Flotilla, Tajani to Italians on board: ‘It is dangerous to break the naval blockade’

Rome, 27 September (LaPresse) – “Have the Italians aboard the flotilla decided to go ahead? It’s their choice. We say that it is dangerous to head towards the Israeli naval blockade and attempt to break it. So, given that it is dangerous, we must tell our fellow citizens, while our crisis unit is monitoring them, as are the Italian embassy and consulate in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. We are concerned for the physical safety and security of our fellow citizens. We say this, we repeat it, we follow the words of President Mattarella. Wouldn’t it be better for the parliamentarians on board to return? It seems to me that the appeal of the leaders of the left is to follow the words of President Mattarella, and I hope that they will reconsider’. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and leader of Forza Italia, Antonio Tajani, on the sidelines of “Libertà”, the party’s festival in Telese Terme (Benevento). “Our appeal is to listen to Mattarella’s words,” the Foreign Minister reiterated, explaining that there had not yet been any phone call with the Italian spokesperson for the flotilla, Maria Elena Delia, who had returned to Italy. Tajani then explained that ‘there is a Navy ship ready to carry out humanitarian and civil protection operations, not military operations, partly because we cannot put our sailors at risk in such a delicate situation, so we hope that the flotilla will heed President Mattarella’s words and not continue towards the coast of Gaza because it would be very risky’. ‘We have said it and we continue to repeat it, we cannot do more than urge our embassy and the Israeli government, but the risk is there, and it is not a minor one,’ he stressed, pointing out that “our ships will not escort the flotilla. They are there only for humanitarian and medical assistance. They will certainly not engage in a firefight with Israel. We cannot jeopardise the lives of our sailors, which are as valuable as those of the other Italians on board, so we must always be strong in our sense of responsibility, all of us. Making the situation worse is dangerous, as we have said. President Mattarella used very wise words, which are very true if the goal is to help the Palestinian people. The Palestinian people will be helped by allowing them to receive all the goods that the flotilla has on board.”