Lucrezia Ciotti The crisis in the Middle East and Italy's position in the international context sparked heated discussions during the latest episode of Half past eight. John Floris criticized the Meloni government for its management of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and its marginal role in the truce negotiations, observing that “you have to have great strength not to intervene.”
Floris on Otto e Mezzo: criticism of the Italian government and the crisis in the Middle East
During the last bet di Half past eight, the political talk show on La7 hosted by Lilli Gruber, Giovanni Floris expressed harsh judgments on the government's actions Italian government led by Giorgia Meloni. The journalist highlighted the executive's skepticism towards the pro-Palestinian demonstrations, accusing him of having them opposed and of having “ridiculed the participants”.
Floris underlined the government's inertia even after the attack on the Flotilla, in which Italian deputies and MEPs were arrested by Israel in international waters. According to the host, the government did not have an active role in the negotiations for the truce in the Middle East, limiting itself to following Donald Trump's political line and “to silently stand with Israel”, trying to curb the sanctions requested by the international community.
Giovanni Floris on Italy's silent contribution to peace: "Not silent because they've made all the statements about the demonstrations, ridiculing them... it's certainly tiring to remain silent about the flotilla stopped in international waters... it played no role."#half past eight #Trump #Melon #Peace pic.twitter.com/ScCBWBx4Ei
— Sirio 🏀 (@siriomerenda) October 9, 2025
Floris on Otto e Mezzo: Scepticism about the peace agreement and the role of international powers
About to the agreement of peace recently reached in the Middle East, Floris was cautious. While acknowledging the human value of the truce, he defined the day as positive because “people stop dying and hostages are freed,” highlighted that the the very definition of “peace agreement” could be misleading, as it presupposed a formal war:
"There was no war here, there was Israel exterminating civilians".
For the journalist, the truce is not the result of a bilateral negotiation, but of international pressure that has isolated Netanyahu: “Israel remained alone in world public opinion.”
Trump, in his opinion, would have acted not for principles but for political calculation, in keeping with his pragmatism:
"I don't think Trump is good or bad., he always does what is best for him."
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