Sanitizing Italian Fascism Sullies Fight Against Antisemitism

[Classical_Liberal]

Sanitizing Italian Fascism Sullies Fight Against Antisemitism
By YOSSI SARID

This past Tuesday the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee hosted Italy's deputy prime minister, Gianfranco Fini. I didn't attending the session. In plain terms, I boycotted it. I had no wish to play any part in sanitization ceremonies for fascists, neo-fascists and antisemites of all kinds.

Fini is the leader of an important Italian political party, the National Alliance, an extreme-right partner in Italy's right-wing ruling coalition. The National Alliance is the legal heir of Italy's Fascist Party, which changed its name, and has even tried, in recent years, to change its repulsive character — and in doing so, its political fortune as well.

Fini has two objectives: He wants to be Italy's prime minister; and he believes that one day, and soon, his party will succeed Forza Italia, the current ruling party, which is entirely an extension of the personality of one individual, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Fini expects that when Berlusconi falls because of his many alleged criminal entanglements, his party will come toppling down too. But Fini wants to be a respected and accepted European statesman. And he knows that in a brown shirt, he has no chance of making it into the club.

Just a few years ago, Fini was still declaring, with passion and conviction, that "Mussolini was the greatest statesman of the 20th century." Eight too-long years passed before Fini found it in him to "rectify" his statement, to back away from it......

http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.11.28/oped4.html

[drdon326]

1. I read that.....

some good points....thanks for posting.

[bluesoul]

2. Kuddos to Yossi

He as many others see through the likes of neofascist Fini...