Italian Defense Minister: We are conducting a serious assessment of imposing punitive measures against Israel
August 11, 202576 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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The Italian Defense Minister, Guido Crosetto, announced today, Monday, that Italy is conducting a serious assessment of imposing punitive measures against Israel, emphasizing that the goal is not to strike the Jewish state or its people, but to "save its citizens from a government that has lost its mind and humanity."
In an interview with the Italian newspaper "La Stampa," Crosetto stressed the need for a clear distinction between governments, states, and peoples, and the religions to which people belong. He said: "This distinction applies to Netanyahu, as it does to Putin, whose methods of dealing with conflicts have become dangerously similar."
Crosetto added: "The occupation of Gaza and some serious incidents in the West Bank represent a qualitative leap in escalation, and decisive decisions must be made that force the Israeli Prime Minister to rethink his course."
He also described the situation in Gaza as "morally and legally unacceptable," explaining: "We are not facing a traditional military operation accompanied by collateral damage, but rather a blatant denial of the principles of international law and the values upon which our civilization is based. Silence in the face of this cannot be tolerated."
Crosetto confirmed that "what is needed now is to find an effective pressure tool that forces Netanyahu to think clearly and brings the Palestinian issue back to the core of European and international priorities."
Regarding Italy's recognition of a Palestinian state, Crosetto replied: "No, because the Palestinian state as an independent political entity does not currently exist, and recognizing a non-existent entity could be interpreted as a political provocation in a tension-filled international environment." However, he reiterated his support for the two-state solution as the basis for resolving the conflict, provided that "the threat of Hamas is eliminated," clarifying that "liberating Gaza from Hamas's rule is a legitimate goal, while expelling the Palestinian people from their land is something that cannot be justified in any way."
Crosetto added: "The occupation of Gaza and some serious incidents in the West Bank represent a qualitative leap in escalation, and decisive decisions must be made that force the Israeli Prime Minister to rethink his course."
He also described the situation in Gaza as "morally and legally unacceptable," explaining: "We are not facing a traditional military operation accompanied by collateral damage, but rather a blatant denial of the principles of international law and the values upon which our civilization is based. Silence in the face of this cannot be tolerated."
Crosetto confirmed that "what is needed now is to find an effective pressure tool that forces Netanyahu to think clearly and brings the Palestinian issue back to the core of European and international priorities."
Regarding Italy's recognition of a Palestinian state, Crosetto replied: "No, because the Palestinian state as an independent political entity does not currently exist, and recognizing a non-existent entity could be interpreted as a political provocation in a tension-filled international environment." However, he reiterated his support for the two-state solution as the basis for resolving the conflict, provided that "the threat of Hamas is eliminated," clarifying that "liberating Gaza from Hamas's rule is a legitimate goal, while expelling the Palestinian people from their land is something that cannot be justified in any way."
