Wael Zwaiter and Palestine in Italy: Between Politics and Memory

Wael Zwaiter, a Palestinian intellectual and politician who arrived in Italy in 1962 and was assassinated by Mossad in Rome in 1972, represented a central figure in the Palestinian movement in Italy. My study, through sources from his personal archive, interviews and multimedia materials, explores his role in uniting culture and politics and the persistence of his figure in the Palestinian diaspora in Italy. Passionate about poetry, Zwaiter became involved in Roman cultural circles and, after the Six-Day War, became actively involved in the Palestinian cause. Through his contacts with intellectuals and politicians, Zwaiter became a point of reference for those who supported the Palestinian cause, facilitating cultural exchanges between Italy and the Arab world. His accomplishments included visits by Italian intellectuals such as Alberto Moravia to the Arab world and the founding of the Italian Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinian People. He also became a symbol for Palestinian students arriving in Italy in those years, helping to consolidate the presence of Palestinian organizations in the country, which found in him a person capable of relating to the Italian political context. After his death, his legacy lived on. A book dedicated to his memory was published as early as 1979; in the early 2000s, the first post-GUPS Palestinian youth organization was named after him, and an exhibition on Zwaiter was held at the Venice Biennale in 2007. These events testify to his symbolic and political importance, confirming his cultural and political value.