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Italy’s Foreign Ministry in revolt over Israel’s ‘war of extermination’ in Gaza

MEMO | September 29, 2025

Around 700 Italian Foreign Ministry employees have written to Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressing their “profound ethical and professional discomfort” at working with Israeli authorities while Israel carries out a war of “extermination” of the Palestinian population in Gaza.

The internal four-page letter, reviewed by Haaretz, warns that Italy’s “wait and see attitude” towards Israel’s genocide in Gaza is “incoherent with the country’s Constitution and obligations under international law” and risks making Rome “complicit” in grave violations of international humanitarian law.

“Inertia – or mere rhetoric not followed by concrete actions – exposes us to the risk of complicity with the ongoing grave violations of international humanitarian law and with the genocide that is taking place,” the letter states.

The letter also proposes several urgent measures, including recognition of a Palestinian state, suspension of the EU–Israel Association Agreement to allow for increased tariffs on Israeli goods, and the imposition of an “apartheid tax” on Israel as a form of reparations for Palestinians.

The document further calls on the Italian government to formally warn Israel against offensive actions or threats of force targeting the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian-led mission seeking to break the naval blockade on Gaza.

The strongly worded intervention follows a letter from 34 former ambassadors urging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to recognise the state of Palestine. It also comes in the wake of Italy’s largest public mobilisation against the genocide in Gaza since its onset, with tens of thousands taking part in a general strike and mass protests across nearly 80 cities.

Last week’s general strike, coordinated by the Unione Sindacale di Base, was described as a response to the “ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, the blockade of humanitarian aid by the Israeli army, and the threats against the international mission Global Sumud Flotilla.”

Demonstrators clashed with police in Milan while attempting to enter the city’s central railway station, injuring over 50 officers. In Bologna, activists blocked a major intersection and sections of a highway, while in Turin access to the airport was obstructed for several hours. A national demonstration scheduled for 4 October is expected to draw tens of thousands more to the streets of Rome.

The government’s stance has also come under scrutiny for its refusal to follow France, the UK and several other Western governments in unilaterally recognising Palestinian statehood.

September 29, 2025 - Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Solidarity and Activism, War Crimes | , , ,

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