An Italian Catholic priest has been deported from Israel after he described the country’s military action in Gaza as “the genocide of the Palestinian people.”
Don Nandino Capovilla, from Venice, was traveling with a Pax Christi Italy pilgrimage to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the West Bank when he was stopped at Ben-Gurion Airport and detained for seven hours before being flown back to Italy via Cyprus and Frankfurt, according to The New Arab.
“I do not authorize any journalist to interview me about my seven hours of detention unless they also write about the people who have been prisoners in their own land for seventy years,” Capovilla said, urging focus on the ongoing suffering in Gaza.
Archbishop Giovanni Ricchiuti, who led the delegation, said no official explanation was given for the deportation but believes it is linked to Capovilla’s recent book Under the Gaza Sky, which compiles testimonies condemning the “ongoing massacre” of Palestinians.
He added: “We’re here, from Rome and Venice, on a pilgrimage as part of our campaign for justice and peace: [build] bridges, not walls.”
The Pax Christi delegation is calling on the Italian government to condemn Israel, halt arms exports, and recognize a Palestinian state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended plans to “take control” of Gaza City, calling it the “best way” to end the war, although the move has been condemned by several UN ambassadors at a Security Council meeting.
The U.S. defended Israel at the meeting, with Ambassador Dorothy Shea saying Israel’s efforts to free hostages and end the conflict were being undermined. She also dismissed genocide claims as “demonstrably false” and added that the war “could end today if Hamas let the hostages go.”