Italian DM Crosetto’s statements against Israel damage Italy’s image
On October 10th, two Indonesian peacekeepers were slightly injured by Israeli fire, the UN said Thursday, sparking condemnation from the international community.
Hezbollah is hiding near and underneath the UNIFIL areas to avoid the Israeli offensive. The IDF instructed the UN forces in the area to shelter in protected spaces before opening fire, but they did not follow the directives.
UNIFIL accused the IDF of firing on UN position 1-31 in Labbouneh over the past two days. It said Israel had “deliberately fired at” perimeter cameras on Wednesday, and on Thursday had hit “a bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering.”
Italy’s defense minister said the attacks “could constitute war crimes,” and asked for an explanation because “it was not a mistake.” Guido Crosetto described the “shooting” as “intolerable,” lodging protests with his Israeli counterpart and Israel’s ambassador to Italy. He also added: “My intention is to let spaces of peace prevail, not to let the idea pass that there could be a continuous war“. In addition, Crosetto stated that “Italy does not take orders from Israel”.
The reply from the Israeli embassy in Rome came shortly after:
“Israel appreciates the assistance of UNIFIL donor countries, especially Italy, and thanks them for their efforts to prevent an escalation in our region. Since October 8, Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets at Israel and tens of thousands of Israeli citizens have been forced to evacuate their homes in the north. Unfortunately, Hezbollah is trying to hide near UNIFIL bases and Israel has already discovered tunnels and weapons depots near that area. Israel has repeatedly recommended to the Italian UNIFIL military to withdraw part of their forces from the area for security reasons, but unfortunately this request has been rejected. Israel is investigating the incident very carefully and will continue to make every effort not to harm UN forces and people not involved in the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah”.
Crosetto’s statements, both in timing and content, appear to be due more to impulse than to thoughtful reflection. Perhaps, before launching public attacks against Israel, it would have been more appropriate to examine the issue in-depth and seek clarification from the Israeli authorities, which they certainly would not have failed to provide.
Moreover, Crosetto talks about “spaces of peace” in southern Lebanon. Still, that idea so far hasn’t worked, since Hezbollah has been constantly hammering areas in the north of Israel, causing over 60.000 displaced people. How come, Hezbollah propagated all over the south of Lebanon and right under the nose of the UNIFIL personnel, Italians included?
The statement “Italy does not take orders from Israel” could also have been avoided as it doesn’t only sound like a low-level propagandistic slogan, but it could also raise further questions considering what the Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, stated in April 2024, following Iran’s first missile attack against Israel:
“The Iranians have assured us that our Italian soldiers in the area will be respected.” Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani said this on Stasera Italia on Rete4. “The Italian contingent in Lebanon is under the aegis of the UN, it is in a condition to be protected, I don’t think there are any dangers either for the Italian soldiers or for the Italian citizens in Israel and Iran” explained Tajani, who reported that the Farnesina crisis unit had received no reports from Italians in Jerusalem, Amman and Tehran. As for the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the minister explained how he was assured that “only ships that bring weapons to Israel will be attacked”. (Agi, Apr 14,2024).
Regarding this whole situation, it is useful to recall what Francesco Cossiga (prime minister of Italy from 1979 to 1980 and the president of Italy from 1985 to 1992) once said, as exposed by the website Focus on Israel in a 2008 article entitled “Cossiga to the Italian Jews: we sold you out”:
“Italy, he believes, is implementing a similar agreement with Hezbollah today. UNIFIL forces would be invited to move freely in southern Lebanon, without fear for their safety, in exchange for a closed eye and the possibility of rearming given to Hezbollah. “The Moro Agreement was never clearly explained to me, I only hypothesized its existence. In the case of Hezbollah I can affirm with certainty that there is an agreement between the parties,” Cossiga says with certainty, “If they come to question me, I will testify before the judges that these are state secrets, and I am not required to reveal my sources.”
In conclusion, when holding sensitive institutional roles, it is always best to carefully ponder before expressing self-destructive statements, running the of risk damaging the Italian government’s image and its performance abroad.