“The cult of the leader was a deadly virus.” “We are facing an apocalyptic climax in history.” “Israel has suffered, don’t deny others the state now.”

These sentences stand out in dense discourse Sergio Mattarella in the Quirinale on the occasion of Remembrance Day. Body shop hall full of authorities. In the first row Giorgia Melonisitting in between Ignazio La Russa And Antonio TajaniAlso present were the ministers Valditara (who gave a speech), Sangiuliano and Piantedosi. Standing ovation for Sami Modiano, one of the Birkenau survivors, whose words touched everyone deeply.

Speech dedicated to the righteous. That is, those people who risked their lives to save the lives of the Jews. Men and women from all walks of life who are moved exclusively by humanity, like Giorgio Perlasca, or athletes like Gino Bartali. Mattarella honors them and reminds us that “indifference is the most pernicious of all sins”. He also mentions those who, on the contrary, did not shy away from denouncing them. And here he invokes “fascist tyranny” by quoting Primo Levi. In the video broadcast in the room we see Benito Mussolini in Trieste in 1938, immediately after the infamy of the racial laws.

Today we take the risk a return to the world “of dangerous cases of anti-Semitism amplified by social media without control and without shame.” To the Jews he says: Italy is your home, your presence was fundamental to the Republic. “Italy does not tolerate threats, harassment or intimidation towards you.” But what can we do to prevent it? Healing must begin with “culture and education.” Especially in this time when “history seems to lose its way.” Mattarella is concerned about the direction of conflict in the world.

However, he specifies: “In terms of severity and extent, the Shoah was the most heinous of all crimes.” And he remembers: “Ideologies of racial superiority, of predatory nationalism, of the supremacy of the state, of the party, over the inviolable right of every human being, of individuals – and the cult of the leader were deadly viruses.”

This year’s commemoration falls at the height of the war in the Middle East, as Israel continued to respond with bombs to Hamas’s criminal aggression on October 7. “Greeting replica of the Shoah,” says Mattarella, who reiterates Italian support for the security of the state friendly with Israel. “We see Israel today and in the future as a close and completely friendly country where we can share history and values. We are and will always be committed to his safety.” He reiterated his concern for the hostages “in the cruel hands” of Hamas.

However, the civilian population of Gaza, “many women and children,” has the same concern. And with regard to Israel, he argues that “a response with such dramatic consequences for civilians risks generating new levels of resentment and hatred.” It could increase the obstacles to a solution that promotes peace and prosperity in this region, which is so central and so tormented in the history of humanity. Those who have suffered the heinous attempt to wipe their people from the face of the earth know that another people cannot be denied the right to a state.”