Shoah, Fini: ‘Roccella? Anti-Semitism did not end in 1945’

Rome, 13 October. (LaPresse) – ‘I have not yet read what Minister Roccella, whom I know and respect, wrote. I believe that it all stems from a frankly inappropriate word: these are not trips, but visits, important visits to teach young people about the uniqueness of the Shoah, the Holocaust, and what anti-Semitism meant for the Nazi-Fascist regimes.’ This was stated by Gianfranco Fini, guest on Ping Pong, Rai Radio1, with Annalisa Chirico, commenting on the controversy surrounding the Minister for Family Affairs’ words on school trips to Auschwitz. “At the same time, as Roccella said, anti-Semitism did not end in 1945. There is still a creeping anti-Semitism today, which then re-emerges in a virulent way, as we have seen in recent times, not only as a result of the festering Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also because of the attitude of some parts of the world, not only Islamic, which do not accept that the State of Israel is a recognised entity. Anti-Semitism is not something that refers solely to a historical period: it is an ancient scourge,’ added the former Speaker of the House.