A turning point in relations between Italy and Israel.
The government, in the current situation we are experiencing, has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the Defense agreement with Israel. This was announced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni today at Vinitaly.
According to what was declared, the executive agreed to suspend the automatic renewal of the military cooperation memorandum with Israel, which provides for the exchange of military equipment and technological research, an agreement active since 2016 and renewable every five years.
The decision, formalized by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto with a letter to his counterpart Israel Katz, comes in a context of increasing international tensions, particularly related to conflicts in the Middle East.
The agreement was supposed to be automatically renewed for a third five-year term this month. The decision reflects Rome’s growing opposition to Israeli military action in the Middle East, notes the Wall Street Journal.
All the details.
THE SUSPENSION OF THE RENEWAL OF THE MEMORANDUM BETWEEN ITALY AND ISRAEL ON DEFENSE
The Italian government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defense cooperation agreement with Israel.
According to Agenzia Nova, the decision was made politically in a shared manner between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the main government officials responsible for the dossier, including Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, and Crosetto himself.
THE ORIGIN OF THE AGREEMENT
Signed on June 16, 2003, the memorandum between Italy and Israel was ratified by Italy with a law on May 17, 2005, which came into force on June 8 of the same year, while Israel sent its notification in April 2006.
As Times of Israel recalls, the Memorandum, signed under the leadership of then Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, laid the foundations for cooperation in defense and scientific research.
THE CONTENT OF THE MEMORANDUM
The agreement provided for automatic renewal every five years and represented the legal framework for cooperation between the two countries in the defense sector. The agreement governs the exchange of military materials and technological collaboration between the armed forces of the two countries, including joint research and development activities.
The agreement also provides initiatives to promote the import, export, and transit of military materials between Rome and Tel Aviv, joint training and education programs, exchanges of military medical services, and bilateral sports activities. Institutional meetings, visits, consultations, and participation in conferences and courses in the military sector are also contemplated, as well as the exchange of information and educational publications.
THE IMPACT OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
The suspension of the renewal takes place in a context of increasing tensions over the past two and a half years, particularly after the war in Gaza. The Italian government, traditionally one of the closest to Israel in Europe, has revised its position with criticisms expressed by Prime Minister Meloni towards Israel for the numerous civilian deaths in Gaza.
Subsequently, tensions between the two countries escalated last week, when the Italian government accused Israeli forces of firing warning shots at a convoy of the Italian-led UNIFIL mission in Lebanon. In response to the incident, which caused damage to at least one vehicle without causing injuries, Rome summoned the Israeli ambassador to express its protest.
Later, on Monday, it was Israel that summoned the Italian ambassador, following statements by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who condemned the “unacceptable attacks” against Lebanese civilians attributed to Israeli forces.
