Italy suspends defence pact with Israel over Netanyahu’s war mongering
In a major setback for Netanyahu-led far right Zionist regime, Italy has suspended its defence deal with Israel over the ongoing war in the Middle East
[Giorgia Meloni and Benjamin Netanyahu in a file image.]
Rome: In a major setback for Netanyahu-led far right Zionist regime, Italy has suspended its defence deal with Israel over the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Italy has been a close ally of Israel and the United States for decades. Owing to its close ties with the two countries, Italy remained silent over the Genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and other occupied territories despite protests by local residents.
In the wake of Israeli attack on Iran and Lebanon, Italy, however, said its enough.
Talking to the reporters at the Vinitaly wine fair in Verona on April 14, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government has suspended the automatic renewal of its defence cooperation agreement with Israel.
She said that the decision was taken “in consideration of the current situation”, signaling a cautious recalibration of ties.
Italy-Israel Defence Agreement
Italy and Israel have maintained a longstanding defence and military cooperation, including a key Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on military and defence cooperation signed in 2003 in Paris and ratified by Italy in 2005 by a law.
The MoU has a five-year duration with automatic renewal unless one party formally denounces or suspends it.
Meloni announced the suspension of the agreement days after it had quietly renewed itself, triggering political scrutiny.
Tensions between Israel and Italy escalated following an incident in southern Lebanon, where Italian authorities alleged that Israeli Defence Forces fired warning shots near Italian UN peacekeepers.
The suspension marks the first time Meloni government has taken a concrete step affecting bilateral defence cooperation with Israel.
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