“There are themes that the show cannot begin with or continue with.” For Ucei, Enzo Iacchetti has crossed the line. The Union of Italian Jewish Communities sued the comedian for his “words and manner of demonizing Israel and the Jewish people, repeating prejudices that have fueled anti-Semitism for millennia.”
The problem is what Iacchetti said during a television appearance dedicated to the war in Gaza. Ucei specifically denounced him for his statements about “Zionism” which – he said – “controls the world”.
How much impact has demonization had on Israel? And accusations against “Zionists” or Jews? This was the theme, once again, as – following the attacks on October 7 and the extremely harsh military response of the Jewish State – a massive mobilization saw organizations and individual figures, including those from the entertainment industry, marching on the square and in the media. And the host of the historic event Striscia la Notizia, for several months now, as an “opinionist”, has been the protagonist of the “hosted” events, especially in È semper Carta Bianca, where she expressed her opinion in bright tones about the Middle East and its surroundings.
Great outrage was caused by the anger that Iacchetti directed, in September, towards another guest, Eyal Mizrah, for an expression – perhaps not very happy – used by representatives of the “Friends of Israel” towards the children of Gaza, to raise the issue of children being armed by Hamas. However, a few days later, Iacchetti even explained to Fanpage: “It seems that they are very guided, these stubborn Zionists, with the idea of being the rulers of the world, do everything to get more”, “an evil idea”.
In this climate of tension, Iacchetti’s performances have earned him criticism and accusations, including anti-Semitism – which he has always denied (“I don’t feel anti-Semitic”) – but also a new appearance on TV. And in one of these events, two weeks ago (Siegfrido Ranucci also participated, who remained silent), when asked about the topic of anti-Semitism raised by the Pope, the comedian said: “They do it, against real Jews, who are religious, who are not Zionists”. “We hope that at least the Pope’s words will be taken seriously,” said Ucei. “Zionism controls the whole world. Swiss banks are controlled by Jewish Zionists, the money is there” Iacchetti continued that evening, in the culmination of a thesis that combined 20th century conspiracy theories with the anti-Zionism typical of left communists, such as the stereotypical idea of the relationship between Jews and money. “I don’t agree with this – he concluded – you don’t need to call me an anti-Semite”.
And meanwhile, a book is also being discussed: The Jewish Lobby. The myth and reality of “powerful power in Italy and in the world. Its author, Ferruccio Pinotti, has written a large number of essays about “power” and its secrets. And this time, the publisher explains, he proposes to start “from the centuries-old hatred of the Jewish people to the current behavior of the State of Israel”. The book, presented with an interview with Moni Ovadia, has nevertheless caused a negative reaction. “Not so much for the title – writes for example Roberto Della Seta, who is already president of Legambiente – it’s more about the content: to become a member of the lobby, according to the writer who is a Corriere journalist, all you need to do is be a Jew. This is pure anti-Semitism.”
And authoritative criticism comes from Gadi Luzzatto Voghera, director
Jewish Documentation Center. “There is nothing new – he wrote – the current author categorically denies anti-Semitism because it is not in his DNA. And after this necessary premise, he composes a text full of errors”.
