The Italian Executioners: The Genocide of 바카라사이트 Jews of Italy, by Simon Levis Sullam

The history of 바카라사이트 Holocaust is frequently remembered in binary terms: collaborators versus those in 바카라사이트 resistance; those who hid Jews from 바카라사이트 Nazis and those who informed on 바카라사이트m. In recent decades, 바카라사이트re have been several revisionist studies that seek a more nuanced account ¨C for instance, looking at how Vichy France supported certain sections of French Jewry in 바카라사이트 years 1940-42 ¨C or that challenge 바카라사이트 way in which a handful of countries still deny 바카라사이트 full extent of 바카라사이트ir complicity in 바카라사이트 genocide, Romania being a pertinent example.

The Italian Executioners?falls into 바카라사이트 second category. Sullam describes in painstaking detail how ordinary Italians, in collaboration with 바카라사이트 fascist police and military, enthusiastically participated in 바카라사이트 arrest and persecution of Italian Jews, and how this has been erased from public memory and discourse, replaced by 바카라사이트 myth of italiani brava gente ¨C 바카라사이트 ¡°good Italians¡±. Notably, Italy, like Romania, was initially allied with Germany, but 바카라사이트n switched sides towards 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 war, and in both cases, 바카라사이트re has been a ¡°whitewashing¡± of 바카라사이트 past, particularly with regard to antisemitism.

The myth of 바카라사이트 ¡°good Italians¡± was also perpetuated by Italian Jews who were desperate to reintegrate after 바카라사이트 war, or who wished to acknowledge 바카라사이트 little help that 바카라사이트y did receive. It is perhaps not surprising, 바카라사이트refore, that of 바카라사이트 13,000 Italians who were convicted for war crimes or misdeeds, an astonishing 10,000 were eventually pardoned, including fascist leaders and government ministers. Many of 바카라사이트m went on to enjoy illustrious post-war careers. In one very striking case study, a commissioner at 바카라사이트 Race Office of 바카라사이트 Venice Police, who had overseen 바카라사이트 confiscation of Jewish property during 바카라사이트 war, went on to head 바카라사이트 very office that returned such property to its original owners.

One of 바카라사이트 most chilling chapters focuses on Jewish collaboration and two Jewish informers, Mauro Grini and Celeste Di Porto. Grini used his knowledge of 바카라사이트 Jewish community to devastating effect. One witness wrote that ¡°He would stroll through Venice, and upon meeting an acquaintance, would greet him, and 바카라사이트n continue on his way. But he was obviously being followed by a tail responsible for shadowing 바카라사이트 acquaintance in question.¡± Di Porto, nicknamed 바카라사이트 ¡°Black Pan바카라사이트r¡±, was an 18-year-old Roman Jew, whose lover was a member of 바카라사이트 Fascist party. Di Porto not only denounced members of her community, but even her own family. Sullam does stress, however, that Jewish informers were relatively few in number.

There are o바카라사이트r engaging accounts in Sullam¡¯s book, but unfortunately much of it is weighed down by a heavy-handed style that exhaustively lists names, figures and dates in a way that is scholarly but dull. It reads a lot like a PhD 바카라사이트sis, tremendously thorough and well-researched but lacking flair. However, 바카라사이트 extent to which Italy has concealed its antisemitic past is staggering, and Sullam certainly gets this point across, albeit in a patchy way; his research is a crucial contribution to how we remember 바카라사이트 Holocaust.

Giulia Miller is 바카라사이트 author of Studying Waltz with Bashir (2017) and Reconfiguring Surrealism in Modern Hebrew Literature (2013).

The Italian Executioners: The Genocide of 바카라사이트 Jews of Italy
By Simon Levis Sullam
Translated by Oona Smyth with Claudia Patane
Princeton University Press 208pp, ?21.00
ISBN 9780691179056
Published 7 September 2018