Adnkronos Rome, October 6 - (Adnkronos) – "We cannot tolerate those who, today, fan the flames of conflict and exploit and justify October 7th. The words and positions expressed on multiple occasions by Francesca Albanese, who increasingly appears to be a 'spokesperson' for Hamas, represent yet another serious ideological and moral slip that offends the memory of Israeli victims and distorts the historical and legal truth of the facts."
This was stated by Federico Mollicone, president of the Chamber's Culture Committee, during the presentation of Fabio Nicolucci's book "Israel and October 7, Before/After."
"The Albanian has expressed conspiracy theories," he continues, "such as those about the alleged involvement of the Mossad in the Charlie Hebdo massacre, and yesterday, at the mere mention of Liliana Segre's name, to whom we extend our full solidarity, he left the television studio. This gesture represents yet another demonstration of a contemptuous attitude towards history. Equating the Israeli hostages—women, men, elderly people, and children kidnapped on October 7, subjected to violence, torture, and sexual abuse—with Palestinian detainees is an intolerable provocation. The International Criminal Court itself has recognized sexual and gender-based violence as a deliberate weapon used by Hamas against the hostages. We must not forget the Albanian's public closeness to figures such as Suleyman Hijazi and Mohamed Hannoun, both known for having praised or paid homage to Hamas leaders and those responsible for the October 7 massacre. It is imperative that the political forces that hosted them in institutional settings clarify and I dissociate myself from these unacceptable presences."
His most recent statements, made on the stage of the Travel Literature Festival, where he defined the birth of Israel as 'domestic violence,' not only deny the legitimacy of the State of Israel but also fuel a climate of hatred incompatible with any form of dialogue and coexistence. The Travel Literature Festival itself, as reported in the columns of Il Tempo, publicly supported the national demonstration 'for a free Palestine and against the genocide in Gaza,' despite receiving hundreds of thousands of euros in funding from multiple ministries (Culture, Foreign Affairs, Defense, Universities, and Cepel). It is therefore essential to verify whether these funds were used in accordance with the principles of impartiality and cultural neutrality. For this reason, I have submitted a parliamentary question to determine any potential financial damage and to shed light on the matter. We can no longer allow the distorted narrative of those who justify violence to continue to find space in cultural and institutional settings.