INITIATIVES TAKEN BY THE RADICAL MEMBERS OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (1986 - 1987)

 

On December 12, 13 and 14, 1986 Marco Pannella was in Israel for a meeting of the delegation of the European Parliament with this country. There, he encountered notably families of refuZniks and prisoners of Sion who asked the members of the European Parliament to help them in their fight for the rights of Soviet Jews.

It was on this occasion that he vowed that his Party would support the cause of Soviet Jews and that this support would not be confined to symbolic gestures. Less than two weeks tater, on December 30, the Radical Party organized simultaneous demonstrations in front of the Soviet Embassy in Rome, Paris, Brussels and Jerusalem. A large number of Jewish and non- Jewish personalities, including Rabbis, members of Parliament, professors, journalists, took part in these demonstrations which, in Brussels and in Rome, resulted in the Embassy , inviting in a delegation.

On February 19, the European Parliament passed a resolution asking the Soviet Government to stop persecuting Jews who wish to emigrate to Israel or elsewhere. This resolution specially focussed on the nine Jews "adopted" by the Radical Party, i.e. Josef Begun, Ida Nudel, Grigory Lemberg, Alexei Magarik, Marat Osnis, Dona Konstantinovskava, Grigorvi and Natatalia Rosenstein, Cherna Goldort.

In the statement she made during the debate that preceded the adoption of the resolution, Emma Bonino emphasized the need to be wary of Gorbachev's "new style" which consists in publicizing liberations which, in fact, are becoming more and more infrequent. She also insisted on an aspect that is much less well-known : the situation of 4500 Jews in Syria, parked away in ghettos, who do not have the slightest freedom to move about or choose their job, let alone emigrate.

She consequently proposed a draft resolution bearing the signature of more than sixty members and of three large political groups, which was adopted during the April meeting.

Since March, Roberto Cicciomessere, also a member of the E.P. of the Radical Party, has been harrossing the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Twelve during meetings within the context of political cooperation to find out what measures have been taken by the said Ministers since the resolution in question was adopted by the Parliament and their outcome.

The April meeting of the European Parliament was particularly fruitful in respect of the campaign for the recognition of the rights of Jews throughout the world; besides approving the resolution concerning the Jews in Syria, the Parliament once again demanded the liberation of Ida Nudel in a resolution on human rights in the U.S.S.R.. This matter was to be the focus of attention of the meeting. Thus, at the initiative of the Parliamentary Intergroup for the Jews in the U.S.S.R., the film "Farewell, Moscow" (directed by Mauro Bolognini) was shown for the first time outside of Italy; the presence of Anatoly Chtcharansky and of Liv Ullman added extra prestige to the event. She was one of the hundred persons which, following the Radical Party's Appeal, fasted and demonstrated the 25th of may 1987 together with many other persons in Rome, Paris, Brussels, Stokholm and even Moscow, where many refuzniks responded to the Appeal. Right now, Antonio Stango, Federal Secretary of the Radical Party has done 41 days of hunger strike for the liberation of the 7 refuzniks still imprisoned, as 2 of them have already been granted a visa: Dora Konstantinovskava and Cherna Goldort who, from the depths of Siberia honoured the Radical's struggle by joining the Party.*

These few elements which relate some of the initiatives taken by the Radical members of the European Parliament are only the latest concrete deeds accomplished within the framework of an activity that has always been inspired by the will to achieve respect for the rights of Jews throughout the world and recognition of the state of Israel.

Hence, the tenacity with which the Radicals have always condemned Syria for the nature of its regime, the terrorism it fosters and the manner in which it treats the Jews living in this country. This tenacity has finally produced results this year, since the European Parliament has at last approved our amendment to the budget, which aims to stop all economic assistance to this regime.

Just recently, while expressing satisfaction at the fact that the Council of Ministers had ratified this decision of the Parliament, the radicals had to warn the President of the Council of Ministers against adopting contradictory measures as the latter had intimated that it was thinking of resuming it's commercial cooperation agreements with Syria; subsequently, the Council decided to comply with the decision of the Parliament.

The Radical's everlasting struggle was not only recognised but actively backed by the most eminent members of Italy's Jewish Community, apart from Rita Levi Montalcini's Nobel Prize in physics, inscription, it must be mentioned that the famous architect and President of the radical party, Bruno Zevi, was recently elected to Parliament.

One must also point out that, through the voice of its principal spokesmen, the Radical Party has frequently and publicly made the request that the state of Israel be entitled to become a full member of the E.E.C., to lay the foundations of a policy of peace and democracy in the wholte of the Middle east.

The Radical Party found itself ideologically isolated in Italy where the entire potitical class is known to be thoroughly pro-Arab. Thus, it was the only party to publicly oppose the visit of Arafat to Italy. Likewise, the day after the Israeli raid on Tunis, it opposed the entire Italian political class which blindly condemned Israel's military action.

 

*Up now, among the "9" Refuznik "adopted" by the Radical Party, six hAve been released by the URSS authorities. A part from Dora Konstantinovskava and Cherna Goldort, Josef Begun, Ida Nudel, Grigory Lemberg and Alexei Magarik obtained the visa.