Vittorio Arrigoni
Encyclopedia
Vittorio Arrigoni 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 Tawhid wal-Jihad
, a Palestinian Salafist group in Gaza
. The murder was condemned by various Palestinian factions.
, 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 working as a volunteer around the world (East Europe, South America
, Africa
, Middle East
). 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), 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 Israel
i 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 Operation Cast Lead, which lasted from December 2008 to January 2009. Arrigoni was one of the few foreign journalists 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 reportage from Gaza. It is translated into English, Spanish, German, and French with a preface by Israeli historian Ilan Pappé
.
Arrigoni criticised Muslim extremists for trying to impose a hardline version of Islam in Gaza.
In an interview with the newspaper PeaceReporter, he said: "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 human rights since they have won the elections."
In his website, Guerrilla Radio, and Facebook
page, Arrigoni described the government of Israel as one of the worst apartheid regimes in the world. He said the Israeli blockade on Gaza was criminal and villainous.
. In a video 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 killing if a 30-hour deadline was not met. The captors accused Arrigoni of "spreading corruption" and his home country Italy as an "infidel state."
. Security forces in Gaza arrested four suspects in connection to the incident, and Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniya
ordered an investigation by the Interior Ministry
, and called Arrigoni's mother to send his condolences.
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.
to a house of mourning in nearby al-Bireh
in the West Bank
. In Bethlehem
, a candlelight vigil was held outside the Church of the Nativity
. Egypt
ian 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.
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".
pressed the Gaza government to bring to justice "the perpetrators of this appalling crime."
, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said 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. He 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 before 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.
, associate professor at the University of Haifa
in business administration, Fiamma Nirenstein
, Italian parliamentarian, vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Italy's Chamber of Deputies and chairwoman of the Italian Parliament's Committee for the Inquiry into Antisemitism, and Noah Pollak, executive director of the Emergency Committee for Israel
, accusing Arrigoni of supporting violence rather than being a peace activist.
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, a friend of Arrigoni, described him as a "hero of Palestine". Max Ajl, a friend of Arrigoni's and fellow ISM activist, eulogized Arrigoni as a courageous and dedicated opponent of the Israeli occupation and advocate of resistance to oppression in the Middle East and around the world.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
reporter, writer, pacifist and activist. Arrigoni worked with the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement
International Solidarity Movement
The International Solidarity Movement is an organization focused on assisting the Palestinian cause in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict using nonviolent protests. It was founded in 2001 by Ghassan Andoni, a Palestinian activist; Neta Golan, an Israeli activist; Huwaida Arraf, a...
(ISM) in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, 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
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He was murdered by suspected members of Tawhid wal-Jihad
Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin
Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin is a Salafi jihadist Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip linked with al-Qaeda. The establishment of the group was publicly announced on 6 November 2008, with communiqués vowing loyalty to Al-Qaeda, after having "received the messages of Osama bin Laden and...
, a Palestinian Salafist group in Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
. The murder was condemned by various Palestinian factions.
Biography
Arrigoni was born in the town of Besana in BrianzaBesana in Brianza
Besana in Brianza is a town and comune in the province of Monza and Brianza, Lombardy, Italy. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree of February 16, 1971.-Famous citizens:* Don Carlo Gnocchi , blessed...
, near Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. 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
Bulciago
Bulciago is a comune in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 35 km northeast of Milan and about 14 km southwest of Lecco...
, a small village near lake Como
Lake Como
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...
, and began working as a volunteer around the world (East Europe, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
). 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
Bulciago
Bulciago is a comune in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 35 km northeast of Milan and about 14 km southwest of Lecco...
.
Political activism
Arrigoni was credited as one of the many activists who revived the International Solidarity MovementInternational Solidarity Movement
The International Solidarity Movement is an organization focused on assisting the Palestinian cause in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict using nonviolent protests. It was founded in 2001 by Ghassan Andoni, a Palestinian activist; Neta Golan, an Israeli activist; Huwaida Arraf, a...
(ISM), a pro-Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
group that works in the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
. In August 2008, he participated in the Free Gaza mission that aimed to break the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i blockade of the Gaza Strip, in place since June 2007 when Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
took power in the territory. He was on the first boat that arrived in the Port of Gaza
Port of Gaza
-History:In antiquity, Gaza was the principal port city on the Mediterranean that served the Incense Road. It was originally known as "Maioumas," which is linked to a licentious pagan festival. The Port of Gaza was at the end of the Nabataean spice road...
, 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 Operation Cast Lead, which lasted from December 2008 to January 2009. Arrigoni was one of the few foreign journalists in Gaza during the war; he worked with Radio Popolare and as reporter for the Italian newspaper Il manifesto
Il Manifesto
il manifesto is an Italian newspaper. While it calls itself communist, it is not connected to any political party. It was founded as a monthly review in 1969 by a collective of left-wing journalists engaged in the wave of critical thought and activity on the Italian left in that period. Prominent...
. He later published a book, Restiamo umani (en: Gaza, Stay Human), a collection of his reportage from Gaza. It is translated into English, Spanish, German, and French with a preface by Israeli historian Ilan Pappé
Ilan Pappé
Ilan Pappé is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK, director of the university's European Centre for Palestine Studies, co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies, and political activist...
.
Political views
Arrigoni was described as having a "fervent commitment to the Palestinian cause." Arrigoni described four Palestinians who died in a tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border 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."Arrigoni criticised Muslim extremists for trying to impose a hardline version of Islam in Gaza.
In an interview with the newspaper PeaceReporter, he said: "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 human rights since they have won the elections."
In his website, Guerrilla Radio, and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page, Arrigoni described the government of Israel as one of the worst apartheid regimes in the world. He said the Israeli blockade on Gaza was criminal and villainous.
