'Embarrassing Failure': Israel's Yair Lapid Slams Netanyahu Over Italy Defence Pact Suspension

Last Updated:April 14, 2026, 20:37 IST

Lapid said the latest decision by Italy was significant, arguing that even traditionally friendly governments were now stepping back from cooperation with Israel.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government after Italy suspended the renewal of a defence cooperation agreement with Israel.

The agreement, which covers cooperation in military equipment, research and development, and training, was approved in 2006 and is reviewed every five years. It had been due for renewal but has now been put on hold by the Italian government.

Speaking on social media platform X, Lapid called the move “another embarrassing failure of the Prime Minister and the non-existent Foreign Minister". He said the government had failed to protect Israel’s interests even among “natural allies".

“Meloni is not a left-wing-progressive European leader; she is in the right-wing-conservative camp and understands the need to fight terrorism," the Israeli opposition leader.

Lapid said the latest decision by Italy was significant, arguing that even traditionally friendly governments were now stepping back from cooperation with Israel.

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“We will return, form a government, and Israel will once again become the country everyone wanted to love," Lapid wrote.

Italy’s decision was announced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of an event in Verona. She said, “In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel."

Tensions between the two countries have risen in recent days after Italy accused Israeli forces of firing warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. The incident came amid ongoing hostilities involving Israel and Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Israel has been fighting with Hezbollah since the Lebanese armed group launched rocket fire at Israel in March after the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war.

Meanwhile, the Israeli government has downplayed the impact of Italy’s decision. Foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein told AFP that the agreement was largely symbolic and would not affect Israel’s security.

“We have no security agreement with Italy. We have a memorandum of understanding from many years ago that has never contained any substantive content. This will not affect Israel’s security," he said.

(With inputs from AFP)

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