Italy’s new PM backs Israel, sees Iran as major threat
Matteo Renzi is Italy’s youngest-ever premier, and he could also be one of the most pro-Israeli.
The
39-year-old ambitious leader of the center-left, who was sworn in on
Saturday as Italy’s fourth prime minister in four years, may bring Rome,
already one of Israel’s key allies in Europe, even closer to the Jewish
state.
The
former mayor of Florence burst onto the national stage in December by
winning the primary election of the Democratic Party, the largest force
in parliament, and earlier this month used his new position to oust the
10-month-old coalition government of fellow democrat Enrico Letta.
His
popularity is mostly linked to a reputation as a no-nonsense city
administrator and a pledge to jump-start Italy’s sluggish economy by
creating jobs and cutting taxes. But the outspoken and fresh-faced
Italian politician has also touched on foreign policy matters during his
campaign.
He
has pointed to Tehran’s regime as the major source of trouble for the
Middle East and has said that Europe should do more to support
pro-democracy movements in Iran.
“The
main problem of the area is Iran − if we don’t solve that one we will
not be able to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said during a
2012 debate, adding that Europe needed to “listen to the cry of pain of
the Green Wave,” referring to the protests that had followed the
election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
At
the time, Renzi also voiced doubts about the Palestinian bid for
membership in the United Nations and criticized Italy’s decision to
follow other European Union countries in voting in favor.
The
new premier is not expected to change the cornerstone of Italy’s Middle
East policy, which follows EU views on opposing settlement expansion
and pushing for a two-state solution in the conflict with the
Palestinians. But Renzi has voiced strong support and empathy for the
Jewish state, chastising his fellow leftists for their knee-jerk
anti-Israeli attitudes.
“Israel
is a country surrounded by others that want its destruction, starting
with Iran,” he commented during 2012’s Operation Pillar of Defense. “The
Italian left must learn to say that Israel has a right to exist without
threats, because too often the left has had an inconceivable and
unbearable anti-Israeli attitude.”
Renzi’s
attitude has earned him support among Italy’s small Jewish community.
While community leaders didn’t officially endorse him, many Jews
campaigned for him and used social networks and SMS chains to urge
friends and family to vote for him in the Democratic primary.
Renzi’s
views have also been used to attack him. Far-left blogs routinely
publish conspiracy theories claiming he receives funding from Israel and
the United States. In the mainstream, his main opponent in the primary,
Pierluigi Bersani, once remarked that “on Israel and Palestine, Renzi
says things that are more right-wing than all the right-wing parties put
together.”
It
was in fact the right-wing media mogul and now opposition leader Silvio
Berlusconi who, during three stints as premier in the last two decades,
slowly reversed Italy’s traditionally pro-Palestinian stance. Even
after the scandal-ridden politician’s fall from grace, relations
continue to be at an all-time high, with the two governments holding
joint cabinet meetings, signing research cooperation agreements and
encouraging commercial ties that have made Italy Israel’s second-largest
trade partner in the EU, after Germany.
Although
he has visited the country, Renzi’s closeness to Israel mostly stems
from his broader political views and goals. Inspired by former British
Prime Minister Tony Blair and his transformation of the Labor party,
Renzi has set out to change Italy’s stuffy post-communist left into a
more liberal and social-democratic force − and that modernization
includes throwing out old prejudices on Israel and the U.S.
“He
is much closer to the West, and has great respect for Israel,” said
Yoram Gutgeld, an Israeli-Italian management consultant who was elected
to parliament for the Democrats and is one of Renzi’s top economic
advisors. “On foreign policy we will definitely have a friend.”
By
Ariel David
Italy’s new PM backs Israel, sees Iran as major threat - World
www.haaretz.com
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