Netanyahu to meet Italy's PM Georgia Meloni in Rome for natural gas, embassy in Jerusalem

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has urged Italy's PM, Georgia Meloni, against moving the Italian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 

"This would make Italy complicit with an internationally wrongful act and strike a blow to the country's tradition to uphold international law impartially and objectively," Ms Albanses told The New Arab. 

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Italy's Georgia Meloni on Friday. On the agenda is the potential supply of natural gas from Israel to Italy and moving the Italian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  

"I believe the time has come for Rome to recognize Jerusalem as the ancestral capital of the Jewish people for three thousand years, as the United States did with a gesture of great friendship," Netanyahu told la Repubblica.

Only a handful of countries have agreed to open embassies in Jerusalem.

Former US president Donald Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018, angering the Palestinians, Arab Countries and Western allies. 

Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo also have embassies in Jerusalem. 

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to forging a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, who with broad international backing want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, as their capital.

Productive meeting with @IsraeliPM in Tel Aviv. The U.S. is committed to Israel’s security. We discussed the bilateral partnership, security assistance, and enhancing regional security by deepening Israel’s partnerships.https://t.co/1ZgMkxN8YK pic.twitter.com/tSx2D3yP5D

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) March 9, 2023

In an interview with Italy's la Repubblica newspaper, Netanyahu also spoke about boosting economic ties between the two countries. 

"...[T]here is natural gas: we have a lot of it and I would like to discuss how to get it to Italy to support your economic growth," Netanyahu told la Repubblica.

Newly discovered offshore gas fields have positioned Israel as a potential natural gas exporter to Europe in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent decision to reduce dependency on Russian energy.

"Part of Israel's gas is pillaged from Gaza's waters. Pillaging constitutes an additional war crime and violation of international law," the UN Special Rapporteur said to TNA. 

Prior to departing to Rome, Netanyahu met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is visiting the region. 

"Our conversation focused primarily on our joint efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. If anyone in Tehran thinks that Iran can make unhindered progress toward nuclear weapons, they are mistaken," Netanyahu remarked.