“Stop the genocide.” These three words thrown by Italian rapper Ghali Amdouni, alias Ghali, after his performance at the San Remo festival on February 7, sparked controversy. The Milanese star, born to Tunisian parents, has set the web ablaze to the highest levels.
After singing the lyrics of Casa mia, which some see as a direct reference to Gaza, (“But how can we say that everything is normal here? To draw a line/A hospital was bombarded with imaginary lines/For a while of land or for a piece of bread / There is never peace”) the singer addressed the public proclaiming a “stop to the genocide” which heated up the spirits.
Comments which did not fail to provoke a strong reaction from the Israeli ambassador Alon Bar: “I find it shameful that the stage of the Sanremo Festival was exploited to spread hatred and provocations in a superficial and irresponsible manner. During the October 7 massacre, among the 1,200 victims, there were more than 360 young people murdered and raped during the Nova Music Festival. Around 40 of them were kidnapped and are still in the hands of the terrorists, along with dozens of other Israeli hostages. The Sanremo Festival could have shown them its solidarity. It’s a shame that it didn’t happen,” he said on X, the day after the festival closed on February 11.
“They too have the right to their music and to return home,” added Noemi Di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, to the Ansa press agency, relays The Guardian .
Guest of the Sunday Italian variety show Domenica In, on Rai, the Italian rapper, questioned by the public, returned to these incandescent words while responding to the ambassador, relaying 20 minutes: “It saddens me that he reacted this way. From my first songs, since I was 14, I’ve been talking about what’s happening. People are increasingly afraid to say stop the war, stop the genocide, seeing as a risk to say long live peace. All this is absurd,” defended the Italian star.
Faced with the controversy, the president of the channel Roberto Sergio wanted to confirm, via a press release, all his support for the Israeli people and the Jewish community. “Every day our news and programs tell – and will continue to do so – the tragedy of the hostages at the hands of Hamas, as well as the memory of the massacre of children, women and men of October 7.”
Politicians are not left out, publishing comments between support and recrimination. “On October 7, Hamas massacred hundreds of young people who were peacefully attending a music festival. And dozens of other girls and boys from this concert are still hostages in the hands of Hamas,” declared Partito Democratico MP Piero Fassino. It is disconcerting that during a musical event like Sanremo 2024, no one remembers this, while some used the term genocide against Israel.
Comments corroborated by the senator of the Brothers of Italy, Lucio Malan: “A music festival is not the right place to talk about an international crisis, especially if it is done in one direction only”.
“Thank you Ghali, let’s all shout Stop the genocide,” said environmentalist MP Angelo Bonelli. “Stop the genocide”, Ghali courage and truth. Thank you,” added former MP and current secretary of the Italian Left Nicola Fratoianni.
Ghali is not the only artist to have made anti-war statements. Like Eros Ramazzoti who proclaimed: “There are almost 500 million children living in conflict zones: no more blood, no more wars. Peace ! Our thoughts forever. Rapper Dargen D’Amico also said: “There are children under bombs, without water and without food. Our silence is a co-responsibility.”
The Sanremo festival, whose final was won this year by Angelina Mango, is an institution that captivates millions of fans every year. Like any large-scale event, it rarely takes place without its share of controversies.
