A two-day International Conference Against Anti-Semitism opened here today, sponsored by a number of organizations, including the Union of Jewish Communities in Italy. Attending the conference are delegates from Italy, France, West Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Greece, the Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, East Germany and Czechoslovakia.
The sponsoring committee included Sen. Ettore Tibaldi, president of the International Resistance Federation; Finocchiaro Aprile, president of the International League for Human Rights; Sergio Piperno, president of the United Jewish Communities of Italy; Piero Valeffi, Socialist Senator and president of the Association of Former Concentration Camp Inmates; and Umberto Terracini, Communist Senator and president of the National Association of Political and Anti-Fascist Persecutees.
The Italian Federation of Freedom Fighters announced a boycott of the conference and accused the sponsoring Resistance Federation of being “notoriously tied with East European Communist parties” and with having refused to participate in similar meetings “when the safety and interests of the Jews in Israel and in Eastern European countries were menaced or trampled.”
A message was read at the conference from the Mayor of Rome expressing his support “and solidarity with all political parties, independently of their political orientation, in their fight against anti-Semitism.” Eliahu Sasson, Israel’s Ambassador to Italy, also sent a message in which he said he was “deeply moved” by the conference and added that “your initiative shows that honest men have not forgotten the tragedies arising from racial hatred.”
Dr. Piperno, who brought greetings of Italian Jewry, said: “We would have liked that on this occasion, all forces, regardless of political differences, willing to fight against anti-Semitism anywhere and in whatever form it manifests itself, could have joined their efforts. We hope to participate in future initiatives showing that anti-Semitism is sincerely repudiated by all political parties.”
He concluded his message with praise for the “courage of the Jews of Israel” and a denunciation of “the threats of the new Pharaoh,” a reference to President Nasser of the United Arab Republic. “and those nations helping him or passively witnessing his violations of international law.”
The Italian Jewish leader expressed the hope that “from Rome, the cradle of civilization, from both sides of the Tiber, high and solemn protests will be pronounced against anti-Semitism and against all those who, no matter where, prevent Jews from professing their faith and conserving their traditions and from reaching their ancestors’ land.”
Sen. Vebu Bridel, vice-president of the International Resistance Federation and a member of the French party supporting President de Gaulle of France, told the meeting that “we are not here only to condemn anti-Semitism in general but to denounce the recent anti-Semitic incidents originating in German and the resurgence of pan-Germanism.”
Sen. Caleffi also identified West Germany as the source of the worldwide spate of anti-Semitic incidents in January and warned that extreme vigilance was necessary to avoid any resurgence of the Nazi-fascist ideology.
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