A press conference regarding the Gaza massacre and the dire humanitarian situation there and in the West Bank was called off following Israeli pressure on the Italian far-right ruling party, Brothers of Italy.

Initially scheduled to take place at Italy’s chamber of deputies to denounce the Israeli massacre of displaced people in Gaza and the Israeli settlers growing violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, the press event was canceled after a prominent Brothers of Italy lawmaker said that one of the attendees, Shawan Jabarin, director of a Palestinian human rights organization in the West Bank, belongs to an NGO banned by Israel for alleged links to terrorism.

Israel doesn’t represent all Jews in the world.

That’s the case and nothing in relation to Jewish or anti-Semitism, but I think the ideological, the political, newspapers and the groups or research centers, they use that for political reasons.

They’re trying to silence anyone who criticizes Israel.

Shawan Jabarin, Al-Haq Human Rights Organization

The cancelation of the press conference at the Italian Parliament goes beyond the smear campaign against a Palestinian who runs a human rights organization in Ramallah.

During the press conference, lawmakers from a number of opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, and the Green and Left Alliance, were supposed to discuss what role Italy could play in Gaza in the event of a ceasefire and the recognition of Palestinian statehood by Rome.

Because of this pressure, Italy cowardly abstains from voting in favor of crucial UN ceasefire resolutions and Palestine statehood related resolutions.

It’s not just that, another result of this pressure in our government is that Italy continues to provide weapons to Israel, fueling the killing of tens of thousands of innocent civilians in Palestine.

We don’t want to be accomplices of terrorism and criminal policies.

 Italy must play a significant role in recognizing Palestine as a state.

Stefania Ascari, Five Star Movement

The press conference with Italian lawmakers, which was to include Shawan Jabarin, has been postponed to a later date.

The Italian government has maintained a stance of unconditional support for Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

However, public opinion surveys have consistently shown that a large number of Italians are opposed to the ongoing Gaza massacre and its impact on the civilian population.