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| ===Criticism=== | ===Criticism=== | ||
| Prof. ] of the ] examined Arrigoni's ] page, writing that it "includes the medieval ] charge that 'Zionists' would arrest Jesus if he were to come back today" |
Prof. ] of the ] examined Arrigoni's ] page, writing that it "includes the medieval ] charge that 'Zionists' would arrest Jesus if he were to come back today". Plaut characterized the page as "a cornucopia of blind hatred".<ref name=italian/> | ||
| Italian parliamentarian ], vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Italy’s Chamber of Deputies and chairwoman of the Committee for the Inquiry into Anti-Semitism, wrote that Arrigoni was a "fan of political ] because he was an enemy of the ]". She further stated that Arrigoni described ]s as "rats".<ref name=italian>, Jerusalem Post 26-04-2011</ref> | Italian parliamentarian ], vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Italy’s Chamber of Deputies and chairwoman of the Committee for the Inquiry into Anti-Semitism, wrote that Arrigoni was a "fan of political ] because he was an enemy of the ]". She further stated that Arrigoni described ]s as "rats".<ref name=italian>, Jerusalem Post 26-04-2011</ref> | ||
Revision as of 19:21, 2 May 2011
| Vittorio Arrigoni | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1975-02-04)4 February 1975 Besana Brianza |
| Died | 15 April 2011(2011-04-15) (aged 36) Gaza Strip |
| Cause of death | Executed by strangling by Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation(s) | International Solidarity Movement activist, journalist, blogger |
Vittorio Arrigoni (4 February 1975 – 15 April 2011) was an Italian reporter, writer, pacifist and activist. Arrigoni worked with the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in the Gaza Strip, from 2008 until his death. Arrigoni maintained a website, Guerrilla Radio, and published a book of his experiences in Gaza during the 2008-09 Gaza War between Hamas and Israel. He was murdered by suspected members of a Palestinian Salafist group in Gaza. The murder was widely and strongly condemned by various Palestinian factions.
Early life and beginning of activism
Arrigoni was born in the town of Besana in Brianza, near Milan, Italy. He claimed that it was in his blood to fight for freedom as his grandfathers fought against the former fascist regime in Italy. He had the Arabic word for resistance (muqawama) tattooed on his right arm. Once he passed his maturità exams in Italy, he left his hometown of Bulciago, a small village near lake Como, and began traveling around the world. In 2002, he visited Jerusalem which according to his mother was the "moment he understood his work would be concentrated there." His mother, Egidia Beretta, is the mayor of Bulciago.
ISM work and journalism in Gaza
Arrigoni was credited as one of the many activists who revived the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a pro-Palestinian group that works in the Palestinian territories. In August 2008, he participated in the Free Gaza mission that aimed to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, in place since June 2007 when Hamas took power in the territory. He was on the first boat that arrived in the Port of Gaza, describing that moment as "one of the happiest and most emotional" of his lifetime. While volunteering to act as a human shield for a Palestinian fisherman off Gaza's coast in September 2008, Arrigoni was injured by flying glass after the Israeli Navy used a water cannon to deter the vessel. In November, he was arrested by Israeli authorities after again acting as a human shield for fishermen off Gaza's coast.
He returned to Gaza prior to the Israeli military offensive against the territory, Operation Cast Lead, which lasted from December 2008 to January 2009. Arrigoni became one of the few foreign journalists working in Gaza during the war; he worked with Radio Popolare and as reporter for the Italian newspaper Il manifesto. He later published a book, Restiamo umani (en: Gaza, Stay Human), a collection of his reportages from Gaza during the war. It is translated in English, Spanish, German, and French with a preface by the Israeli historian Ilan Pappé.
Political views
Arrigoni was an adamant supporter of the Palestinian cause. Arrigoni was also an outspoken critic of Israel.
On the Palestinians
Arrigoni was described as having a "fervent commitment to the Palestinian cause". Arrigoni described the four Palestinians who died in a tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt frontier as "martyrs". One of his last posts on Guerrilla Radio—which he wrote hours before he was kidnapped and killed—praised Palestinian efforts to smuggle goods into Gaza via underground tunnels as an "invisible battle for survival."
Hamas and Islamic extremism
Arrigoni criticised "Muslim extremists for trying to impose a hardline version of Islam in Gaza". In an interview to the PeaceReporter, an online daily newspaper, when asked if he was a supporter of Hamas, Arrigoni answered: ""Personally, as an activist for human rights, I don't like Hamas at all. I have something to say to them too: they have deeply limited the human rights since they have won the elections".
On Israel
In his website, Guerrilla Radio, and Facebook page, Arrigoni posted strong criticism against Israel. Arrigoni described the government of Israel as "one of the worst apartheid regimes in the world." He claimed that the Israeli blockade on Gaza was "criminal" and "villainous".
Praise and criticism
Praise
According to The Guardian's correspondent in Italy, Arrigoni was "first and foremost a pacifist". Khaleel Shaheen of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza, who was also a friend of Arrigoni, described the Italian activist as a "hero of Palestine".
