"Those who kill children are not men"/ Begnini's strong appeal for war

2025-06-15 11:44:00, Aktualitet CNA

"Those who kill children are not men"/ Begnini's strong appeal

Renowned Italian actor and director and Oscar winner Roberto Benigni has made a powerful appeal against war and addressed with harsh words those who continue to cause death.

The Oscar winner spoke about the conflict in Gaza, the war in Ukraine and the tragedies in the Mediterranean, stating that "those who do not feel the pain of the world are not human."

He continued his speech on the drama of war, saying that killing children is not manliness, but cowardice.

"Those who kill children are not men, when children are playing and one of them gets scratched, they stop. But here they actually continue to kill. It is cowardice ," Benini said.

Benigni stated that there is no truly united EU, because if there were, some wars could have been stopped.

"There is no real, truly united Union. If there had been, perhaps some wars could have been avoided ," he declared.

The famous actor also recalled the words of Joe Biden, who, one day after October 7, 2023, had asked Israel not to respond to horror with more horror. Words that, Benigni emphasizes, have remained unheard.

His appeal was also an invitation to return to the spirit of the Ventotene Manifesto, a symbol of European unity and peace after World War II and the European dream as a project of peace and democracy.