A cover photo of a magazine is now at the centre of a growing rift between Israel and Italy.
Israeli officials strongly objected to a cover photo published on the April 10th issue.
The photograph titled the abuse or “L’Abuso” (Abuse) depicts an armed IDF soldier filming a Palestinian woman who has a frightened expression.
The grin of the man contrasts with the expression of the woman.
The caption of the photograph reads “The annexation of the West Bank was carried out with soldiers colluding with settlers. The devastated Gaza. The advance into Lebanon. Borders were violated in Syria. War with Iran. Ethnic cleansing and massacres. This is how the Zionist right is turning ‘Greater Israel’ into a reality.”
Israel’s ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, criticised the cover and called the image manipulative and said that it could fuel stereotypes. “The image distorts the complex reality with which Israel must coexist, promoting stereotypes and hatred,” he wrote on X, adding that “responsible journalism must be balanced and fair,” he said. In other posts, he said the image was AI-generated.
The magazine, however, responded saying the image was authentic.
The photograph was taken by Italian photojournalist Pietro Masturzo as part of his work documenting life under Israeli occupation. The image on the cover was captured in the Palestinian village of Idhna, west of Hebron, on 12 October 2025, the first day of the olive harvest.
“Just as the harvest began, a group of armed Israeli settlers (some of whom were wearing army uniforms, like the settler in question) accompanied by real soldiers (with their faces covered) arrived and prevented the Palestinians from picking their olives,” said Masturzo on the photograph.
“The settler’s expression is reflected in the gesture he repeats, mimicking the sound a shepherd makes when gathering his flock, addressing the Palestinians as if they were his own animals,” added the photojournalist.
The controversy comes amid a diplomatic move by the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who recently announced the suspension of the automatic renewal of a defence agreement with Israel. The PM said that the decision was driven by the country’s disagreements over Israel’s military actions in the Lebanon and broader regional developments.
