Premier Giorgia Meloni on Saturday
defended the government's decision to abstain in a vote at the
United Nations General Assembly on a resolution calling for a
truce in Gaza.
"It was the most balanced of all the possible positions," Meloni
told reporters in the Marche town of Acqualagna.
"It is no coincidence that it was the position of most of the
EU, European and G7 countries.
"We are trying to maintain balance, and a vote in favour and a
vote against would both have been votes that moved Italy away
from the position it is holding.
"It was right to adopt the most balanced position with respect
to the goal of preventing an escalation of the conflict; the
most responsible thing we can do now".
Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Italy's Permanent Representative to
the UN, said Rome did not back the non-binding resolution, which
passed with 120 votes in favor, 14 against and 45 abstentions,
because it failed to condemn Hamas.
The motion was blasted by Israel and the United States for the
same reason.
"It lacks unequivocal condemnation of Hamas's attacks on Israel,
it lacks recognition of the right of any State under attack, in
this case Israel, to defend itself, and it fails to mention the
demand for the immediate, unconditional release of the hostages
(taken by Hamas) on 7 October," Massari said.
Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein on Saturday criticized
the government's decision.
"I think it was a mistake for Italy not to support the UN
resolution on a humanitarian truce," said the leader of the
opposition, centre-left group.
"France, Spain and Portugal were right to vote in favour.
"Call it a truce, call it a humanitarian ceasefire, call it a
humanitarian pause, just stop this slaughter of civilians.
"Our concern is enormous.
We cannot (just) watch civilians be
massacred".
Ex-premier and 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Giuseppe Conte
compared the government's move to Pontius Pilate's conduct in
the trial of Jesus.
"You need backbone and courage to achieve peace, not the
weakness and cowardice of a government that, with a Pilate-like
decision, shows that it considers the suffering of civilians a
dramatic but inevitable 'side effect' of war," Conte said in
social media.
Conte said the government's assertion that it did not back the
resolution because it failed to condemn Hamas and to state that
Israel has the right to defend itself was an excuse, because the
United Nations had clearly expressed its stance on both issues
after the October 7 attacks.
"Is the Italian Government trying to suggest that 120 United
Nations member States support Hamas?," he said.
"Have France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and 116 other countries
expressed their backing for the Hamas terrorists?
"Or have all these States expressed a clear position so that
international humanitarian law is guaranteed?".
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