Brussels – “The reaction to an aggression must always respect the principle of proportionality. And Israel has exceeded that limit”. The harshest words of the Prime Minister’s career, Giorgia Meloni, against Israel come during her speech to the UN General Assembly. Confirming this approach is her announcement of a vote in favor of “on some of the sanctions proposed by the European Commission towards Israel.” That term, “some,” however, makes it unclear whether the government, in the European Council, will decide to support the package of sanctions on extremist ministers or the suspension of the economic partnership with Tel Aviv.
Italian accusations against Jerusalem do not only come from New York. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced yesterday that the Navy’s Fasan multirole frigate had been dispatched to Crete to assist the Italian citizens on board the Flotilla, which came under attack during the night.
In a hearing in Montecitorio that returned to the case, Crosetto today stated that “attacks on civilian boats in international waters are totally unacceptable,” even if Italian protection will only take place up to a certain point, given that “we are not able, outside international waters, to guarantee the safety of the boats.” The activists’ willingness to break the naval blockade to bring aid to the population clashes with the minister’s perplexity: “I recommend following the instructions and leaving the humanitarian aid in Cyprus, then the Church will take it to Gaza” (the humanitarian organizations of the Cypriot Catholic Church are organizing themselves in this sense), the doubt in the end for the minister is “was it necessary to risk lives?”
#GlobalSumudFlotilla, #Crosetto : “We cannot guarantee security if they enter Israeli waters “#flotilla #25settembre https://x.com/fanpage/status/1971137135743799674
-— Fanpage.it (@fanpage) September 25, 2025
Beyond a few backtracks, the Italian approach to Tel Aviv is different. A somewhat belated stance that comes in the twilight of the second year of conflict. The recent political shift has internal reasons. The mass protests and the attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla with Italian citizens on board were episodes that struck a chord with public opinion.
Great for Giorgia Meloni, who, yesterday, was also hit by friendly fire. The PM discovered that, in a letter, 300 members of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s staff had called for a “change of course” on the Gaza dossier to avoid falling into the trap of “complicity” with the aggressors.
In the not-quite-full Glass Palace, with a tired audience on its third day of meetings, Meloni kept to the allotted time and spoke for a quarter of an hour (two days ago, Trump had gone on for over 55 minutes). In her speech, she not only talked about the war in the Middle East, but also first mentioned the conflict in Ukraine. She interpreted it as a fuse that “rekindled, and detonated, several other hotbeds of crisis, while the United Nations became even more disunited.”
I attended the UN Security Council meeting on #Ukraine. I reiterated my condemnation of the violations of European airspace and full support for Kyiv for a just and lasting peace.
A credible negotiation is needed, with real guarantees for security and… pic.twitter.com/itL7mHd6HF– Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) September 23, 2025
The UN’s loss of power has been a recurring theme in many speeches over the past few days. Meloni, too, proposed “a reform” that could bring the institution out of a “decision-making paralysis that undermines the credibility of the United Nations.” Also under attack was the “unsustainable environmentalism,” which is taking shape in Europe through “green plans that are leading to deindustrialisation long before decarbonisation,” as well as having almost destroyed “the automobile sector.”
Despite some green hesitancy, Meloni relied on the words of an “ecologist,” saint, St Francis, to conclude. “The most Italian of saints,” (as Meloni defined him) said: “Tough fights are reserved only for those with exemplary courage.” An appeal to world leaders.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
