Israel arrests former Vice President of the European Parliament
The Italian news agency ANSA reported that former Vice President of the European Parliament and renowned Italian activist Luisa Morgantini, 84, along with her colleague from the newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Roberto Bongiorni, was arrested this morning in the southern Hebron area for allegedly entering a “military zone.” However, they were later released by Israeli police.
According to Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, Morgantini and Bongiorni were taken to a police station in the Kiryat Arba settlement before being released following the intervention of the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Consulate in Jerusalem.
Morgantini, a prominent activist and a member of the small left-wing Communist Refoundation Party, is a leading figure in Italy’s peace movement. She was among the founders of the Italian branch of Women in Black, an anti-war organization.
A staunch advocate for Palestinian rights, Morgantini previously undertook a hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners who launched the “empty stomach” protest inside Israeli jails over the past decade. She has actively participated in numerous demonstrations and sit-ins outside Israeli prisons, including Hasharon Prison, protesting administrative detention and expressing solidarity with political detainees.
Throughout her life, this distinguished Italian activist has dedicated herself to defending Palestinian rights. She has tirelessly championed the cause through peaceful protests, international conferences, and direct engagement with relevant authorities to amplify the voices of the oppressed in Palestine.
With unwavering determination, Morgantini has stood at the forefront of the fight for justice, facing countless challenges and dangers—not only the risk of arrest by Israeli forces but also repeated exposure to random gunfire from settlers and soldiers during her activism in Palestine.
A pioneering figure in human rights and Palestinian solidarity, Morgantini remains steadfast in her commitment, reaching her eighties without wavering in her stance or losing hope.
