A decision to empty Italy of Jews within 11 years has been taken by the Italian Government, it was reliably learned today.
The decision is a reversal of the recent attitude regarding Jewish emigration from Italy since up to now passports for emigration purposes have been most difficult to obtain. Only six weeks ago all passports held by Italian Jews were called in.
The Government now aims to encourage Jewish emigration at the rate of 3,500 per year, which is about the average of the present voluntary emigration from Italy. If this rate is maintained, the last of the present Jewish population in Italy will have left the country within 11 years.
There is no fear, however, that the situation of the Italian Jews will resemble that of the Jews in Germany. In the first place, their number is much smaller– fewer than 40,000. Secondly, there are many more emigration possibilities open to them. Unlike Germany, the Italian quota for immigration to the United States, 5,200 yearly, alone exceeds by far the yearly emigration rate of 3,500. Moreover, past experience has shown that many Italian Jews prefer to emigrate to South America and there are large colonies of Italian Jews in Palestine and the Belgian Congo.
Despite this situation, it is considered likely that, unless they are forced, at least half of the Italian Jewish population will refuse to emigrate from a country where their ancestors have resided for more than 2,000 years.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
