As Italy's Meloni downplays fascist ties, thousands march in praise of Benito Mussolini

(JTA) — Thousands marched to the grave of the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in Predappio on Sunday to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of his coming to power in Rome, days after the new Italian prime minister, whose party has fascist roots, decried the Italian race laws of the 1930s that targeted Jews.

The crowd of up to 4,000 wore all black and chanted praise for Mussolini, a key Hitler ally, according to the Associated Press.

Far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has worried Italian Jews through her past connections to the Italian Social Movement, known as MSI, a neofascist party f...