[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

As my father said about the Italians he knew in Italy, it wasn’t that they liked Jews (when talking about all those they hid or saved,) it was that they really hated Germans.

Half of northern Italy is German. In many cities German and Italian are official languages. This goes back to Roman times.

[Chickensoup]

In parts yes. But just because you are a neighbor does not mean you are not hated. Ergo Hitus and Tutsis, Irish Catholics and Prots, Welsh and English, Moslims and Christians....and the beat goes on...