Jewish leaders in Rome today expressed outrage over a trades union proposal to "identify and boycott" Jewish-owned shops in the Italian capital amid fears of a resurgence of anti-Semitism linked to Israeli actions in Gaza.
Jewish leaders said the proposal, put forward by Giancarlo Desiderati, leader of the Flaica-Uniti-Cub union, which represents 8,000 shop assistants in Rome, was reminiscent of the anti-Semitic racial laws adopted 70 years ago by the Fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini in imitation of Nazi Germany, under which only "Aryan" shops were allowed to trade.
Asked if he was aware of the comparison, Mr Desiderati said: "We know we will have everyone against us, but we cannot pass over in silence what is happening in Gaza".
He said his union had already urged its members to boycott Israeli products, and boycotting Jewish-owned or Jewish-run stores was a logical next step.
He said he and his supporters were drawing up a list of Jewish shops, "though it might be better to publish a list of streets in which a majority of the shops are Jewish and ask people to avoid those streets when shopping".
Here in Toronto, a trade union (CUPE) is calling for a boycott of Israeli academics. Soon they will make it all Jewish academics who support Israel. How long before Jewish students have to wear yellow stars so the teachers know who to fail and who to pass? Am I being an alarmist? After the Holocaust, it is our duty as Jews to snuff out any type of anti-semitism long before it spreads. In that case, I'd rather be an alarmist than a passive observer.
What is more striking is how this reflects Arab persecution of Jews in 1948. Consider what an Egyptian delegate told the United Nations on November 14, 1947:
A million Jews live in peace in Egypt [and other Muslim countries] and enjoy all rights of citizenship. They have no desire to emigrate to Palestine. However, if a Jewish State were established, nobody could prevent disorders. Riots would break out in Palestine, would spread through all the Arab states and might lead to a war between two races.
What happened? 850,000 Jews in Arab countries who had no desire to leave their countries found themselves forced out, their lands and valuables confiscated. It starts small and then one day it gets really vicious really fast.
Case in point, everytime that the Jewish State defends itself, Jews around the world are liable to become victims. The mere mention of proposals to boycott Jewish shops in Italy and boycott Jewish academics in Toronto despite the fact that they have little support, is troubling. It starts small.
There is a french proverb that roughly translates to: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Oh how true it is. Particularly when it comes to the Jews.
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