A place in the sun, the word “vampires” in one episode mistaken for “rabbis”. The controversy breaks out, then the clarification

Stake of A Place in the Sun of 20 March, on Rai 3. “Those are two rabbis, two jackals….”. But no, the offending word was if anything “vampires”, it is the reply of the screenwriters, of Rai and of the Fremantle production. And the matter ends like this.

Indeed, one of the protagonists of the popular Italian soap opera seemed to define two unscrupulous characters who speculate on economic misfortunes with the appellative “rabbis”. A clear revival of one of the most classic anti-Semitic styles. The anti-Semitism observatory of the Jewish Documentation Center in Milan had therefore reported the episode, declassifying it under the heading “stereotypes”. That is the image of the Jew – the “rabbi” – miserly, dedicated to the most sinister profiteering naturally on the backs of others.

Then a few hours pass and the Cdec’s about-face arrives: “A superficial listening to the offending scene prompted our office to report the episode on the website. From a more accurate check, also verified with the scriptwriters of the broadcast, we were able to ascertain that the word – in fact slurred and ill-interpretable – was ‘vampires’ and not, as erroneously written, ‘rabbis’. We are certain that anti-Semitism and the inappropriate use of expressions concerning the Jewish religion is extraneous to the culture of broadcasting”.

Episode closed and many apologies a A Place in the Sunfortunately.