Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
Reggio Emilia Mayor Marco Massari rejects accusations of anti-Semitism following the controversy surrounding the visit of Jewish school teachers and educators to Reggio Children. At the heart of the matter was the request made to participants to explicitly distance themselves from Israeli government policies and the situation in the Gaza Strip, as part of a program dedicated to children's rights, peace, and democratic education.
The controversy erupted after a delegation of teachers from American Jewish schools decided to postpone a study visit planned for Reggio Emilia.
According to several news reports, the educators were asked to sign a pledge rejecting violence and war, explicitly distancing themselves from the policies of the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. This request sparked strong protests.
The president of the Jewish Community of Milan, Walker Meghnagi, accused the city administration of discrimination and anti-Semitism, going so far as to call for the resignation of the mayor and the council.
Meghnagi especially objected to the fact that teachers, as members of Jewish schools, were required to take a political position on the Middle East conflict.
Faced with the accusations, Mayor Marco Massari firmly denied all charges, maintaining that the initiative's goal was to promote universal principles of child protection and peace education, without religious or ethnic discrimination.
“The statements of the president of the Jewish community of Milan, Walker Meghnagi, surprise us.
We firmly reject the accusations of anti-Semitism leveled against the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, which in no way correspond to our values, our history, and the reasons for our commitment to education. We hope that these words are the result of incomplete information and that it will be possible to clarify any misunderstandings, without imposing political considerations on the educational debate,” a statement reads. “Reggio Emilia,” it continues, “welcomes all schools. On Monday, the delegation of Israeli schools will be in the city, and I will personally welcome them. The history of Reggio Emilia, the democratic values that our community has always defended, and the daily work of our schools speak for us.”
"We believe it is important not to confuse a call for the protection of children's rights with discrimination based on religion or ethnicity. The Reggio Children Charter for a democratic and participatory education is a concrete demonstration of our commitment: to build educational institutions open to all, capable of promoting dialogue, respect for rights, peace, and the rejection of all forms of discrimination. The Charter does not ask anyone to respond because they are Jewish, Israeli, or a member of any other community. It asks those participating in an educational program to share universal principles of respect and protection of childhood, which must apply to every girl and every boy, without exception," the mayor emphasized, responding to the controversy surrounding several teachers and educators from Jewish schools from the US who had canceled a planned study visit to Reggio Emilia and Reggio Children facilities after the educators were asked to make a statement on Israel and the conflict in Gaza.
"The dialogue remains open with the teachers of American Jewish schools who have chosen not to come to Reggio Emilia. We are committed to ensuring the visit can take place as soon as possible. We respect their decision and want to continue the discussion, in the belief that dialogue is the path forward, even when positions differ. The door is open, and our availability is clear and complete. Precisely for this reason," Mayor Massarui concludes, "we believe it is important that this matter not be exploited by any party, as is currently happening, turning a discussion on educational values into a clash of identity and attributing to our city intentions that are not its own. Reggio Emilia will continue to be an open, anti-fascist city, committed to fighting all forms of anti-Semitism, racism, violence, war, and discrimination. Consistently, without ambiguity, and without double standards."
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