As pro-Palestinian protests, violent incidents against Jews and Israelis and antisemitism across the world intensified hate for Israel after October 7, some pro-Israeli actors moved to try and defend the country in the international arena. Now, two Italian students who took a stand for Israel and its public diplomacy on their campus spoke to Ynet about their efforts.
Andrea Nizoli and Pietro Balzano, thank you for joining us. Andrea, a university student in international relations and law and the leader of Forza Italia that were the first to demonstrate against pro-Palestinians on campus. As a non-Jewish student, what was the motivation behind your activity?
"Support for the Israeli people and we were also grateful for all the democracy exportation you're doing. We can see the result of your action in Syria now. And, at the start of that period, we started demonstrating for the freedom of Israeli people and also, the freedom to go to university and be free to study."
interview with Andrea Nizoli and Pietro Balzano, activist Italian students
(Video: Yaron Brener)
Did you witness incitement against the Jewish students on your campus this year?
"Yes, for sure. There was a lot of discrimination against Jewish people. And today we have some Jewish people that told us they were not allowed to go to the university, to be free to study without the protestors going against them. There were also Jewish people with us and they joined us after that we publicized our manifest."
Pietro, what made you join the fights against the rising antisemitism on campus and the lies that were spread this year since the beginning of the war?
"We've seen since the beginning of the war, those violent protests that started in our campuses and, not only in Milan, but also, Naples, Rome, Turin and so on because they want to use fear and violence against common students and in particular against students who also come from Israel to our universities and Jewish people in general.
"So I think it's also important to remember that they call themselves a 'Students Intifada.' That's how far they've come. And what we are trying to fight is exactly what we are seeing in those images. They are blocking our universities. They are causing damage to our universities for tens of thousands of euros — in some cases, hundreds of thousands of euros, which, of course, they aren't going to pay and that's what we are fighting against".
Do you have specific examples from your campus? You also participated in a debate relating to the war.
"Yes. I tried to participate in a so-called 'debate', but I instantly acknowledged that debates in our university, especially when Israel is concerned, are no longer possible because there's too much extremism and it's not possible to even talk about the agreements with the Israeli universities right now because they're trying to stop them all and we're also fighting against this."
"And in this regard, I want to say that I'm extremely happy to announce that we will be coming to Israel because I think it's extremely important to show the truth they forget or try to hide. We have to show the truth and bring it back to Italy, that's extremely important for us."
Andrea, as Pietro has mentioned you're planning to come to Israel in January. What is the purpose of your visit?
"We are going to visit Reichman University to announce our support of the university. After October 7, a lot of universities in Italy, like in Milano and Torino, know a lot of universities around all of Italy from the north to the south and decided to not continue to have a relationship with Israeli universities and this for us is something that is unacceptable.
"This is because as a student we really believe in the international community, especially the one in Israel because you have some knowledge in some subjects that are fundamental nowadays. We're also going to Jerusalem to see the real Israel."
Pietro, you raised funds to finance the visit. What kind of responses do you get from your fellow students on campus?
"The students, are afraid because those students who support Palestine and not only are using violence and fear, and so the students who actually support Israel, and there are a lot, are scared to speak about about it because they're using violence against their own colleagues and I think it's no wonder why Hezbollah officials have described them as actors in which they should invest.
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"This should tell us everything we need to know about these people. We are trying to protect our universities and our fellow students from this violence that these people are trying to bring into our university."
"I think it's it will be very important to come to Israel again because we have to show what the actual Intifada really did to Israel and we have to show these people that they are sitting comfortably in Milan talking about a state they don't know, and yet they try to make decisions for all of us regarding our universities. That's unacceptable."