In his deleted tweet, Lannutti wrote that "The Group of the Elders of Zion" and Mayer Amschel Rothschild, the founder of the famous dynasty that still today controls the international banking system, led to the creation of protocols. 5SM Party leader Luigi De Maio distanced himself and the party from the incident.
"The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" was published in Czarist Russia in the early 20th century. It claims there is a Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world.
Radio Sputnik discussed the controversy surrounding the politician's tweet with Franco Fracassi, an investigative journalist.
READ MORE: Italy is Part of NATO, But Russia is Not an Enemy — Italian MP
Sputnik: In your opinion, why did the Italian lawmaker decide to post this tweet, I mean it seems an odd thing to do?
Franco Fracassi: Lannutti posted it and said it was a mistake. He wanted to tweet something about the Rothschild family and he posted the wrong post because he didn't want to say anything about the Protocols of the Elders of Zion because he knew that it was fake news. But he really wanted to say something about the Rothschild family because in this case this family is, I wouldn't say a danger for the world, but it's dominating it because they've quite reached their goal.
Sputnik: So this was not really anything anti-Semitic?
Franco Fracassi: No, not at all, he's not anti-Semitic at all.
Sputnik: Five Star Party leader Luigi Di Maio has tried to distance himself and the party as a whole from the lawmaker's remarks. Do you think the incident will have any impact on the Five Star Movement? Will it be treated as a significant incident or will it be of be brushed away as a sort of mistake?
I mean, most of the people inside the Five Star [movement] understood very well what's the reality. Lanutti is very well known in Italy because he fought a lot for people who have been robbed by banks or insurance companies. He's famous in Italy like Robin Hood or someone like that, so that's one of the reasons why there was so much backlash after, because people knew him in a different way to this, this is not his real way.
READ MORE: Italy-France War of Words Turns Into Diplomatic Crisis, French Media Believe
Sputnik: Do you think this might slightly tarnish his reputation, or will he be able to live it down?
Franco Fracassi: I think that with time this kind of thing will be put aside and, as I know, inside the Five Star Movement, most of the politicians already said that this is something old and they don't want to think about it anymore.
Sputnik: And finally, what has been the reaction from the Jewish diaspora? To what extent did this anger them?
Franco Fracassi: They were very angry. I can understand that and they sued Lannutti in court because they accused him of being anti-Semitic, but I think there will be no judge to punish him. As I know, he's trying to find a new way to have a good relationship with them, as I know a lot of Jewish people brought [support] him, their solidarity has changed with things like, but I think it's something that will be old very fast. He also said that he sides against the Rothschilds, the big corporations and the big banks, and this will continue.
The views and opinions expressed by the speaker do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.
