Meloni rejects Palestinian recognition as EU divides deepen
3 Min Read
Despite mounting pressure, Meloni continues to side with "Israel" and its Western allies, even as 147 countries worldwide have already recognized the State of Palestine.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks with reporters during the Ukraine Recovery Conference at La Nuvola convention center in Rome, Thursday, July 10, 2025 (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterated her opposition on Saturday to the recognition of Palestine as a state, insisting that such a step would be "counterproductive" until a state is physically established.
"I think recognition of the Palestinian State without the State of Palestine can be counterproductive in achieving the set goal. … Being a supporter of the Palestinian State, I do not advocate for its recognition until it is created," Meloni told La Repubblica.
Her remarks come as global momentum grows in favor of recognizing Palestinian statehood. French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced that France will formally recognize Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September, a move welcomed by much of the Global South and several European nations, but condemned by Washington and Tel Aviv.
US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner called the decision "a gift to Hamas and a blow to peace," while President Donald Trump dismissed it as meaningless. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also lashed out against the recognition.
Complicity Exposed
Despite mounting pressure, Meloni continues to side with "Israel" and its Western allies, even as 147 countries worldwide have already recognized the State of Palestine.
Since the US vetoed Palestine's bid for full UN membership in 2024, ten more countries, including Ireland, Spain, Norway, and Armenia, have extended official recognition, bringing increased legitimacy to Palestinian demands for statehood and sovereignty.
Within Italy, Meloni's stance has sparked sharp backlash. The opposition Five Star Movement filed a motion in parliament calling for immediate recognition of Palestine, stating that Meloni "cannot hide her head under the sand" as Palestinian lives are destroyed daily in Gaza.
Green Europe MP Angelo Bonelli condemned her remarks as "serious and unacceptable," saying that "this is not prudence, it is complicity." Protesters have also taken to the streets in Rome and other cities, demanding an end to Italian silence and passive diplomacy in the face of Israeli aggression.
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Hypocrisy Revealed
Though Meloni claims to support a two-state solution, her actions suggest otherwise. She has hosted Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Rome and, even after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest over war crimes, her government made clear it would not enforce it.
At the same time, she has deepened Italy’s strategic cooperation with "Israel" in sectors like defense and energy.
Her refusal to recognize Palestinian statehood, symbolically or otherwise, while invoking respect for international law, has laid bare what many view as a fundamentally hypocritical and morally compromised foreign policy.