Criticism
Prof. Steven Plaut of the University of Haifa examined Arrigoni's Facebook page, writing that it "includes the medieval blood libel charge that 'Zionists' would arrest Jesus if he were to come back today". Plaut characterized the page as "a cornucopia of blind hatred".
Italian parliamentarian Fiamma Nirenstein, vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Italy’s Chamber of Deputies and chairwoman of the Committee for the Inquiry into Anti-Semitism, wrote that Arrigoni was a "fan of political Islamism because he was an enemy of the Jews". She further stated that Arrigoni described Zionists as "rats".
Noah Pollak, executive director of the Emergency Committee for Israel, wrote that "Arrigoni devoted himself to helping Hamas try to destroy Israel. He was a warmonger, an anti-Semite and a supporter of the repression of Palestinians under terrorist rule in Gaza."
Kidnapping and death
Abduction and ultimatum
Arrigoni was kidnapped on April 15, 2011, by suspected members of a Salafi militant group espousing Salafist jihadism operating in Gaza known as Tawhid and Jihad. In a video they posted on YouTube in which they identified themselves as belonging to a previously unknown group, "The Brigade of the Gallant Companion of the Prophet Mohammed bin Muslima,"" Arrigoni was blindfolded with blood seen around his right eye. The captors demanded the release of their leader Walid al-Maqdasi, imprisoned by the de facto government in Gaza a month earlier, as a ransom and threatened Arrigoni's execution if a 30-hour deadline was not met. The captors accused Arrigoni of "spreading corruption" and his home country Italy as an "infidel state."
Execution
For uncertain reasons, before the deadline expired, the captors executed Arrigoni in an empty apartment in the Mareh Amer area in northern Gaza. "It is believed he was either hanged then laid down, or strangled on the ground". After being led to the house by a member of the suspected Salafi group, Hamas security forces stormed the building and found Arrigoni's body. "The doctor who performed the autopsy said Mr. Arrigoni’s killers had used a plastic cord to strangle him", but "Journalists were not allowed to see the body in the morgue and could not independently confirm the cause of death given by Hamas" Tawhid and Jihad denied responsibility for the killing, but stated it was "a natural outcome of the policy of the government carried out against the Salafi." Iyad ash-Shami, a leader of another Salafi group based in Gaza, denied involvement of Salafi militants and said the killing went against Islam. Security forces in Gaza arrested four suspects in connection to the incident, and Haniya ordered an investigation by the Interior Ministry, and called Arrigoni's mother to send his condolences.
Popular response
Following his death, several hundred Gazans rallied in the Unknown Soldier's Square to mourn Arrigoni while about 100 Palestinians and internationals marched through Ramallah to a house of mourning in nearby al-Bireh in the West Bank. In Bethlehem, a candle-light vigil was held outside the Church of the Nativity. Egyptian authorities offered to allow Arrigoni's family to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing and his body to be sent back to Italy via the crossing.
Pursuit after perpetrators
Hamas police initiated a manhunt after members of the Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin involved in the murder. Hamas sealed off parts of the Gaza Strip before the beginning of the operation, during which "heavy gunfire and at least one explosion were heard".
Hamas security men laid siege on a house where the suspects were staying,in the Nusseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza. The suspects refused to surrender and a gun battle ensued. Hamas policemen entered the home and killed Balal al-Omari and Hirdani Abbad a-Rahman al-Brizat (one of the two dead men may have committed suicide). A third suspect, Muhammad a-Salpiti, was wounded and detained. Three of the suspects' associates were also captured. Ihab Ghussein, Hamas interior ministry spokesman, reported that five Hamas policemen were injured as well as girl who was caught in the crossfire.
Reactions to murder
Arrigoni's murder was condemned by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and other Palestinian factions. Italy and the United Nations also condemned the killing.
Palestinian
An official statement from Hamas described the killing as a "disgraceful act" by a "mentally deviated and outlawed group." Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniya stated the killing "does not reflect the values, morals, or the religion of the Palestinian people. This is an unprecedented case that won't be repeated." He also said Arrigoni would be designated a martyr and a street would be named after him. Foreign minister of Hamas told he will get a state funeral. After this the body will be transferred to Egypt. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum "condemned the killing as 'shameful'.
Various condemnations of Arrigoni's killing were released by other Palestinian factions with Fatah decrying it as an "act of betrayal," the Popular Resistance Committees calling it "cowardly," Islamic Jihad calling it a "grotesque crime," and Mustafa Barghouti saying it was a "shocking criminal act." A spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned it as an "act of treason".
International
The foreign ministry of Italy expressed "deep horror over the barbaric murder," calling it an "act of vile and senseless violence committed by extremists who are indifferent to the value of human life." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon pressed the Gaza government to bring to justice "the perpetrators of this appalling crime."
