Italian diplo kicked out of Tunisian book fair
Italy’s Tunisian ambassador was booted from a book fair in Tunis by protesters due to Italy’s ties with Israel, according to AFP.
The pro-Palestinian protesters heckled Alessandro Brunas out of the International Book Fair, making their voices heard and the Palestinian flag seen on 29th April.
Brunas was escorted by security and the venomous words of the protesters hissing in the background – “you are not welcome here”, “Shame on you”, “Italy is fascist”.
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Protests against Israeli ties have been well attended throughout Tunisia, as Tunisians battle the fallout of the country’s economic crisis.
The controversy stems from Rome’s continued arms deals with Israel during the country’s vicious and relentless attacks on the Gaza Strip.
From October – November 2023, Italy exported almost $900,000 worth of “weapons and ammunition” to Israel. November’s export was worth almost three times as much as October’s.
To add more salt to the gaping Palestinian wound, Italy’s exports of “weapons and ammunition” hit 1.3 million euros.
Upon the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Libya requested that all foreign envoys of pro-Israeli countries to leave Libyan soil.
As of the 30th April, Al Jazeera’s live tracker on the Palestinian death toll counted at least 34,535 people have been killed since the 7th October. This figure includes more than 14,500 children and 8,400 women.
Italy’s government and citizens appear to have differing attitudes towards the Israel-Hamas conflict as many Italian cities have been dense with pro-Palestinian marches and calls for an immediate ceasefire and an end to ties with Israel.
As the threat of famine looms over what is left of Gaza’s population, Israel continues to prepare for an assault on Rafah – a city where 1.4 million Palestinians currently take shelter.
Despite Israel’s closest allies advising against any further attack, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu is adamant to destroy Hamas entirely. Netanyahu rejected the calls for a ceasefire from Hamas’ chief, Ismail Haniyeh.
AFP/Al Jazeera
