Gianni Vattimo, an Italian Marxist philosopher and former member of the European Parliament, has told national Italian radio that Israel is “a bit worse than the Nazis,” and he’d like to “shoot those bastard Zionists.”
He said Europeans should raise money “to buy Hamas some more rockets.” He insisted that Hamas is “fighting with toy rockets that don’t really kill anyone.”
Asked if he would like to see more Israelis killed, he replied: “Of course, but unfortunately I can’t really shoot.”
He also said Europeans should get together to fight along with Hamas, the way foreign volunteers fought against dictator Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War.
In response, Israel National News quoted Stefano Jesurum, the Jewish community’s representative to the Milan city council, who said he was shocked by the statements: “Either Vattimo is completely nuts, or he was speaking in bad faith. I refuse to believe that a well-educated European, a scholar, can see any parallel between Israel and Spain under Franco’s regime.”
Renzo Gattegna, the leader of Italy’s Union of Jewish communities, called Vattimo’s words “unacceptable” and “a mixture of the most heinous allegations” against Israel.
Rabbi Barbara Aiello, Italy’s first female rabbi, told The Local that “anti-Israeli sentiment is anti-Semitism dressed up in fancy clothes. Imagine if what is said about Jews was said about Italians. For example: ‘I don’t object to Italians I just don’t believe that Italy has a right to exist!’ Anti-Israeli sentiment makes about as much sense.”