By John Q. Hosedrinker Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was observed reacting during a speech given by former U.S. President Donald Trump at the 80th United Nations General Assembly. The event took place in New York City on September 23, 2025. This moment, captured in a photograph, showcases a significant interaction between two prominent political figures. The image provides a visual record of this notable international gathering.
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Italy to recognize Palestine only if Hamas is excluded and all hostages freed – now that’s a stance I can get behind. It’s got a certain gusto, doesn’t it? Really, it feels like it should have been the baseline for everyone all along. It’s a common sense position, really. You can’t reward acts of terror with statehood, plain and simple. And demanding the release of all hostages? Absolutely crucial. It’s almost as though the world leaders need a lesson in responsible policy-making.
There’s a good point about how this might be implemented: a neutral party to facilitate the release of the hostages. And, crucially, that should come with a guarantee of Israel removing its troops. The fact that Hamas hasn’t released all the hostages, despite the immense suffering inflicted on the Palestinian population, speaks volumes. They’re doubling down on a losing strategy, which is just baffling.
And the way Hamas conducts its fight, putting its own people in harm’s way… it’s by design. It’s difficult to see them as anything but cowards when they adopt such tactics. Let’s face it, Hamas doesn’t want peace. They don’t care about the Palestinians. The international community saying anything isn’t going to change a thing for them. So many people have said it, yet, people will still say it is a war crime to suggest it. It’s easy to see why Italy is taking a hard line here. Hamas is a scourge on humanity. Good on Italy for showing some backbone!
It’s awful what’s happening in the region and the suffering needs to end, but the events of October 7th, 2023, simply cannot be ignored. World leaders shouldn’t legitimize such an act of cruelty with recognition of statehood. Italy’s stance is sensible, though most of these recognitions are primarily symbolic. Frankly, the only country with enough clout to force real change here is the United States, and that requires a saner administration. As long as Hamas exists, there’s no real prospect of a solution. It’s brave that Italy is taking a stand against terrorism; it’s the right approach. It’s also a shame that the borders don’t seem to mean much anymore.
Now, a really key question emerges: if the hostages are freed and Hamas is still a force, what’s to stop them from taking more hostages? How do you neutralize Hamas in a practical way? Do you have any solid plans for that? Furthermore, what is a credible, legitimate alternative to the Hamas government in that area? Does the Palestinian Authority (PA) actually have the resources, or the support of the people of Gaza, to step into that role? I haven’t seen any workable, actionable plans, just vague trendy ideas. Geopolitical “Yes, but actually No.” This is the only way to approach recognizing Palestine. Let the people of Gaza know that there is a road to peace and statehood that doesn’t include Hamas.
It’s a bit ridiculous when people accuse Italy of Islamophobia because they’re not letting terrorists run things or demanding the hostages be freed. Where are the Palestinians meant to go? Are we planning on shelters, as well? But, it’s okay to pay for things in the West Bank? Got it. After the Israeli withdrawal in 2005, Gaza had some autonomy, and then in 2006, they had democratic elections. But that led to Hamas taking control, followed by violent clashes. Why would we assume the same process would produce a different outcome this time around? I truly hope they stay strong with this. The UK said the same thing, and then went back on their word and recognized Palestine anyway.
What’s important to consider is, how do you exclude people from democratic elections? Now, let’s also consider a stark statement: “If you give up all your weapons, we will protect you!” What a difference from countries that have refused to recognize Hamas and made it clear that they can’t be involved in any future government. That Italy even has to pretend to play along with Palestinian recognition is an indicator of Israel’s current public perception. This approach makes perfect sense. I’ll do this good thing, but only when the terrorists and their despicable actions are gone.
Let’s be honest, Meloni often has good intentions, but she doesn’t always follow through. This is the “I’m gonna hold my breath until you give me what I want” strategy. I enjoy their *pasta al gusto* too! People keep thinking that a Palestinian state is going to fix things. But if there had been a Palestinian state for the last ten years, what would Israel have done on October 8th, 2023? They would have declared war on the Palestinian state, and would have kept doing what they did until the Palestinian government surrendered and signed a peace treaty, with land concessions and a buffer zone to prevent future attacks. The international community would just nod and say, “Yup, that is how states are supposed to respond to military attacks.” A Palestinian state wouldn’t solve a single thing.
The recognition isn’t a gift to Hamas. As others have stated, Hamas won’t be part of any future Palestinian state. It does make a big statement that there will be a Palestinian state, and a two-state solution, no matter what Israel says. This isn’t about helping Hamas or making them legitimate, it’s about the world’s intention to see Palestine as a sovereign state.
You can see it in how they don’t care about Palestinians when they marched the bodies of hostages through the streets to cheering crowds. They celebrated! It’s why Hamas has to be gone.
It makes me think of Netanyahu. We shouldn’t deny your right to exist because we don’t like the people in charge. Why aren’t we revoking recognition of Russia or Israel until they hand over Putin and Netanyahu to the International Criminal Court?
Countries should be able to multi-task. Recognize Palestinian statehood while simultaneously working to eliminate Hamas. It’s strange to not recognize a country because of an attack on the oppressors. “Italy not to recognize Palestine”…with extra steps. Hamas has said it will do another October 7th. These people are practically pro-Hamas and care more about destroying Israel than helping the people of Gaza. Meloni can wait with the recognition until elections are held and Hamas doesn’t win or is banned. There’s no international law that forces her to recognize Palestine, and her voters aren’t particularly fond of Hamas. She has little incentive to be a Hamas supporter. Statehood doesn’t require elections, and it’s the only sane path towards 2SS. It’s about ending Palestinian terrorism first, and then pressuring Israel to recognize the change. Western leaders should be embarrassed when someone like Meloni gives them a lesson on policy-making.