United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said that Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini's meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a “shame for Italy and its people” in a post on X/Twitter on Tuesday.
Albanese, who is Italian herself, added that the Salvini smiling in a photo with Netanyahu was “an affront to the Italian Constitution.”
In her post, she referred to Netanyahu as “one of the architects of the destruction of Gaza, who should be arrested for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Salvini posted a photo of the two smiling on X, saying that their meeting was an opportunity to “reaffirm the friendship between Italy and Israel,” as well as calling into question the role of the International Criminal Court.
Salvini stated that he intends for Italy to “increasingly play a leading role on the international scene.”
The image of the Deputy Prime Minister proudly posing with the ICC-wanted Israeli Prime Minister—one of the architects of the destruction of Gaza, who should be arrested for war crimes and crimes against humanity—is a shame for Italy and its people, and an affront to the Italian… https://t.co/YgKOZZQDaI
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) February 11, 2025
Salvini also met with Sa’ar, Chickli, and more Israeli officials
Salvini began his visit to Israel by meeting with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to reaffirm the “solid relationship” between Italy and Israel, Salvini wrote on X.
He also met with Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli to discuss the rise of antisemitism in Italy.
Salvini stated that he invited Chikli to Rome to work with the Italian Education Ministry to promote initiatives to combat antisemitism from a young age.