Pro-Palestine demo held in Italian capital
Rome, August 11 (RHC)-- Mid-August in Italy is a time when most people flock to the mountains or the sea for a summer getaway. This was not the case for the pro-Palestine activists who staged a demonstration outside Italy's Foreign Affairs ministry, in the Italian capital, on Wednesday.
The initiative was put together by a string of groups including Rome's Palestinian Community, the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement and several other organizations. The demonstration was dubbed "Justice for Gaza's innocent victims".
They are protesting the unconditional support the outgoing Mario Draghi government is providing to Israel’s military occupation of Palestine. Last week the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a note on its website, in which it says Italy strongly condemns rocket attacks on the Israeli territory reaffirming the right of Israel to grant the security of its citizens.
The outgoing Draghi government has been increasingly active on working closely with Israel. About a month ago, an Israeli security delegation met with Italian military chiefs in Rome. On that occasion Tel Aviv and Rome held strategic talks on expanding cooperation in military supplies and strengthening joint research and development initiatives.
Recently the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories has called the latest Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip illegal and irresponsible.
Earlier this year, the office of the UN special rapporteur concluded that Israel’s occupation of Palestine constitutes apartheid, accusing the international community of failing to hold Tel Aviv accountable for breaching fundamental international norms over its 55-year occupation. Italy is the world's third largest supplier of military systems to Israel.
