Dalia Padua, a translator and former Israeli living in Italy, caused a stir today (Wednesday) after she refused to translate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expected speech at a synagogue in Rome, during his visit to the country. She made her decision as a protest against the legal reform, claiming that his policy was “dangerous”.
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“I was asked to translate Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming visit to Italy. After much thought, I decided to refuse. I am sharing here the letter I wrote,” stated the post she published, referring to the invitation she received. She wrote at the beginning of the letter: “I thank you for your offer to translate Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech on March 9. Unfortunately, I have to decline.”
“Not only do I not share Netanyahu’s political views, but his leadership is extremely dangerous to me as far as democracy in the State of Israel is concerned. What’s more, if I agree to cooperate in translating his words, my children will not forgive me,” she noted.
She added: “I tried to convince them that it was only a matter of work, and that if I refused, my gesture would change almost nothing – but they were not ready to accept any explanation. They amazed me – usually they seem to have little hope for the future of the human race in a troubled and turbulent time like This, and they always encourage me to take on new jobs.”
But in this case they were determined, they do not cooperate with those who promote fascist principles and suppress freedom, they simply do not do it, I decided to listen to them,” she signed the letter.