Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stated that she supports the recognition of a Palestinian state, but only after its formal establishment.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Meloni said, “I’m in favor of a Palestinian state, but not in favor of recognizing it before it actually exists.”
She added, “If we recognize something on paper that doesn’t yet exist in reality, it might feel like the issue is resolved—when it really isn’t.”
On Friday, Italy’s Foreign Minister also remarked that recognition of a Palestinian state should happen only when new Palestinian leadership also recognizes Israel.
Meloni’s comments come at a time when France has announced it will recognize Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September—an announcement that has drawn sharp condemnation from both Israel and the United States.
Meanwhile, a German government spokesperson has said that Germany currently has no intention of recognizing a Palestinian state. The current priority, they stated, is to push forward the long-stalled two-state solution in the Middle East.