According to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Altinier deleted the entry on Friday after being alerted that someone had spotted his profile. However, screenshots of his Facebook page started to circulate online. “The opposition is trying to discredit me in a boorish way. I have always thought that social media do not reflect reality. Some people claim to exercise a certain profession or to be married, and it happens not to be true. I have never been antisemitic, I have even attended a Hanukkah celebration once, and I’m fascinated by the history and tradition of this people,” Altinier said. Altinier also claimed that he was “a teenager” when he compiled his Facebook profile identifying his religious views as antisemitic, “ten or fifteen years ago.” “The word was meant as a joke,” he further said. “I apologize if I hurt someone’s sensitivity. Today there is no more trace of what I wrote.”1 settembre 2019.Questo è uno screenshot del profilo facebook di Stefano Altinier, consigliere comunale della Lega a Gorizia. @emanuelefiano @JOI_JewOpInc @romaebraica @mariomieliroma @Arcigay @gaycenter_it @ugei_it pic.twitter.com/z0b54UwJeP
— Magen David Keshet (@DavidKeshet) September 1, 2019
Italian politician lists ‘antisemitic’ as his religious views on Facebook
