Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five Star Movement and former Prime Minister of Italy, announced bold decisions in his recent speech in the Italian House of Representatives that he will take to change Italy's policies towards Palestine and the Zionist regime if he returns to power. He emphasized in this speech that as soon as he returns to a decision-making position, he will recognize the state of Palestine and will cancel the military cooperation agreement with Israel.
Fundamental changes in Italy's foreign policy
Conte stated in part of his speech: "This is not just a law, but the beginning of a new era in governance. We will be committed to reviving international law and supporting the rights of Palestinians." These remarks were made in response to the proposed plan by the Five Star Movement to ban the import of goods and services from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Conte, supporting this plan, described the vote on it as a choice between Italy's adherence to democratic values and international law or neglecting these principles.
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Criticism of the current government and defense of international law
Conte also criticized the government of Giorgia Meloni, stating that Italy, along with 10 other countries, including the UK and Canada, has refrained from imposing restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements. He accused the Italian government of failing to defend international law and emphasized the need to change this approach. However, the Italian House of Representatives rejected the request for an urgent review of this proposal with 149 votes against and 109 votes in favor. This vote was only about the urgency of reviewing the proposal and not about the final approval or rejection of its content.
Giuseppe Conte, who served as Prime Minister of Italy from 2018 to 2021, currently leads the Five Star Movement and is recognized as one of the main opposition figures against Giorgia Meloni's government. He has previously criticized the continuation of Italy's military cooperation with the Zionist regime and called for a review of these relations. In July 2025, Conte accused the Italian government of violating international law due to the continuation of military relations with Israel.
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