For almost three years, Italian schools and teachers have been facing a wave of intense government scrutiny, targeted ministerial inspections, and disciplinary threats in relation to how they have addressed Israel’s genocidal policies against Palestinians.
The latest episode has seen Latin and Greek high school teacher, Massimo Sabatini, being subjected to an education ministry inspection for a farewell message sent to his pupils after the graduation exam last month.
In his message, the teacher had urged the students not to forget the massacres of tens of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip and those responsible.
On Tuesday, the teacher, together with other colleagues who have been under scrutiny for the same reasons, attended a press conference held at Italy’s lower house.
What we know is that an inspection by a regional school office was launched only hours after an Italian daily published a story about my farewell message.
Clearly, the whole thing has been orchestrated.
Such actions do not happen by coincidence.
The cloak of silence over the Gaza genocide by Italy’s mainstream media also has not happened by coincidence.
Massimo Sabbatini, High School Teacher
The case of the teacher under investigation has been tabled in a parliamentary question filed by Italy’s opposition parties.
There is an across-the-board Israeli lobby group that operates in the European and the Italian parliaments that maneuvers behind the scenes with the help of the media.
Italy is completely subjugated to this lobby.
Gaetano Amato, Italian Lawmaker
During the press conference, it was also stressed that cases like that of teacher Massimo Sabatini risks producing an intimidating effect on the entire school community, leading teachers and principals to avoid addressing issues of historical and international relevance for fear of disciplinary consequences.
Their greatest fear is that the Palestinians lawful armed resistance is legitimated, validated also by the Italian people.
This is why they wanted us to remain silent in our schools and universities during pro-Palestine rallies.
Salvatore Bullara, High School Teacher
Italy’s complicity in the Israeli genocide in Gaza as well as its involvement in the illegal war in Iran, are well-known facts.
But if Rome prioritizes Israel’s interests over its own, then a large chunk of the country starts acting against its own constitutional principles and values, with consequences hard to predict or control.
