Rome water company Acea cuts ties with Israeli counterpart Mekorot.
Rome city council on Thursday voted to fly the Palestinian flag at the Campidoglio, the seat of city hall on the Capitoline Hill, in solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian people.
The motion, passed by 31 votes in favour with one abstention, also approved the termination of the collaboration between Rome’s municipal water provider Acea and its Israeli counterpart Mekorot.
The move commits the administration of centre-left mayor Roberto Gualtieri “to condemn any attack on international humanitarian law, including the recent offensive against Gaza City and any other operation that endangers civilians, destroys humanitarian infrastructure, or hinders safe evacuation.”
In a statement, the city said the display of the Palestinian flag on the Capitoline Hill is a “sign of closeness and solidarity with the entire Palestinian population, also in light of the violent escalation and as a call for respect for peace, international law, and the protection of the civilian populations involved.”
The initiative follows similar moves earlier this year by the city council in Naples, as well as Italian regions and universities, to break off institutional relations with Israel in protest over the Netanyahu government’s military offensive in Gaza.
In May, Rome joined municipal administrations across Italy in the 50,000 shrouds for Gaza campaign to remember the civilian victims in the Palestinian enclave, by hanging a white sheet from the balcony of city hall.
In another symbolic gesture, in July the city switched off the lights at the Trevi Fountain for one hour to call for an end to hostilities in the Gaza Strip and reaffirm Rome’s “commitment to peace and respect for human rights”.
Rome’s decision to fly the Palestinian flag comes as Italian trade unions call two days of strikes and protests in Italy, including a 24-hour general strike on Monday 22 September, to demonstrate their solidarity with Gaza.
Photo RAI News
