Minister Tajani: as to the Flotilla, I did my duty
Hamas has opened up to Trump’s plan, but Israel is not ceasing fire. Do you see peace, Minister Tajani?
‘We have not achieved our goal yet, but peace in Gaza is closer. I have confidence in the work of Turkey, Qatar and Egypt to finally convince Hamas, and in the USA to influence Israel. The anniversary of that tragic October7 is just hours away. This war must end.”
What role is the Italian government aiming for in the Board that will govern Gaza?
“As early as 9 October in Paris, I will have a meeting with the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, as well as with the Arab countries. After that, there will be the Recovery Conference in Egypt. We are ready to participate in a post-war political process for the reconstruction and reunification of Palestine, with the possibility of deploying our military where necessary. The Carabinieri are already in the West Bank, Italians are well regarded there, and this could be useful.”
Is the recognition of Palestine a dream?
‘We are working day after day; the first step is ending the war. We are satisfied with the outcome of the vote in Parliament on our proposed motion; there was no vote against it. Trump’s plan is the only viable one and we need to support it. Being able to work, with the strength of this Parliamentary vote, is positive. We will dedicate ourselves to the goal of building a true State of Palestine and recognising it.”
The streets in Rome have filled up again in the name of Gaza. Are you underestimating the wave of indignation and solidarity?
“We are not underestimating anything; we are following the situation closely. In Europe, Italy has done much more than other countries that have recognised Palestine. We have brought the highest number of refugees and sick children to Italy, despite all the criticism we have levelled at the Israeli government. If we are bringing the Flotilla activists back quickly, it is because we have kept a channel open with Israel.”
You condemned the massacre of 67,000 civilians too late and did not fight for EU sanctions against Israel. What do you think when you see placards in the streets saying “Tajani accomplice to genocide”?
“My conscience is clear. What are the government’s faults? We said yes to sanctions against the settlers and against some Ministers”.
No sanctions against Netanyahu or his government.
‘We did not say no; the proposals will be submitted at the next EU Council. The street protests? From the beginning, they portrayed us upside down, and we even saw banners praising 7 October. They are bad teachers. If someone shouts in Parliament, then people in streets do the same. I am more interested in the Palestinians thanking me than the left-wing protesters.”’
Are the people in the streets “at war with the government”, as Salvini says?
“I said in Parliament that peace requires unity, but it also requires a different language from the opposition. Can you incite people to smash shop windows out of popular anger, as Ricciardi did in Parliament in front of Conte? Can you write “fucking Fascist” on the statue of Wojtyla?”.
No, you cannot. But are the few who cause trouble, seek confrontation or praise Hamas enough to tarnish such a protest?
‘No, I am not criticising those who demonstrate. I am just saying that everyone must respect the rules. It was a political strike, not for the right to work, so much so that CISL, Conf-Sal, UIL and UGL did not join in. What does blocking ports, airports and motorways has to do with Gaza?”.
What does it mean to be ironic, as Meloni did, about revolution and long weekends? Or to threaten huge fines for those who strike, as Salvini did? The right to strike is enshrined in the Constitution.”
“Ask Salvini about the fines. The strike was declared illegal, yet no back-to-work order was issued.
Is Landini wrong when he points out that his salary is paid by those in the streets?
“Such comments do not affect me. Every day I tell my aides and diplomats at the Foreign Ministry that “our salaries are paid by the Italian people.” I am so respectful that in 2014, when there was a crisis in the automotive industry, I gave up €462,000 in severance pay as EU Commissioner.”
The Flotilla people report violence. Have you done everything possible to protect them? The left-wing parties also criticise you because you offered Almasri and Chico Forti a State flight and not them…
“Have they returned to Italy? Yes, they have. And others are about to return. Israel has provided the flight to Istanbul and the Consulate has provided tickets to Italy. My idea is that it would have been better to use the channels of the Latin Patriarchate’s channels to deliver the goods to the civilian population. Instead, no one knows what happened to those goods.”
Do you really think the boats were empty?
“I have no evidence, but the Israelis say so. However, we have continuously and forcefully intervened to ensure that our fellow citizens are not treated as terrorists, and we are bringing them all back to Italy. It was a legitimate, but political mission. They said so themselves. We did our duty. We informed them of the risks in the war zone and ensured the assistance of the Foreign Ministry’s Crisis Unit. We could not get any closer with the Navy and risk a military conflict with Israel.”
We saw illegal arrests of unarmed people, whom you had asked not to stop and detain in international waters.
“We asked not to violate people’s rights, and we are asking for better treatment for those who are still in Israel.”
Do you confirm that “international law is important up to a certain point”, as you said on television?
“International law is central and must be respected. That evening on television, I wanted to convey the very severe crisis facing dozens of Italian citizens close to a war zone. We had to resolve the emergency. My job was to protect and bring the Italians back to Italy, not to start a legal discussion on law bases.”
What did the government do after Minister Ben Gvir’s show, in which he called the Italians ‘terrorists’ and threatened them with six months in prison?
«We are ready to impose sanctions on Ministers like Ben Gvir».
