The Italian community in the Jerusalem’s consular district is made up of almost 3500 nationals, located both in the city of Jerusalem, in the West bank and in the Gaza Strip.
The Italian community is multi-faceted, like the local reality in which it is actively involved. Italians in Jerusalem are mostly dual citizens – belonging to either the Jewish or the Arab/Muslim or Christian community – and church personnel, in particular Franciscan friars who have been operating in the Holy Land for centuries. In the West Bank, the Italian community is for the most part composed of religious personnel, International-organization and NGO’s officials and italian-palestinians.
In 2015, according to the Law 286/2003, an Italian Committee for the Italians Abroad (Com.It.Es) was set up in Jerusalem. The Committee represents the Italian community in the consular district and it is the main Consulate’s interlocutor for promoting the social and cultural development of Italian nationals. The Committee’s members have been appointed by the Consulate, because, in that very moment, residents in the consular district where less than the amount required by the Italian law to directly vote their representatives.
Nonetheless, the very setting up of the Committee testifies the attention paid to the particular features of the Italian community, which reflects the many voices and stories which animate the Holy Land. All these components have their say in the Committee, on a level playing field. The President of the Committee is Mr. Beniamino Lazar. The Vice President is Mr. Luigi Bisceglia.
