi resigned in December after serving seven months in office. He was replaced by Lamberto Dini, an internationally known economist who was treasury minister in the outgoing government.
The new National Alliance has formally condemned anti-Semitism and racism and recognized anti-fascism as a fundamental element of Italian democracy.
But Jewish leaders in Italy have expressed skepticism at this professed change of policy and have urged world Jewish bodies to exercise extreme caution in dealing with Fini.
The Jewish community “cannot ignore decades of a cult that was nostalgic for and militant about the Fascist years, nor the contempt of our democratic institutions professed by the neo-fascists,” said Tullia Zevi, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities.
Zevi has repeatedly called on international Jewish groups to consult with Italian Jews before having contacts with the Italian right. She has also cautioned that Italian right-wing leaders could use contacts with Jewish organizations as propaganda to legitimize their ideology and policy.
Zevi strongly reiterated her position during a meeting last week in Rome with American Jewish Committee officials.
Elan Steinberg, World Jewish Congress executive director, said he did not know of any Jewish groups that planned to meet with Fini.
“It would be most inappropriate for any Jewish group to bypass the wishes of the Italian Jewish community,” Steinberg said.
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