{"id":141589,"date":"2025-07-27T09:35:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T07:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/sala_stampa\/archivionotizie\/\/2025\/07\/tajani-dolore-in-prima-persona-per-gaza-la-palestina-va-costruita-no-agli-slogan-avvenire\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T16:29:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T14:29:06","slug":"tajani-dolore-in-prima-persona-per-gaza-la-palestina-va-costruita-no-agli-slogan-avvenire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/sala_stampa\/archivionotizie\/interviste\/2025\/07\/tajani-dolore-in-prima-persona-per-gaza-la-palestina-va-costruita-no-agli-slogan-avvenire\/","title":{"rendered":"Tajani: “Personal pain for Gaza. Palestine must be built, not reduced to slogans” (Avvenire)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like everyone else, Antonio Tajani has seen the photos of the children in Gaza.
\n“Unacceptable, unacceptable…” the Minister of Foreign Affairs repeats several times. “Unacceptable,” he had also said following the Israeli raid that struck the parish of Father Gabriel Romanelli. This is a deeply felt awareness of the ongoing tragedy, which the Deputy Prime Minister insists must coexist with his responsibilities as a government official. “If there were anything we could do to stop Netanyahu, we would already have done it. At present, he is not listening \u2014 not to us, not to Macron, not even to Washington. But let\u2019s be clear: after 7 October, after the pogrom, after the horrors I myself witnessed up close, the Jewish people may be divided, but a large part of them supports the government\u2019s campaign against Hamas. That said, we believe the only way for peace between Israel and Palestine to prevail is to stop the war and return to politics and diplomacy”.
\n
\nMinister, then \u2014 are we condemned to be powerless bystanders?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>
\n“Absolutely not, there is no resignation. Our position has been firm for months, and we repeat it: Israel\u2019s reaction is disproportionate. Tel Aviv has won the war \u2014 there is no reason to continue bombings that kill civilians. We must persuade them to stop. And we are doing everything possible. I\u2019ve just received a sign of openness: Israeli Foreign Minister Sa\u2019ar called me to say that the government in Jerusalem has decided to restore the electricity supply to a desalination plant that will once again provide water for 900,000 people. The fact that he informed me of this decision is a sign of respect and friendship. In return, I encouraged him, in friendship, to tell his government that they must go further. They must allow full access to food and medical aid. I hope that, in the coming hours, the World Food Programme and the Food for Gaza initiative will be able to resume operations. It is imperative that Israel respond to this humanitarian crisis with urgency”.<\/p>\n

However, Italy stops short of recognising Palestine. Why?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>
\n“I have no wish to engage in controversy \u2014 not with the opposition and certainly not with our partner countries. And above all, I understand the dismay of public opinion, which is pushing for immediate solutions. I, too, feel this pain personally and convey it every day to the Israeli government and to Arab countries working for peace. But I would ask everyone to reflect on one point: after recent recognitions of Palestine by various governments, has anything changed? Netanyahu does not respond to pressure \u2014 this is the reality we must confront. Let\u2019s consider the substance of what recognition entails: at present, Palestine comprises two separate entities \u2014 the West Bank and Gaza. There is no unified state yet. We want one to be established, a state that recognises Israel and is, in turn, recognised by Israel. And we are ready to deploy our own contingents as part of a UN mission led by Arab countries to help achieve this goal. We also firmly oppose \u2014 as does the entire international community \u2014 any prospect of a mass exodus of Palestinians. They must remain in their homeland, just as Palestinian Christians \u2014 essential voices of moderation and dialogue \u2014 must remain in the land they love”.<\/p>\n

Italy is also criticised for maintaining defence cooperation with Israel.<\/strong>
\n“We halted military supplies as of 7 October 2023, in full compliance with Italian law. The Ministry of Defence has denied recent press claims. As for the memorandum, having it or not having it, as I\u2019ve said before, makes no difference \u2014 it will not stop Netanyahu. We must start from this fact or risk getting lost in a war of slogans that will not bring peace any closer”.<\/p>\n

So, going back to the first question: are we doomed to simply wait?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>
\n“No. The international community is working \u2014 a UN conference is scheduled in a few days. We must keep up the pressure on Israel and on Hamas. The latest round of negotiations failed because Hamas raised its demands regarding the exchange of Israeli hostages for prisoners held in Tel Aviv. It is unacceptable that Hamas \u2014 a terrorist organisation with no place in Palestine\u2019s future \u2014 should exploit this bloodshed for political gain and use civilians as human shields”.
\n
\nWere you uncomfortable seeing negotiations take place amid the luxury of the Costa Smeralda?
\n<\/strong>“I understand how it might appear, and I understand the criticism. But right now, as Foreign Minister, my only concern is that dialogue takes place \u2014 whether in a grand hotel or a cellar”.<\/p>\n

