Italy’s Defense Minister Giovanni Spadolini told a large audience at Columbia University last Friday that “Israel without question is the only democracy in the Middle East,” and “those who care about democracy in Western Europe must care about the democracy in Israel.”
Speaking at Columbia University’s School of International Affairs, Minister Spadolini said that “Camp David was a good first step toward negotiating peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors, but there must now be a Camp David II.” He addressed an audience composed of mainly Italian academics, civic and business leaders, and media people.
A three-man delegation from the American Jewish Committee was present during the lecture. The subjects of Israel, Palestinians, Middle East peace and terrorism dominated the question-and-answer period.
At the invitation of the Italian Embassy in Washington, the AJC representatives held a brief, private meeting with the Italian Defense Minister at Casa Italiana. The AJC group consisted of Theodore Ellenoff, chairman of AJC’s Board of Governors; Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum, AJC’s director of international relations; and David Harris, deputy director.
During an hour-long lecture in Italian, Spadolini said that the European Economic Community (EEC) should play “a constructive role in seeking to promote negotiations and peaceful coexistence between the Arabs and Israel.” He stated that “the EEC should coordinate its policies with the United States and not compete with the U.S.”Spadolini also said that diplomatic means must be found to help save the remaining Black Jews in Ethiopia and the Sudan. He added that Italy and the EEC will try to contribute to that humanitarian cause. Italy now holds the presidency of the EEC and Spadolini indicated that Italy would use the next five months of its EEC presidency to advance these objectives.
Spadolini then condemned international terrorism as a major threat to world peace. He singled out Libya as a primary exporter of terrorism. The countering of global violence and terror, he said, was a major subject of his consultations with U.S. Government officials.
During their private meetings, Ellenoff commended Minister Spadolini for his positive views on Israel and Middle East peace, the rescue of Ethiopian Jews, and on combatting terrorism. Tanenbaum proposed a meeting for fuller discussion of these concerns with Spadolini in Rome during the week of February 10 to 14 when a high-level delegation of AJC leaders will be on a mission to Italy. Spadolini agreed to such a meeting.
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