<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/06/defending-democracy-is-paramount-rula-jebreal-warns-against-meloni-rule>
"The first time Rula Jebreal came face to face with Giorgia Meloni was for a TV
debate in November 2016.
It was the day after the US presidential election, six years before Meloni
became prime minister, and the pair were invited on to
Piazzapulita, a
talkshow broadcast on the privately owned television channel, La7, to discuss
the victory of Donald Trump.
Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy, a party with neofascist roots, was at the time
languishing on the political fringes, embraced Trump’s win. Jebreal, an
Israeli-born Palestinian and the first black Muslim woman to present an Italian
TV news show had moved to the country as a student, gained Italian citizenship
alongside Israeli, and become known for calling out racism, misogyny and
extremist groups.
The tension between the two was already palpable when the debate descended into
a fiery clash of words: Jebreal challenged Meloni over Trump’s anti-immigrant
rhetoric and the rise in racism brought about by his campaign, as well as the
violence unleashed at his rallies. Meloni rolled her eyes when reminded about
Italy’s fascist past and the violence imposed by Benito Mussolini’s regime. She
dismissed her opponent as “crazy” when Jebreal said: “I understand it must be
difficult to talk to a black woman like me”.
The debate marked Jebreal out as a nemesis of Italy’s far right, while giving
insight into the ruthless streak that the country’s future prime minister would
increasingly come to wield against her opponents."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
