Meloni suspends Italy's military cooperation agreement with Israel

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that her government has decided to halt the automatic renewal of its defense agreement with Israel “in light of the current situation,” likely meaning that the agreement will not be renewed. 

What happened: Meloni attributed the decision to current conflicts. “In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defense agreement with Israel,” Meloni said. 

Addressing the Iran war, Meloni told reporters at an event in Verona that it was necessary to continue working “to advance peace negotiations, making every possible effort to stabilize the situation and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is fundamental for us, not only for fuel supplies but also for fertilizers.”

According to Agence France-Presse, the deal includes the exchange of military equipment and cooperation on technological research.

What it means: The announcement is more political than practical. Italy halted military cooperation with Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack and ensuing Gaza war, which many European countries hold in violation of international law. Italy no longer sells weapons to Israel, does not purchase weapons from Israel and does not conduct joint military training or drills with the Israeli military. 

The security agreement between Israel and Italy, which governs military cooperation between the two countries, is a rolling agreement that has been automatically renewed every five years since 2005. Last year, against the backdrop of the Gaza war, several pro-Palestinian groups campaigned against its renewal.

Know more: Like Spain and France, Italy has denied American planes carrying military equipment permission to pass through its airspace. Italian authorities denied a March 27 US request for an aircraft to land at the Naval Air Station Sigonella on the island of Sicily before continuing on toward the Middle East.

Asked for comment, the Israeli Foreign Ministry told Al-Monitor, "We have a memorandum of understanding from many years ago that has never contained any substantive content. This will not affect Israel's security."