Italy is absolutely at the side of Israel, but this does not mean agreeing with every action planned by Benjamin Netanyahu. This is the concept expressed by the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, during an interview with ‘PingPong’ on Radio1Rai. The government’s ideas are clear: Rome will always support the Jewish State, but it is right to push Israel towards prudence because there has been a “disproportionate reaction” as for the civilian population in Gaza. A clear, frank, objective analysis from someone who has never questioned the closeness between the two countries.
Tajani highlighted that there are too many victims who do not have anything to do with Hamas, recalling how Rome has “always invited Israel to avoid reprisals that strike in such a violent manner the Palestinian civilian population that is not Hamas“. Not all Palestinians are Hamas, the guiding star of the head of the Farnesina: “We must aim for the release of the hostages held by terrorists but, at the same time, we must ensure that this violence of Israeli attacks which is causing too many civilian deaths ends.”
But the same thing can be said about “after”. Unlike what some around Tel Aviv claimed, Italy is categorically in favor of the solution “two peoples, two states”, the only way to a future of peace and development for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples and to put an end to a crisis that risks destabilizing the already fragile order in the area. The dialogues continue, but Italy is not willing to accept a massacre of civilians, because the risk is to go from right to wrong without a valid reason: Hamas is the real enemy, this detail must never be lost sight of.