Rift Between Italy, Israel Widens As Italian Magazine's Cover Renews Tensions

A powerful cover image published by the Italian weekly magazine L’Espresso has ignited a sharp diplomatic rebuke from Israel, just days before Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government announced the suspension of Italy’s defense agreement with the Jewish state.

The April 10, 2026, edition of L’Espresso, titled “L’Abuso” (The Abuse) , features an armed Israeli settler filming a Palestinian woman during a raid in the occupied West Bank. The photograph, originally taken in 2025 by Italian photojournalist Pietro Masturzo near Hebron during the olive harvest, depicts the settler grinning while the young Palestinian woman appears distressed.

In its accompanying caption, the magazine drew a direct line between Israeli actions across the region and the growing influence of the “Greater Israel” ideology.

“The annexation of the West Bank, with soldiers complicit with the settlers. Gaza annihilated. The advance into Lebanon. The breached border in Syria. The war against Iran. Ethnic cleansing and massacres. This is how the Zionist right is shaping Greater Israel,” the caption read.

The cover explicitly criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, the occupied Golan Heights, and its ongoing ground invasion of Lebanon.

Israel Condemns Manipulative Image

Israel’s ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, took to X (formerly Twitter) to denounce the magazine.

“We strongly condemn the manipulative use of the recent cover of L’Espresso. The image distorts the complex reality with which Israel must coexist, promoting stereotypes and hatred. Responsible journalism must be balanced and fair,” Peled wrote.

In subsequent posts, the ambassador falsely suggested the image may have been generated by artificial intelligence, a claim contradicted by the fact that the photograph is a verified work of Masturzo, a respected war photographer and recipient of several international awards.

The cover controversy quickly took on geopolitical weight. Days after the Israeli condemnation, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — whose right-wing government has been one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe — announced that Italy was suspending the automatic renewal of its defense agreement with Israel.

Meloni cited Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon, which has killed over 1,500 people and displaced nearly one million, as the immediate cause.

“When there are things we don’t agree with, we act accordingly. In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,” Meloni told reporters on the sidelines of a wine fair in Verona, northern Italy.

While Italy has historically maintained strong military and diplomatic ties with Israel, the suspension marks a significant shift, reflecting growing European unease over Israel’s expanding operations across the region.