Italiano

PRESSE RELEASE

In memory of Vittorio Arrigoni, the Italian NGO Platform in the Middle East reaffirms its Solidarity and Cooperation with the Gaza Strip Civilians and demands the end of the Israeli embargo.

The Italian NGO Platform in the Middle East has learnt, with great grief and dismay, about the events regarding the kidnapping and killing of Vittorio Arrigoni in Gaza by an Extremist Salafite Group, Mohammed Bin Moslama Brigade.

We express our deep condolence for his death and sincere closeness to his family, the International Solidarity Movement and all those who got to know Vittorio, a firm reference in the Gaza Strip to all Peace Operators.

A voluntary and active pacifist, Vittorio had chosen to stay in Gaza in these last three difficult years, in order to testify to the whole world the sufferings of the Palestinian people who live enclosed in the Gaza Strip, exposed to Israeli periodic bombardments and a terrible blockade which prevents the entry of staple commodities. The Palestinians in Gaza are also subjected to restrictive measures that are limiting, day after day, the access to subsistence means, even drinking water and the possibility to till the land or fish in the sea: an unjustified collective punishment against International Law.

In his blog and through his articles, Vittorio told the world daily about all this, accepting the challenge, like all aid-workers, to live in such a severe place, where deprivations, violence and internal repression against any democratic and independent expression, had created the humus that resulted in his murder, a barbaric and criminal action.

Since many years, Italian NGOs are operating in Jerusalem, the Palestinian Territories and particularly in the Gaza Strip, in collaboration with the Palestinian partners, in order to improve life conditions of the Palestinian people and to assert fairness in peace and dialogue. These NGO's rally around Vittorio's family and their sufferings, gripping the hands of all colleagues working in Gaza.

The Platform absolutely condemns this assassination; at the same time, it appeals to the authorities in the Gaza Strip and the Italian Government to cast light upon this event.

The Italian NGOs in the Platform express their firm will to prevent that such a criminal action becomes a pretext to interrupt the flow of Solidarity, Cooperation and Aid, vitally needed by the people of Gaza, besieged and  worn-out. The NGOs also demand the International Community to do its best in order to prevent that this umpteenth tragedy results in dangerous isolation and extreme deprivation, a further spur to the origin of extremist forces such as the one that assassinated Vittorio Arrigoni.

The NGOs belonging to the Platform will continue their solidarity and Cooperation commitments in Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza, adopting all necessary measures in order to ensure the safety of their volunteers and aid-workers. The NGOs will work closely with the other NGOs and International Organizations, collaborating with all the subjects there who nowadays appeal not to be mistaken for the perperators of that heinous crime.

The Italian NGO's in the Platform will support, with increasing vigour, its work and engagement with Palestinian Civil Society Organizations so that the Palestinians find again a unitary guidance. The NGOs will unceasingly continue its conversation with the Italian Government and Institutions as well as the International Community in order to make due pressure on the Israeli Government to stop war actions and repression against the Palestinian Civilians, demanding the end of the blockade imposed on the People of the Gaza Strip.

Italian NGO Platform in the Middle East

Rome, 15 April 2011