Kidnapping and death
Arrigoni was kidnapped on April 14, 2011, by suspected members of a Salafi militant group espousing Salafist jihadism operating in Gaza known as Tawhid and JihadJahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin
Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin is a Salafi jihadist Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip linked with al-Qaeda. The establishment of the group was publicly announced on 6 November 2008, with communiqués vowing loyalty to Al-Qaeda, after having "received the messages of Osama bin Laden and...
. In a video posted on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
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 killing if a 30-hour deadline was not met. The captors accused Arrigoni of "spreading corruption" and his home country Italy as an "infidel state."
Murder
For uncertain reasons, before the deadline expired, the captors killed 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 IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Security forces in Gaza arrested four suspects in connection to the incident, and Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniya
Ismail Haniya
Ismail Haniyeh ; is a senior political leader of Hamas and one of two disputed Prime Ministers of the Palestinian National Authority, the matter being under political and legal dispute. He became Prime Minister after the legislative elections of 2006 which Hamas won...
ordered an investigation by the Interior Ministry
Interior Minister of the Palestinian National Authority
The Interior Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority is the branch of the Palestinian National Authority cabinet in charge of the security and statistics of the Palestinian people. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is a sub-branch of the Interior Ministry that has the...
, and called Arrigoni's mother to send his condolences.
Manhunt
Hamas police initiated a manhunt for 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 death
Several hundred Gazans rallied in the Unknown Soldier's Square to mourn Arrigoni while about 100 Palestinians and internationals marched through RamallahRamallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
to a house of mourning in nearby al-Bireh
Al-Bireh
al-Bireh or el-Bira is a Palestinian city adjacent to Ramallah in the central West Bank, north of Jerusalem. It is situated on the central ridge running through the West Bank and is above sea level, covering an area of...
in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. In Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
, a candlelight vigil was held outside the Church of the Nativity
Church of the Nativity
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth, and thus it is considered sacred by Christians...
. Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian 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.
Palestinian response
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 martyrMartyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
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
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
decrying it as an "act of betrayal," the Popular Resistance Committees
Popular Resistance Committees
The Popular Resistance Committees are a coalition of various armed Palestinian factions that oppose the conciliatory approach adopted by the Palestinian Authority and Fatah towards Israel...
calling it "cowardly," Islamic Jihad calling it a "grotesque crime," and Mustafa Barghouti
Mustafa Barghouti
Mustafa Barghouti is a Palestinian democracy activist. He was a candidate for the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority in 2005, finishing second to Mahmoud Abbas, with 19% of the vote.Barghouti was born in Jerusalem...
saying it was a "shocking criminal act." A spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
condemned it as an "act of treason".
International response
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-MoonBan Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
pressed the Gaza government to bring to justice "the perpetrators of this appalling crime."
Accusations against Israel
Although Arrigoni was killed by suspected members 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-QaedaAl-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said 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
Mahmoud al-Zahar
Mahmoud al-Zahar is a co-founder of Hamas and a member of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip. Since the formation of the Hamas/"Change and Reform" government in the Palestinian National Authority in March 2006, al-Zahar has served as foreign minister in the government of prime minister Ismail...
, 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. He 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
Inge Höger
Inge Höger is a German politician.She represents the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in the Bundestag.She was from 2005 to 2006 deputy chairman of The Left .- Career :...
said that both Arrigoni and Israeli actor Juliano Mer-Khamis
Juliano Mer-Khamis
Juliano Mer-Khamis was an Israeli actor, director, filmmaker and political activist of Jewish and Christian Arab parentage. On 4 April 2011, he was assassinated by a masked gunman in the Palestinian city of Jenin, where he established the Freedom Theatre....
, who was shot dead by masked gunmen in Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
eleven days before 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
Die Welt
Die Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer AG company.It was founded in Hamburg in 1946 by the British occupying forces, aiming to provide a "quality newspaper" modelled on The Times...
daily newspaper.
Criticism and praise
A Jerusalem Post article published shortly after Arrigoni's death assembled various criticisms of Arrigoni from Steven PlautSteven Plaut
Steven Plaut is an American-born Israeli associate professor of Business Administration at the University of Haifa and a writer. Plaut is a member of the editorial board of the Middle East Quarterly, a publication of the Middle East Forum think tank....
, associate professor at the University of Haifa
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa is a university in Haifa, Israel.The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 by Haifa mayor Abba Hushi, to operate under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
in business administration, Fiamma Nirenstein
Fiamma Nirenstein
Fiamma Nirenstein is an Italian politician, journalist and author. She is a member of Silvio Berlusconi's conservative coalition government and is Vice-president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Italian Chamber of Deputies...
, Italian parliamentarian, vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Italy's Chamber of Deputies and chairwoman of the Italian Parliament's Committee for the Inquiry into Antisemitism, and Noah Pollak, executive director of the Emergency Committee for Israel
Emergency Committee for Israel
The Emergency Committee for Israel's Leadership is a right-wing 501 political advocacy organization in the United States. The group’s board members include Weekly Standard editor William Kristol and former Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer, Republican Virginia congressman Scott Rigell,...
, accusing Arrigoni of supporting violence rather than being a peace activist.
According to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s correspondent in Italy, Arrigoni was "first and foremost a pacifist." Khaleel Shaheen of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights is an independent Palestinian human rights organization based in Gaza City, founded and directed by Raji Sourani...
in Gaza, a friend of Arrigoni, described him as a "hero of Palestine". Max Ajl, a friend of Arrigoni's and fellow ISM activist, eulogized Arrigoni as a courageous and dedicated opponent of the Israeli occupation and advocate of resistance to oppression in the Middle East and around the world.
Further reading
- 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.
- Staying Human, a documentary film on Arrigoni.
- Vittorio Arrigoni's Facebook page.