Storm Reggio Children, Jewish community: Third Reich methods. Mayor: We welcome everyone

One hundred Jewish teachers canceled a study trip to Reggio Emilia after they were asked to sign a document distancing themselves from the Israeli occupation of Gaza. In fact, the Reggio Children company allegedly asked Israeli and American teachers who wanted to participate in a program on early childhood education to sign, as Jews, a declaration of dissociation from the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu's government. After refusing the request, the Jewish delegation gave up on the visit.

"The methods and climate established by certain Emilian municipalities remind me a lot of those of Goebbels and what the fascist hierarch Roberto Farinacci wrote: 'Jews, an unclean race to be buried as such'", denounced Walker Meghnagi, president of the Jewish Community of Milan. "You cannot ask an American citizen, a teacher, a Jew, to respond as a Jew, as such. It is the total denial of the inclusion that they say they want to promote in words. It is anti-Semitism", he reiterated, asking that "the municipal administration of Reggio Emilia resigns".

Mayor: "The Reggio Children Charter rejects any form of discrimination"

The response from the mayor of Reggio Emilia, Marco Massari, did not take long to arrive. "Reggio Emilia welcomes all schools. On Monday the delegation of Israeli schools will be in the city and I will personally welcome them. The history of Reggio Emilia, the democratic values ​​that our community has always defended and the daily work of our schools speak for us. It seems important to us not to confuse a request for the protection of children's rights with discrimination on a religious or ethnic basis", explained the mayor.

"The Reggio Children's Charter for democratic and participatory education concretely bears witness to our commitment: to build educational places open to all, capable of promoting dialogue, respect for rights, peace and the rejection of every form of discrimination", he remarked, underlining that "the Charter does not ask anyone to respond as a Jew, Israeli or belonging to any other community" but "asks those who participate in an educational path to share universal principles of respect and protection of childhood, which must apply to every girl and every child, without exception."

Mayor: "Reggio Emilia always against anti-Semitism"

"The dialogue remains open with the teachers of American Jewish schools who have chosen not to come to Reggio Emilia," added Massari. "We are committed to ensuring that the visit can be carried out as soon as possible, we respect their decision and want to continue the discussion, in the belief that dialogue is the way forward even when positions are different. The door is open and our availability is clear and complete".

For this reason, the mayor reiterated, "we believe it is important that this matter is not exploited anywhere, as is happening in these hours, transforming a discussion on educational values ​​into an identity clash and attributing intentions to our city that do not belong to it". Reggio Emilia "will continue to be an open, anti-fascist city committed against all forms of anti-Semitism, racism, violence, war and discrimination. With coherence, without ambiguity and without double standards", he concluded.