Italy distances itself from Israel and US over Middle East war

(Patria) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni received sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump and suspended a defence agreement with Israel on Tuesday, signalling a shift in her foreign relations, AFP reported.

The right-wing premier was the only European leader to attend Trump's inauguration in 2025 and had sought to position herself as a bridge between Europe and his administration.

While relations with Israel were already strained over the war in Gaza, ties with Washington have become increasingly tense since US-Israeli attacks on Iran sparked a Middle East war.

Italy, which depends on energy imports, has been economically affected and has refused to become involved in the war, siding with European allies. Trump's criticism on Sunday of the growing anti-war rhetoric of Pope Leo XIV is the latest dispute.

After an initial mild statement of support for Pope Leo against Trump's criticism on Monday, Meloni issued a clearer rebuke the same day, saying the US leader's words were "unacceptable."

Speaking on the sidelines of a wine fair in northern Italy on Tuesday, Meloni returned to the topic of ties with Israel and the United States, saying allies need to be honest with each other.

"When we disagree, and I often disagree, we must say so" and "act accordingly," she told reporters.

"Given the current situation, the government has, for example, decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel," Meloni said.

Israel responded by saying the suspension of the agreement, which includes exchanges of military equipment and technological research, "will not affect Israel's security."

"We do not have a security agreement with Italy. We have a memorandum of understanding from many years ago that never contained any substantive content," Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, told AFP.

Tensions between the two countries have risen in recent weeks after the Italian government accused Israeli forces of firing warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. Italy summoned the Israeli ambassador to protest the incident, in which at least one vehicle was damaged but no injuries were reported.

On Monday, Israel summoned the Italian ambassador for talks following comments by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in which he condemned "unacceptable attacks" by Israeli forces on Lebanese civilians.

Meloni 'repositioning'

Meloni finds herself in a vulnerable position after losing a referendum on judicial reform last month - her first political defeat, which analysts partly attribute to her closeness to Trump.

"She is repositioning," Lorenzo Castellani, a political science professor at LUISS University in Rome, told AFP. Close ties with the US and Israel are creating "political problems," so she is "adapting to circumstances," he said.

He said he believes Italy will have "a more critical voice, while remaining within existing alliances."

Her growing criticism of Trump drew a strong response on Tuesday.

"I am shocked by her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong," Trump told Corriere della Sera in an interview.

"She is unacceptable because she does not mind Iran having nuclear weapons and that it would blow up Italy in two minutes if it had the chance."

Speaking about her refusal to get involved in the Middle East, he said: "She thinks America should do the job for her, she should not be involved."

Allies and political opponents of the prime minister quickly offered support.

"We are and remain firm supporters of Western unity and firm allies of the United States, but this unity is built on mutual loyalty, respect and honesty," Foreign Minister Tajani said on social media platform X.

He said Trump had so far considered Meloni a courageous person and "he was not mistaken, but she is a woman who never hesitates to say what she thinks."

"And about Pope Leo XIV, she said exactly what all of us Italians think. The prime minister and the government defend and will always defend only and exclusively the interests of Italy," he said.