Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar, during a joint press conference in Ashdod, Israel, on June 20, 2023, expressed their condemnation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The conference was held as part of the "Food for Gaza" mission, which saw the delivery of over 100 tons of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies and food, donated by Italy. The aid was delivered in 15 trucks, with Tajani, Italian University Minister Anna Maria Bernini, University of Turin Rector Maria Adelaide Polimeni, and Piedmont President Alberto Cirio present at the event.
Tajani expressed gratitude for the collaboration, while Sa'ar stated that Italy "does not work with UNRWA, condemns the detention of an Israeli hostage in a UNRWA building, and sends aid to Gaza only through the World Food Programme (WFP), a UN agency like UNRWA but neutral. UNRWA is not part of the solution but part of the problem." The statement was met with applause.
The discussion then shifted to a proposal by former US President Donald Trump, who envisioned Gaza as a "Mediterranean Riviera." This proposal, which has garnered interest from the Israeli government, was also met with interest from Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini. When asked for their opinions, the two foreign ministers responded as follows.
"Gaza is a failed experiment, it has no future in its current state, it is time to explore new possibilities," said Sa'ar. A moment of silence followed.
"I am pragmatic," said Tajani. "We are at the first step of the truce, we need to move to the second and then the third, and so on until we reach peace. Our position is clear, we are for the two-state solution. Nothing can be done without the consent of the Palestinians." Another moment of silence followed.
"America is a very good candidate to rebuild Gaza after the war," reiterated Sa'ar. Tajani responded succinctly: "Our goal is and remains the two-state solution, but today we cannot recognize Palestine because it does not exist as a state. Recognizing it now would only be a hostile message towards Israel. We are working for the future." The statement was met with a small round of applause, followed by farewells.