“Disconcerted. Worried. And stunned.” Piero Fassino doesn’t mince his words. And he does so not in the face of a marginal episode, but of a heavy phrase that appeared on social media under a post commenting on his behavior in Parliament during the minute of silence for the victims of Gaza. It was written by Davide Carta, councilor of the Democratic Party on the Cagliari city council: “Killing him is not a sin,” referring to Fassino himself .
A phrase that immediately sparked controversy and forced the Democratic MP to intervene publicly . "A city councilor, and moreover from my own party, allows himself to use such serious and unspeakable words? It is a cause for dismay, but above all for concern. And today I wonder in whose hands the Cagliari Democratic Party council group is."
Fassino claims he does not know Carta personally and that his accusations are based on a false assumption: «According to him, I did not pay homage to the victims of Gaza. That is not true. I have always done so in every circumstance. And despite having doubts about Conte's speech in the Chamber, I participated together with my colleagues in the group in the act of solidarity with the population of Gaza». But behind that phrase, for the former minister, there is actually the language of hatred. «It is exactly what I have fought against all my life. That this language is used by a party colleague of mine astonishes me and worries me even more» .
The former mayor of Turin then broadens his gaze to the national political climate: "Every day we witness words steeped in rancor and violence. There are those who confuse the sacrosanct condemnation of Netanyahu's policies, which I have always expressed clearly, with an attack on the entire Israeli people. It is absurd. Israel is a democracy where millions of citizens demonstrate every day against that government. Just as it is even more absurd and unacceptable to lash out against every Jew asking them to account for Netanyahu's policies. And in any case, indignation over the deaths in Gaza can never justify violent expressions . To achieve peace, we need to build bridges, not verbal escalation and much less pouring fuel on the fire. Every Manichean and extreme approach to the Middle Eastern conflict is wrong, producing irresponsible words like those used by Carta. And this is unacceptable."
As for possible clarifications with the person directly concerned or with the Cagliari federation of the Democratic Party, Fassino is clear: «I don't need to clarify anything. It is Carta who must clarify and I expect an apology for words that represent a real incitement to hatred, which is also severely punished by law. And he adds: «I spoke with the leaders of the Sardinian Democratic Party, such as Piero Comandini and Silvio Lai, who clearly stigmatized Carta's words and expressed full and total solidarity. As did Elly Schlein on behalf of the National Secretariat of the Democratic Party» .