A young woman, Intisar, has appealed through our newspaper to help bring her father to Italy. Will you take up the commitment?\u00a0 <\/strong>
\n“I have a duty to, just as I do with the hundreds of other requests received by the Italian Foreign Ministry. It is more difficult with adults, but where there is any possibility, we will not let it close”.<\/p>\n

On the Russia\u2013Ukraine front, you\u2019ve always advised caution on hopes for imminent peace…<\/strong>
\n“I stand by my cautious assessment: Russia is in a war economy and would face social unrest if it tried to retreat. Right now, the weapon we have is to block financial flows, making it harder for Putin to pay his troops \u2014 to persuade the Kremlin that peace is the better option. But at the moment, Moscow is showing no encouraging signals”.<\/p>\n

Given the situation in Gaza and the ongoing Russia\u2013Ukraine conflict, is it fair to say Trump\u2019s first six months have been a failure?
\n“Not at all. The United States remains a key player in the peace process, and we support and accompany their diplomatic efforts. I find it irresponsible when analysis is distorted by domestic political agendas during such a grave international crisis”.<\/p>\n

Yet Trump doesn\u2019t hesitate to put pressure on Europe through tariffs. What scenario is Italy preparing for?<\/strong>
\n“We\u2019re hopeful about the upcoming meeting in Scotland between Trump and Von der Leyen. We believe uncertainty and trade wars are deeply harmful. That\u2019s why we\u2019re in favour of an agreement \u2014 provided it is sustainable, of course”.<\/p>\n

Businesses are worried about the 15% minimum tax. Are countermeasures possible?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>
\n“We were in favour of \u2018zero-for-zero\u2019 \u2014 no tariffs between the EU and the US. But it\u2019s clear now that this won\u2019t happen. An agreement is close, and the government will take all necessary measures to accompany it. I believe the ECB should play a major role in countering the dollar\u2019s devaluation. Frankfurt needs to lower interest rates \u2014 down from 2% to zero \u2014 and resume quantitative easing, as it did during the COVID crisis. At the same time, the EU must eliminate all internal tariffs”.<\/p>\n

And the Italian government?\u00a0 <\/strong>
\n“In the last Council of Ministers, we took initial steps to support agriculture. We will support businesses, but before defining measures and sectors, we need to understand the outcome of the agreement with the US. Naturally, we are also working to open up exports to new markets, with the goal of reaching EUR 700 billion by 2027”.<\/p>\n

Is it reasonable to hold out hope for Alberto Trentini, detained in Venezuela?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>
\n“We are closely following the case. We\u2019ve recently received information indicating he is in good condition. But we are dealing with a regime that holds many political prisoners. There are 14 or 15 other Italians currently in their prisons”.<\/p>\n

At such a sensitive time, how difficult is it for someone from the ‘Popolari’ tradition to share a coalition with figures like former General Vannacci?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>
\n“Foreign policy is determined by the Prime Minister and the sitting Foreign Minister. The views of individual MPs do not shape government policy.<\/p>\n

Forza Italia is undergoing a transformation, particularly on matters of rights. What position will you take in Parliament on end-of-life legislation?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>
\n“There must be a national law \u2014 it cannot be left to the regions. The majority\u2019s draft bill aligns with Constitutional Court rulings, which state that suicide is not a right. We will follow developments in Parliament closely, while respecting freedom of conscience”.<\/p>\n

Will the Ius Italiae be brought to Parliament before the end of the legislature?
\n<\/strong>“Talking about the parliamentary floor now is premature. Our draft must not go forward only to be rejected \u2014 it must be a genuine opportunity for all. We will continue explaining to our allies that we must face reality. The numbers must come from within the centre-right. On this issue, our position is far from that of the PD and M5S”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Like everyone else, Antonio Tajani has seen the photos of the children in Gaza. “Unacceptable, unacceptable…” the Minister of Foreign Affairs repeats several times. “Unacceptable,” he had also said following the Israeli raid that struck the parish of Father Gabriel Romanelli. This is a deeply felt awareness of the ongoing tragedy, which the Deputy Prime […]","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":141466,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[6,28],"class_list":["post-141589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviste","tag-mediterraneo-e-medio-oriente","tag-ministro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141589"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141760,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141589\/revisions\/141760"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}