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Two Italian Army soldiers, part of the consulate in Jerusalem, were illegally detained, threatened with weapons and forced to kneel by an armed civilian, identified as an Israeli settler. The incident took place in the West Bank, in the territory of the Palestinian National Authority, near Ramallah, during a preliminary visit in preparation for a mission of the European Union ambassadors.
According to the Italian Foreign Ministry, the colonist approached two soldiers with a gun and forced them to get out of the diplomatic car. Despite the fact that the carabinieri were equipped with passports, diplomatic documents and a car with official license plates, he “interviewed” them and threatened them at gunpoint. At one point, the colonist was given a phone to speak to an unidentified person, who claimed they were inside a “military zone” and ordered them to leave.
However, after consulting with COGAT, the Israeli military command for the occupied territories, it was confirmed that there is no military zone in that location. The Carabinieri returned unharmed to the Italian Consulate and reported the incident to the embassy and the military chain of command.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has summoned the Israeli ambassador in Rome to demand immediate clarification and has ordered an official note of protest to be delivered at the highest diplomatic level. The note will be delivered to the Israeli Foreign Ministry and will also include COGAT, the General Staff of the Armed Forces (IDF), the Police and the Shin Bet security service. The Italian Foreign Ministry has warned that it will take further political steps in the coming days.
The Carabinieri Trade Union Association, Unarma, has called the incident "extremely serious" and expressed full solidarity with the threatened colleagues. "This is an episode that puts at risk servants of the Italian state, on delicate international missions," the Unarma statement said.
Unarma Secretary General Antonio Nicolosi added: "No threat will stop our mission. These acts do not scare us, but show the necessity to guarantee the safety and dignity of the carabinieri serving abroad."
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