Two weeks after telling a joke about Hitler at a youth rally, Silvio Berlusconi, who survived a confidence vote on Wednesday, is in trouble again after telling a joke depicting Jewish people as money grabbers. The Premier cracked the joke as he left his house on Wednesday and the incident was caught on video and circulated on the internet.
As if this were not trouble enough, Mr Berlusconi is now being criticised for what many see as his inappropriate response to remarks made by Senator Giuseppe Ciarrapico in the Upper House on Thursday. Senator Ciarrapico, attacking Mr Berlusconi’s former ally Gianfranco Fini, asked if the “Finians” had already ordered their kippahs – the skullcaps traditionally worn by Jewish men – because “he who betrays once betrays again”. This was a reference to Mr Fini’s visit to Israel in 2003, when he denounced Fascism and Nazism. The visit was seen by many as a betrayal by Mr Fini of his former extreme right-wing beliefs.
Renzo Gattegna, leader of the Union of the Italian Jewish Community, has expressed his disgust not only at Senator Ciarrapico’s remarks, but also at the fact that few senators challenged him. Daniele Nahum, vice-president of the Milan Jewish Community, has asked Maurizio Gasparri, leader of the Pdl [People of Freedom] in the Senate, to expel Senator Ciarrapico from the party’s parliamentary group. A spokesman for Senate Leader Renato Schifani, who was not present at the debate, has said that Senator Schifani of course disapproves of Senator Ciarrapico’s words and wishes to express his respect for the Italian Jewish community.
Mr Berlusconi, however, has caused further controversy by reaffirming his friendship for Israel in his response to the remarks, thus, according to Mr Gattegna, underestimating the seriousness of the slight and confusing two separate issues – the status of Italy’s Jews and the existence of the State of Israel.
