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Rome (JTA) — Confronted
by widespread protests over
its decision to schedule
crucial general elections on
the first day of Passover,
Italy's embarrassed
caretaker government has
backtracked and put
together an emergency
decree that will enable
observant Jews to vote.
The decree, which was ex-
pected to be enacted after
approval by both houses of a
parliament that was formal-
ly dissolved lat weekend,
will extend the duration of
the elections to two days.
This will allow voters to go
to the polls until 10 p.m. on
March 28 — two and a half
hours after sundown on the
second day of Passover.
Jews and their supporters
expressed satisfaction with
the latest developments,
although the entire affair
has left a lingering bad
taste.
Rabbi Giuseppe Laras,
chief rabbi of Milan, said he
was satisfied with the out-
come but called the decision
process "a typical Italian
drama," and said it damaged
Italy's image.
Franco Pavoncello, vice
president of the Rome Jew-
ish community, said, "If the
polling places remain open
until the evening of March
28, we will be fully satisfied
not only as Jews but as
Italian citizens because in
caring for a minority we will
see an important guarantee
for democracy for everyone."
The decision was made at
the last minute. The
government had ignored
weeks of protests by Jews
and announced that the elec-
tions for a new parliament
would be held March 27, the
first day of Passover.
This was viewed by the
Jewish community and
others as a flagrant affront
to minority rights, as it
would have effectively de-
nied observant Jews the
right to cast their ballots.
Urgent political consulta-
tions took place on how to
rectify the situation, follow-
ing bitter protests from Jew-
ish and non-Jewish leaders
alike.
There had also been
threats issued from some
quarters to boycott the elec-
tions entirely.
Rabbi Elio Toaff, the chief
rabbi of Rome, had
threatened to take possible
legal recourse.
Elio Toaff:
Urged a rescheduling.
"Dozens of people phoned
me," Rabbi Toaff told
reporters. "And many non-
Jews promised not to vote if
the date of the election was
not changed.
"One journalist even ask-
ed me for a yellow star to
wear on Election Day. Yes,
yet again, the Italians back-
ed us up," said Rabbi Toaff.
Support for the Jewish
community also came from
Alessandra Mussolini, the
granddaughter of late fascist
dictator Benito Mussolini.
Alessandra Mussolini is a
member of a neo-fascist par-
ty, the MSI, and was its un-
successful candidate in the
recent Naples mayoral race.
She described the decision
to vote on Passover as "an
The decision was
made at the last
minute after the
government ignored
weeks of protest.
act of discrimination against
the Jewish community,
which from now on will feel
even more of a minority."
But her expression of sup-
port was not totally welcom-
ed in the Jewish community.
Riccardo Pacifici, a mem-
ber of the board of the Rome
Jewish community, de-
scribed her words as
"manipulative."
There are some 40,000
Jews in Italy, 30,000 of
whom are of voting age, out
of a total population of 58
million.
❑