There is no effective security agreement between Israel and Italy
The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the Italian government’s decision to halt the automatic renewal of a defense agreement will not affect the country’s security status
A spokesperson for the ministry emphasized that we have no security agreement with Italy
He also described the agreement as a memorandum of understanding from years ago that never had significant content
These developments occur as the right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni, considered a close ally of Israel in Europe, faces internal and international pressures, especially following the wars in Lebanon and Iran, to distance itself from this agreement
Meanwhile, recent tensions between the Italian government and Donald Trump have also impacted relations, particularly after the harsh criticisms by the American president of the Pope
The defense agreement between Italy and Israel, which included cooperation in the exchange of military equipment and joint research projects, was first implemented about two decades ago