Jewish Sites in Rome Bombed

The war in Lebanon is having serious repercussions for the Jewish community here and apparently has triggered a wave of violence in the Italian capital. Three bombs exploded early this morning, one at the offices of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, another at the Italy-Israeli Chamber of Commerce and a third at the main office of the American Express Co.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The bombings appeared to be in reprisal for the murders here last week of two young Palestinian activists. Hazziz Nazegh Matar, 32, was shot to death Wednesday night. Kamal Hussein, the 33 year-old deputy director of the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Rome, was blown to bits when a bomb exploded in his car Thursday. The PLO promptly accused Israeli agents. The Israel Embassy vehemently denied any Israeli connection with the killings.

Meanwhile, the scheduled festive opening ceremonies of the 11th National Congress of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities — beginning today through June 22 — were called off at the last minute. The ceremonies were to be held at the City Hall under the auspices of Rome’s Mayor and with the prominent Italian Jewish novelist and Holocaust survivor, Primo Levi, as the main speaker. It was cancelled, according to telegrams sent to all delegates and broadcast on the radio “in consideration of the grave mourning which once again afflicts Israel and the other peoples of the Near East.”

The cancellation avoided a potentially embarrassing situation. The Mayor of Rome led a pro-PLO march, through the city only two days ago. Levi was one of a group of Jewish writers and intellectuals who signed an open letter calling for Israel’s immediate withdrawal from Lebanon. The letter was sharply critical of Israel’s invasion of that country.