Blaming of Israel
Although Arrigoni was executed by the Gaza branch of the Palestinian Salafist group Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin, some blamed Israel for the murder. In spite of the fact that Hamas identified the perpetrators with a Palestinian group affiliated with al-Qaeda, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said while condemning the murder that "he suspected Israel might be responsible since the death appeared to be timed to deter foreign activists from joining a flotilla due to sail to Gaza in May to break Israel's naval blockade of the area."
Mahmoud al-Zahar, a member of the Hamas leadership, indirectly accused Israel of engineering the killing of Arrigoni in an attempt to scare off international activists from coming to Gaza. The prominent Hamas leader said that "such an awful crime cannot take place without arrangements between all the parties concerned to keep the blockade imposed on Gaza". Al-Zahar offered no evidence to support his accusation.
German politician Inge Höger said that both Arrigoni and Israeli actor Juliano Mer-Khamis—who was shot dead by masked gunmen in Jenin eleven days earlier to Arrigoni's murder—were actually killed by Israelis. In her website Höger wrote that "The question one must pose is: Who profits from this terrible crime? First of all, now two of the activists most 'dangerous' for Israel, because they were the most engaged, well known and noted, are eliminated." Based on this and other statements Höger was denounced as an antisemite by a fellow politician and the Die Welt daily newspaper.
See also
References
- Johnston, Nicole. Vittorio Arrigoni: The man I knew. Al Jazeera. 2011-04-15.
- ^ Hooper, John. Vittorio Arrigoni: pacifist supporter of the Palestinian cause. The Guardian. 2011-04-15. Cite error: The named reference "Guardian" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Kalman, Matthew. Idealistic blogger 'was more Palestinian than the criminals who killed him'. The Independent. 2011-04-16.
- Mackenzie, James. "Dismay and sorrow" in hometown of Italian activist. Reuters. 2011-04-15.
- ^ New video released of slain Italian activist: 'Day I arrived in Gaza was happiest of my life'. Haaretz. 2011-04-15.
- Radio Popolare, announcements archive
- Gaza, Stay Human. Amazon Book Review.
- ^ Daily Mail Reporter, Bloodied, bound and paraded on YouTube... then hanged hours later: Horrific fate of peace activist kidnapped in Gaza. Daily Mail.2011-04-15.
- Gaza, eliminate il pacifista Arrigoni (Gaza, eliminate the pacifist Arrigoni), Peacereporter, 2009-01-14.
- Quinton, Pennie, Vale Vittorio Arrigoni, 'hero of Palestine'. The Guardian. 2011-04-16.
- ^ Italian politician: Vittorio Arrigoni was ‘enemy of Jews’, Jerusalem Post 26-04-2011
- ^ Salafi leader: Islam prohibits murder. Ma'an News Agency. 2011-04-15.
- Italian Activist Found Dead in Gaza after Abduction. BBC. 2011-04-15.
- Hamas Says It Found Body of Italian Activist, New York Times 14 April 2011
- Urquhart, Conal. Palestinians rally to mourn kidnapped Italian activist murdered by extremists. Guardian. 2011-04-15.
- ^ Body of abducted Italian activist found in Gaza City. Ma'an News Agency. 2011-04-15.
- Fares Akram and Isabel Kershner. Gaza Killing of Italian Activist Deals a Blow to Hamas. New York Times. 2011-04-15.
- ^ Candlelight vigil held for Italian activist. Al-Jazeera. 2011-04-16.
- ^ Egypt offers to help slain activist's family enter Gaza. Ma'an News Agency. 2011-04-16.
- ^ Vittorio Arrigoni killing: Suspects die in Gaza siege. BBC. 2011-04-19.
- ^ Associated Press. Gaza police close in on suspects in Vittorio Arrigoni murder. The Guardian. 2011-04-19.
- Issacharoff, Avi. Hamas kills 2 suspects during manhunt for murderers of Italian activist in Gaza. Haaretz. 2011-04-20.
- ^ Abbas: Murder of Italian activist is treason. Ma'an News Agency. 2011-04-16.
- la Repubblica 2011-04-17
- ^ Kalman, Matthew. Activist's murder shakes Hamas's grip on Gaza. The Independent. 2011-04-16.
- ^ Aldabba, Ahmed. Body of kidnapped activist found in Gaza City, Los Angeles Times. 2011-04-16.
- Associated Press and Haaretz Service. Hamas official hints Israel killed Italian activist to intimidate future Gaza flotilla members. Haaretz. 2011-04-15.
- Weinthal, Benjamin. German MP blames Israel for Mer, Arrigoni deaths. Jerusalem Post, 2011-04-24.
Further reading
- Arrigoni, Vittorio (2010). Gaza: Stay Human. Kube Publishing. ISBN 978-1847740199.
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- Francesca Borri Restiamo liberi, peacereporter, 18/04/2011
- English-language obituary for Arrigoni on Max Ajl's blog.
External links
- Guerrilla Radio, Vittorio Arrigoni's blog from Gaza.
- Vittorio Arrigoni's Facebook page.