Press Release

The European League condemns the large smear campaign waged by pro-occupation parties against parliamentarians supporting the Palestinian cause in Italy

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act," as famously stated by George Orwell.

This fundamental principle is one of the reasons why we stand in support of both Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in Palestine, and Stefania Ascari, an Italian Deputy who has been accused of supporting terrorist organizations.

Once again, we express our unwavering solidarity and support in the face of the recent severe attacks launched by the Israeli Ambassador in Italy, who accuses Albanese of leading an international campaign to delegitimize Israel.

This accusation is simply based on the fact that Francesca Albanese, in her annual report on the situation in Palestine, has diligently highlighted the continuous violations of human rights, the disregard for international law, and the decades-long oppression endured by the Palestinian people.

In the context of the longest-running colonial conflict in modern history, there exists an "occupying force" (as designated by the United Nations), Israel, which asserts its right to exist while denying this right to an entire people.

This truth is evident and apparent to anyone willing to see it.

Moreover, the audacity of a foreign country's Ambassador to attack one of our compatriots, a high-ranking representative of the United Nations, within the institutional setting of the Senate of the Republic, without any of the present parliamentarians addressing the impropriety and reminding him of his diplomatic responsibilities, only exacerbates the gravity of the situation.

Michele Piras 
President of the European League of Parliamentarians for Palestine.

Thursday, June 1, 2023