Fiamma Nirenstein

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Widely regarded as a "staunch support of Israel,"[1] Fiamma Nirenstein is an Italian writer and member of the Italian Parliament as a legislator within Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing The People of Freedom party.[2] Since 1998 Nirenstein has been a resident of the Israeli settlement of Gilo[3] (located in East Jerusalem), which Israel annexed during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Development in the settlement has resulted in Palestinian house demolitions and the displacement of Palestinian residents for years, causing it to be referred to as a major obstacle to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.[4] Gilo is categorized as illegal by the United Nations,[5] the European Union[6] and the International Court of Justice.[7] Nirenstein has worked in Israel and Europe and she contributes to the New York Post and Commentary Magazine.[2] According to Nirenstein's official biography, the "pivotal focus" of her work "is the fight against totalitarianism and terrorism as connected to anti-Semitism and hate for Israel."The pivotal focus and underlying idea that runs through all Fiamma Nirenstein's work is the fight against totalitarianism and terrorism as connected to anti-Semitism and hate for Israel.[2]

Early Life

The daughter of a former soldier in the Jewish brigade and a mother who allegedly fought against fascism in Italy as well as Nazism, Nirenstein has stated that she spent part of her youth as a Leftist and feminist in Italy, but changed after returning from a Kibbutz in Israel where she lived during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war:

After the 1967 Six-Day War, a rift began to develop between her and her "communist comrades," who saw Israel as an occupying country. "I was confused for a long time," she says. "In 1982, I signed a petition against the First Lebanon War. Today I wouldn't sign it. What did Israel gain from the withdrawal from Lebanon?"[3]

Affiliations

Democracy and Security International Conference, Attendee [8]| Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Associate[9] | Member of the Global Forum against Antisemitism instituted by Nathan Sharansky[10] | Member of the board of the Italian Foundation Magna Carta[11]| Fellow of the Hudson Institute, Washington[11] | Director of the Italian Institute of Culture Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Tel Aviv in '93 and '94[11] | NGO Monitor, member of international advisory board[12] | Introduced and written prefaces for translations of the works of Bernard Lewis, Nathan Sharansky, and Ruthie Bloom in Italy.| International Advisory Board for Academic Freedom, conference participant [13] |

Publications

  • (2007) Israele Siamo Noi, On the State of Israel as archetype for a liberal democracy at war with terror.
  • (2006) La Sabbia di Gaza, On the Israeli disengagement from Gaza.
  • (2005) Terror: The New Anti-Semitism and the War Against the West,An English-language selection of various articles.
  • (2004) Gli Antisemiti Progressisti, A look at the new anti-Semitism.
  • (2003) Islam, la guerra e la speranza, An interview with Bernard Lewis.
  • (2002) L'Abbandono, come l'Occidente ha tradito gli ebrei, A book that argues the West has betrayed the Jewish people.
  • (2001) Un solo Dio, tre verità, (One god, three truths)
  • (1998) Come le cinque dita di una mano – una famiglia di ebrei da Firenze a Gerusalemme, Written with her family.
  • (1996) Israele: una pace in guerra, Israel, at peace in war
  • (1990) Il Razzista Democratico, The Democratic Racist

Contact

Notes

  1. Cnaan Liphshiz, "'Israel should drop apologetic tactics, admit it is at war'", Haaretz, 8 August 2009
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Fiamma Nirenstein, "Biography", Fiamma Nirenstein official website, accessed on 16 October 2010
  3. 3.0 3.1 Meron Rapoport, "Haaretz: Nirenstein makes history", Fiamma Nirenstein website, 18 April 2008, accessed on 16 October 2010
  4. DPA, "UN official: Gilo expansion threatens Middle East peace", Haaretz, 24 November 2009
  5. UN New Centre, "Ban deplores Israeli decision to expand Jerusalem settlement", UN News Centre, 17 November 2009
  6. Leigh Phillips, "EU rebukes Israel for Jerusalem settlement expansion", EU Observer, 19 November 2009
  7. Victor Kattan, "The US-Israel Standoff over Settlements", Jurist, 7 April 2010
  8. Democracy and Security Conference, List of Participants, Accessed 25-February-2009
  9. Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Our Key People, Accessed, 12 September 2007
  10. Fiamma Nirenstein Global Forum contro l'Antisemitismo, accessed 8 August 2010
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 NGO Monitor Fiamma Nirenstein, accessed 8 August 2010
  12. NGO Monitor International Advisory Board Profiles, accessed 8 August 2010
  13. Text of Conference Invite Email