ANSA News

Meloni warns of risk of Hamas ’emulation’ in Italy

Premier Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday warned of the risk of copy-cat acts of terrorism after last weekend’s attack by Hamas on Israel.

“We must intensify the protection of Jewish citizens, including on our territory, because the risk of emulation of the criminal acts by Hamas could reach us here,” Meloni said after visiting the Great Synagogue of Rome.

“So I am here to say that we will defend these citizens from all forms of anti-Semitism.

“Clearly the aim of this visit is to show solidarity to the Roman and Italian Jewish community because, in the terrible scenes coming from Israel, there is something more than what one sees in a normal, yet tragic, war scenario.

“There is hatred towards an entire people in the hunting down of civilians, house-to-house, in the rounding up of children and young people.

“Defending Israel’s right to exist and defend itself is also about defending these young people, these children, these women”.