Short answer: Yes, in a limited, mostly economic and diplomatic sense. Mario Draghi's only direct engagement with Israel came during his time as Italian Prime Minister (2021-2022): a June 2022 joint visit to Israel with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to sign an energy cooperation deal, and an earlier 2021 meeting with World Jewish Congress leadership on combating antisemitism. Since leaving office in October 2022 he has not made any public statement specifically about Israel's war with Hamas, the October 7 attack, or the Gaza ceasefire. As of August 2026, his post-2022 public role has been almost entirely about EU economic competitiveness, and Israel appears in that work only as a data point or, in May 2026, as one example in a speech about Europe's dependence on Washington, not as a statement of support or opposition to Israel itself.
What Mario Draghi has actually said and done
- June 4, 2021: As Italian Prime Minister, Draghi met with World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder and Union of Italian Jewish Communities President Noemi Di Segni, who raised the fight against antisemitism, adoption of the IHRA definition, and Italian hate-crime law with him. According to the World Jewish Congress, the public writeup does not quote any specific commitment or statement from Draghi himself.
- June 13, 2022: Draghi traveled to Israel with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on a two-day trip, his first Middle East trip as prime minister, for talks on energy and food security as the EU sought to reduce its reliance on Russian gas, the Times of Israel reported.
- June 14, 2022: During that visit, Draghi and Israeli officials advanced a new gas supply arrangement, part of the broader Israel-EU-Egypt cooperation on exporting Israeli gas to Europe, according to Agenzia Nova.
- October 22, 2022: Draghi's government ended and he left the office of Italian Prime Minister. He has held no elected or appointed government role toward Israel since (background corroborated across contemporaneous Italian press, via Wikipedia).
- September 9, 2024: Draghi's EU competitiveness report, prepared for the European Commission, cited Israel's research and development spending, about 6.02% of GDP, as a benchmark showing how far the EU lags leading innovation economies. This is a data reference, not a statement about the Israel-Palestine conflict, per the European Commission.
- May 14, 2026: Accepting the Charlemagne Prize in Aachen, Draghi said Europe is now "truly alone together," in a speech about Europe's strategic dependencies that referred to "the war in the Middle East" without naming Israel or taking any position on its conduct, according to Il Sole 24 Ore and a second account from the Union of European Federalists.
Who is Mario Draghi, and why the record is thin
Mario Draghi, born September 3, 1947, in Rome, is a former President of the European Central Bank (2011-2019) and former Prime Minister of Italy (February 2021 to October 2022). He is not currently a public official. Since leaving office he has focused on EU economic strategy, chiefly the September 2024 "Draghi Report" on European competitiveness, and has continued to give high-profile speeches on Europe's global standing, most recently at the Charlemagne Prize ceremony in Aachen in May 2026.
His direct record on Israel is thin and dates almost entirely from his time as prime minister: the 2021 meeting with World Jewish Congress leadership on antisemitism, and the 2022 joint visit to Israel with von der Leyen centered on energy cooperation as Europe scrambled to replace Russian gas after the invasion of Ukraine. There is no public Draghi statement on the October 7, 2023 attack, the subsequent Gaza war, or the 2025 ceasefire that brought the last living hostages home, and no record of a boycott, donation, or event appearance tied to Israel or Jewish causes since he left office. His May 2026 Aachen speech referred to the war in the Middle East only in passing, framed around European strategic autonomy rather than any position for or against Israel.
The bottom line
Draghi has no record of hostility toward Israel and, as Italian prime minister, actively pursued energy cooperation with the country and met with Jewish community leaders on antisemitism. But he has made no public statement on Israel's post-October 7 war or the ceasefire, and has held no government role toward Israel since October 2022. His most recent Israel-adjacent comment, in May 2026, was about European energy dependence, not a stance on Israel itself. The fair read is quietly cooperative on energy and diplomacy, not an outspoken supporter or critic of Israel.
Carry your own answer, no matter what public figures say
Public figures come and go on Israel, some vocal, some quiet, some strictly transactional. If you would rather wear your position than wait on someone else's, the I Stand With Israel collection lets you say it plainly, no ambiguity required.
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- Does Olaf Scholz Support Israel?
Last updated August 2026. We update these profiles as the record changes.
