Israel’s Response to Hamas Attacks Disproportionate, Says Premier Meloni
Rimini: Israel’s reaction to the October 7, 2022, attacks by Hamas has exceeded proportionality, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni stated on Wednesday. “We did not hesitate for a single minute in supporting Israel’s right to self-defense after the horror of October 7th, but at the same time, we cannot remain silent now in the face of a reaction that has gone beyond the principle of proportionality, claiming too many innocent victims and even involving Christian communities,” Meloni remarked during her first address as premier at the annual Rimini Meeting of the Catholic activist group Comunione e Liberazione (CL). She reiterated her call for a ceasefire and the release of hostages from Hamas.
According to Ansa News Agency, Meloni condemned the killing of journalists in Gaza as unjustifiable, after five journalists were among 22 people killed by Israeli forces at a hospital in the Strip on Monday. “We condemn the unjustifiable killing of journalists, an unacceptable attack on press freedom and on all those who risk their lives to report the tragedy of war,” she asserted in her closing speech at the CL event.
Meloni criticized the Italian opposition for writing motions on Gaza while her government actively works to save children. She emphasized Italy’s role in the crisis as the leading non-Muslim country for medical evacuations from Gaza. “There are those who write motions and those who save children; I am proud to be among the latter,” she declared.
In additional comments, the premier supported ex-premier and former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi’s warning about the European Union’s geopolitical irrelevance. Meloni agreed with Draghi’s assessment that the EU is struggling to respond effectively to the competitiveness challenges posed by China and the US. “I agree with many of the criticisms I’ve heard regarding the EU’s current situation so much that I’ve made them so often over the years,” she noted.
Meloni also addressed the issue of a minority of politicized judges who she claimed are interfering with the government’s justice reform efforts. She asserted the government’s commitment to advancing justice reform and separating the career paths of judges and prosecutors to enhance impartiality. She stated, “We will move forward with justice reform despite the invasions of the field by a minority of politicized judges who are trying to replace parliament and the will of the people.”
Furthermore, Meloni emphasized her government’s resolve to manage illegal immigration, stating that no judge, politician, or bureaucrat would prevent them from enforcing Italian law and safeguarding citizens. “There is no judge, politician, or bureaucrat who can prevent us from enforcing Italian law, guaranteeing the safety of citizens, fighting the slave traders of the third millennium, and saving human lives,” she stated.
Meloni also announced plans to provide affordable housing for young couples and to focus on middle-class support following income-tax reform. Throughout her speech, she frequently referenced the metaphor of building with bricks, inspired by T.S. Eliot’s Choruses to The Rock, urging everyone to contribute to rebuilding efforts. “I’m not here to seek consensus, but to ask for help, let everyone take their own cement, their own bricks, because it’s time to build together,” she concluded.