‘Should We Declare War on Israel?’: Italian Government Faces Growing Backlash Over Gaza Genocide

Rome (QNN)- Around 700 Italian foreign ministry employees addressed a strongly worded letter to Italy’s Foreign Minister calling on him to toughen his stance on Israel amid its continuing military involvement in Gaza genocide.

The internal document, which was reported by Haaretz, expresses the employees’ “profound ethical and professional discomfort” performing “activities involving Israeli authorities or entities which in turn are directly involved in the extermination of the Palestinian civilian population.”

The detailed four-page letter comes after 34 former ambassadors called on Prime Minister Giorgia Melonito to freeze all military cooperation with Israel and change its political stance earlier this summer.

In the new document, foreign ministry employees criticized Italy’s “wait and see attitude” toward Israel’s assault in Gaza, which is “incoherent with the country’s Constitution and obligations under international law.”

“Inertia – or mere rhetoric not followed by concrete actions – exposes us to the risk of complicity with the ongoing grave violations of international humanitarian law and with the genocide that is taking place,” the letter reads.

Signatories list several measures they believe the government should undertake, such as recognizing a Palestinian state, supporting the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement to increase tariffs on Israeli goods and imposing an unspecified “apartheid tax” on Israel as a form of “reparation” for Palestinians.

Raffaele Fitto, the European Commission vice-president from Italy, didn’t attend a Commission meeting about sanctions against Israel last week, sparking backlash in Italy.

The foreign ministry letter also calls on the Italian government to “formally warn Israel against offensive actions or threats of the use of force” in its attempts to stop the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is using about 50 civilian boats to try and break Israel’s blockade in Gaza. Four Italian opposition lawmakers – two from the European Parliament and two from the parliament in Rome – are on the flotilla, which plans to reach Gaza by early next week.

On Thursday, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto updated Italy’s upper house of parliament on his decision to send a navy ship to assist the Global Sumud Flotilla. Crosetto’s decision came after flotilla members said 11 boats were targeted off the coast of Crete on Wednesday, with drones dropping stun grenades and itching powder amid Israeli threats.

Crosetto condemned the attack, but said Italy’s navy ship will be unable to provide assistance once the flotilla exits international waters.

A movement dubbed Blocchiamo Tutto (Italian for “We Will Block Everything” for Gaza) has vowed to retaliate with protests and disruptions if flotilla members are attacked.

The letter from foreign ministry employees comes days after Italy’s largest popular mobilization around Israel’s war on Gaza since the beginning of the war. Tens of thousands took to the streets in nearly 80 cities last week amid a general strike protesting the war and to express support for the flotilla.

Tony La Piccirella, a 35-year-old Italian activist onboard the flotilla, credits the mobilization with putting effective pressure on the government. “The mobilization led the government to take certain measures, including the symbolic step of sending military ship,” he said, “I say symbolic because the ship will not take preventive action against possible attacks, but will only perform rescue operations.”

The Unione Sindacale di Base, the main Italian trade union behind the strike on September 22, said the mobilization was “in response to the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, the blockade of humanitarian aid by the Israeli army, and the threats against the international mission Global Sumud Flotilla.”

A national demonstration slated for October 4 is expected to bring tens of thousands of protesters to Rome.