OfFabrizio Guglielmini
The rector Elio Franzini had proposed holding the debate online, but the managers of the «Italy Israel» association decided to give up «to guarantee the safety of the speakers»
AtState University of Milan missed the conference, originally scheduled for next May 7by title “The only democracy in the Middle East. Israel between history and international law». The conference should have opened with greetings from rector Elio Franzini followed by the interventions of Hillel Neuer, executive director UN Watch; Marco Cuzzi of the state, Alessandra Veronese of the University of Pisa, concluding with the testimony of Alexandre Del Valle on the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. Journalists such as the correspondent were also invited to the meeting Fausto Biloslavo and international analysts. For the organizer Cristina Franco, of the«Italy Israel» association of Savona, «there were no conditions to work in peace and we decided together with the Milanese association “Pro Israel” Of Alessandro Litta Modignani to postpone everything out of a sense of responsibility.”
“For ensure the safety of the speakers and to avoid inconvenience to the university – continues Franco – we decided to postpone the conference for which one hundred people had already signed up. Ours was not propaganda, we wanted to make a serious contribution to the debate on Israel. We will propose the event again in times, places and ways that we deem most appropriate.”
With a note the University of Milan specifies «that he learned of the cancellation of the meeting only from the media. In fact, the Italy-Israel Association did not bother to inform the Rector Elio Franzini of the decision nor, much less, to respond to the Rector’s proposal forwarded on Thursday afternoon to the Presidency of the Association, to hold the conference online and not, as initially planned, in person. The choice of transform the meeting into online mode, certainly not cancel it, was hired by the Rector Elio Franzini after careful evaluation of the internal and external environmental conditions of the University, with the aim of minimize risks for the safety of the audience and speakers, also consulted the Digos. The usual dialogue with Digos provided useful elements for the general evaluation even if – we want to reiterate this firmly – the decision to hold the conference online was taken directly by the Rector Elio Franzini». The rector’s decision is part of the climate of great tension that is affecting Italian and American universities on the topic of war.
Declares the president of the «Italy Israel» association Cristina Franco: «Not being able to hold the meeting on Israel at the State University is an attack on democracy. We wanted to propose an hour of civil debate and we decided to postpone everything out of a sense of responsibility, but we are not willing to tolerate this intimidating climate any longer». «To avoid enormous inconvenience to the university and ensure everyone’s safety – adds Franco – we decided to cancel the meeting. Our it wasn’t propaganda, we wanted to offer a serious contribution to the debate on Israel, but here we are faced with a freedom violated».
The cancellation of the conference meanwhile divides them students, between those who consider it an affront to “freedom of speech” and those who consider it a real “victory”. For Pietro Balzanoenrolled in the international political science course, the decision to cancel the event is «yet another demonstration of the fact that we are moving towards the total cancellation of freedom of speech in universities. This – he added – happens by the same people who accuse Israel of being a totalitarian state that does not support freedom of speech”, thus generating an “inconsistency”. According to the student, who last week was challenged during his speech at a public meeting on the Middle East, «we are gradually moving towards a antisemitism which for now is perhaps still in a more creeping or apologetic phase.”
However, he is of the opposite opinion Samuele, from the Cambiare Rotta collective, for whom it is «an important victory that the student movement in favor of Palestine managed to achieve”. The conference should have opened with greetings from the rector Elio Franzini and this «is unacceptable in the face of the atrocities that Israel commits» and «represents a clear example of how the academic system is subordinate to warmongering policies and complicit in the genocide in Palestine. The fact that this meeting will not be held now – you concluded – is a victory for us, because it means that we are managing to ensure that the university does not pass Zionist propaganda».
«The climate is tense all over the world, Milan is not an exception – comments the mayor of Milan Beppe Sala -. It is true that this event has been cancelled” at the State University, but “at the same time it is expected Sunday afternoon in Piazza della Scalawith the agreement of all partiesa moment to demonstrate against rampant anti-Semitism». «So as always there are many aspects that need to be considered. The summary is that it is a topic of great debate but they are issues on which Milanese politics is trying to keep the bar straight. Will I participate? I don’t know, I’ll see if I can”, added Sala.
Bernini: «The debate must always be plural»
The Minister of the University also intervened in the case Anna Maria Bernini: «I think the debate should always be plural. So I hope that all voices can be heard. At the moment the demonstrations have been contained, but above all the intervention of the police has been limited.” He then added, on the sidelines of the presentation of the Ai4Industry foundation, for artificial intelligence, at the Risorgimento Museum in Turin, that «the peaceful demonstration is an enrichment for the university and for the debate, the violent demonstration is not a free demonstration of critical thinking. We continue to value peaceful demonstrations and discourage violent demonstrations.”
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May 3, 2024 (modified May 3, 2024 | 7:42 pm)
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