Italy has finally suspended the automatic renewal of its defense agreement with Israel: what does this mean?

©picture alliance / Anadolu | Isabella Bonotto

"At last, a burst of dignity and humanity", commented some. Italy has decided to stop the automatic renewal of its controversial Defense Memorandum with Israel. The announcement was made by Giorgia Meloni, who delivered a brief statement to the press on the sidelines of the Vinitaly trade show in Verona.

"In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defense agreement with Israel," the Prime Minister announced.

Thus, after years of close relations with Benjamin Netanyahu, Italy has, for the first time, chosen to react by putting the brakes on this cooperation, the target of fierce polemics from the political world and many citizens. This decision - for the moment temporary and not definitive - may have been influenced by recent events, which have worsened relations between Italy and Israel. Indeed, the Italian ambassador in Tel Aviv, Luca Ferrari, was summoned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, after Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani condemned the Israeli army's raids, which since March 2 have killed more than 2,000 people and wounded nearly 7,000 in Lebanon, including Italian UNIFIL peacekeepers.

What is the defense memorandum with Israel and how does it work?

The Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation between Italy and Israel, signed in 2003 and ratified by the Italian Parliament in 2005, is a bilateral agreement that sets out the legal framework within which the two countries can cooperate on military and technological issues. This is neither an operational alliance nor an automatic commitment to intervene jointly in military operations, but rather an instrument that facilitates and structures cooperation, the exchange of military equipment and technological research between the Italian army and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

In practical terms, the memorandum functions as a general framework: it does not contain specific operational decisions, but defines the rules and areas in which such decisions can be taken. Within this framework, Italy and Israel can develop joint projects, launch research programs, cooperate between defense industries and organize training or skills exchange activities. Each concrete initiative is negotiated and approved separately, through implementation agreements or government authorizations.

Importantly, the memorandum primarily facilitates industrial and technological cooperation, by creating more flexible conditions for agreements between companies and institutions in both countries. From a legal point of view, the agreement is concluded for a limited period, but is automatically renewed every five years if neither party decides to terminate it. It is precisely this mechanism that makes it a recurring theme in public and political debate, as each implicit renewal reopens the question of whether it should be kept active. With no official notice of termination, the automatic renewal was therefore set for April 13, extending the cooperation until 2031.

Following the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Palestine, pressure intensified to terminate the agreement, but these calls went unheeded by the government. It is only now, albeit very belatedly, that Italy has decided to take a stand.

Source : Chamber of Deputies

(©GreenMe.it 2026/Managing editor: Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction/Picture: picture alliance / Anadolu | Isabella Bonotto)