On Friday, November 29, a group of activists in solidarity with the Palestinian people occupied the headquarters of the Italian News Agency AGI in Rome, in protest of the Italy-Israel summit to be held in the city on December 2nd.

The activists succeeded in their intent to have a press release condemning military and economic cooperation between the two countries published on the AGI website. Thanks to repeated demands from the activists, AGI was forced to publish the statement in full, including the ties between Italian weapons maker Finmeccanica, the Italian academic world and the Israeli war industry.

This action is the first of many that will continue in the coming days throughout Italy against the summit on December 2, standing together with the struggle of the Palestinian people.

Below are the upcoming protests in Rome and the full statement:

- Saturday, November 30, 3pm, Protest at Piazza Venezia, near Trajan's column

- Monday, December 2 , at 1pm, Castle S. Angelo Gardens (Netanyahu will also meet the pope and will pass through this area of the city)

Full Statement:

Italy and Israel: Partners in Oppression

In three days the Italian and Israeli governments will meet to celebrate their continuing military and economic cooperation.

For anyone following the agreements the two governments have been churning out at a rapid pace, the December 2 date is nothing more than a media showcase aimed at normalizing the system of apartheid and oppression, as if the total servility of the press to the plans of the two governments - with devastating effects on our lives - weren’t enough.

On the one hand, a colonial project of ethnic cleansing, confiscation of lands and resources, segregation and incarceration of an entire population destined to servitude, on the other hyper-exploitation that leads to rampant poverty, triggering the need for the state to expand and perfect social control.

If, as stated by the current government, "Italy sees Israel as a guiding light to follow," the open-air laboratory of the global defense industry, Palestine, is much closer than the Zionist propaganda machine would have us believe and the joint military drills between the US, Greece, Italy and Israel are simply the latest confirmation.

The talk of "culture" at the summit signifies intensifying relationships between academic research institutes in the fields of war and surveillance equipment.

The "environmental" plan will touch upon energy resources and possible cooperation in the field of "green economy", thus continuing to exploit in the name of profit.

Next comes the aerospace industry, with Italy’s flagship weapons maker Finmeccanica still anxious for more deals after its subsidiary Alenia Aermacchi was awarded the contract to supply 30 training jets to the Israeli military.

Finally, the two governments will kick things off for Expo2015, a trade fair for global companies committed to exploitation in the name of progress.

The Italian-Israeli summit will strengthen the deadly tentacles that constrain our existence.

No summit over our lives, no to agreements between States.

 In solidarity with the Palestinian people