Italy is reportedly dissatisfied with the selection of Benny Casriel as its next ambassador to Rome. He was the mayor of Maale Adumim, which Italians consider an illegal “settlement.”
Ma’ale Adumim, home to 40,000 residents, is located just 7 kilometers from Jerusalem’s city limits. It is widely believed that it will be physically connected to the capital in the near future. For most Israelis, the idea of characterizing Ma’ale Adumim as a “settlement” that conjures images of a trailer on a remote hill is laughable.
Still, some of Italy’s own territorial gains may be explained that way.
Rome occupied territory
Lampedusa and Lampione, which are closer to North Africa than Italy, are still occupied by Rome. Over the centuries, various imperialists have ruled the two islands, including the Barbary Pirates, the Spanish, the British, and more recently the Italians. They have no special rights to their territory other than the “right” to power.
In recent years, tens of thousands of African immigrants have joined Lampedusa’s 6,000 residents. Perhaps local residents want Lampedusa, an African island, to remain part of Italy? Should they have the right to vote on whether a majority black island should be ruled by white Europeans? The Italian occupation regime, which condemns Israel, appears to have no interest in recognizing the Lampedusa people’s right to self-determination.
Many other countries also have Italian “settlements”. For example, within Switzerland’s borders is the Italian enclave of Campione his d’Italia. Historically known simply as “Campione”, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini added “d’Italia” to assert his imperialist claim to the territory. Thousands of Italian nationals currently live there.
Not all Swiss people are happy about the presence of Italian “settlers”. When Campione Casino went bankrupt in 2018, Swiss creditors were left with millions of dollars in unpaid debts.
Italy also has manned outposts (for scientific research) in Kenya, Antarctica, and the Norwegian-occupied areas of the Arctic Circle. In addition, the Italians have a military base called Amedeo Guillet in Djibouti, an African country that was illegally occupied by the Italians from 1889 to 1941, and about 300 people are stationed there.
The Italian government describes Amedeo Guille as a “permanent outpost in an area of great strategic importance.” Israel might say the same about Ma’ale Adumim, especially given its proximity to Jerusalem.
Israel’s historical, legal, and religious claims to the area where Ma’ale Adumim is located are much older and stronger than Italy’s claims to Campione and Amedeo Guille. Ambassador Kasriel may have the opportunity to remind Rome of that fact when he takes up his new post.
The author is the founding director of the David S. Wyman Holocaust Research Institute and the author of more than 20 books on Jewish history and the Holocaust. His most recent work is America and the Holocaust: A Documentary History, published by the Jewish Publishing Association and the University of Nebraska Press.