Italian journalist sues for job back after Israel question firing
A Rome labor court is hearing the case of journalist Gabriele Nunziati, who was fired after asking if Israel should rebuild Gaza like the EU demands Russia rebuild Ukraine.
Gabriele Nunziati, who served as the Brussels correspondent for Italian news agency Nova, is seeking reinstatement following his termination over remarks made during a European Commission press briefing last year, according to Brussels Signal.
The incident that sparked the controversy occurred on October 13, 2025, when Nunziati attended the Commission’s daily midday briefing. After noting the EU’s repeated statements that Russia should contribute to rebuilding Ukraine following its invasion, he posed a question to Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho about whether similar expectations should apply to Israel regarding Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.
Pinho acknowledged the question as interesting but offered no substantive response.
Nova terminated Nunziati’s employment two weeks later. The Rome-based agency, which specializes in political and institutional coverage for Italian media outlets and public bodies, confirmed the dismissal was directly linked to the Brussels exchange. Agency officials characterized the question as technically flawed, erroneous, and inappropriate.
Nova maintained that the situations in Ukraine and Gaza were legally distinct, noting that Israel had responded to attacks carried out on October 7. The agency also expressed concern that Nunziati continued defending his question internally after being challenged on it.
The news organization further noted that video of the exchange had circulated widely on outlets connected to Russian nationalist networks and political Islamist media, raising concerns about damage to Nova’s reputation for independence and objectivity.
The dismissal prompted swift condemnation from Italy’s National Council of the Order of Journalists, which argued that no journalist should face termination for posing a legitimate question to a public institution. Press freedom organizations and media watchdogs echoed these concerns, warning the case could produce a chilling effect on journalistic inquiry.
The controversy reached the European Parliament, where Italian MEP Sandro Ruotolo submitted a parliamentary question repeating Nunziati’s original inquiry and publicly advocated for his reinstatement.
The case has drawn international attention from European media outlets, which have framed it as a test of whether journalists can freely question public officials on sensitive matters involving Israel, Gaza, and EU foreign policy.
Nunziati is asking the Rome court to declare his dismissal unlawful and order his reinstatement. Supporters contend the ruling could establish an important precedent for press freedom in Italy and for journalists covering European institutions in Brussels.
Nova is a Rome-based Italian news agency that provides coverage of politics, foreign affairs, economics, and institutional matters to Italian media outlets and public bodies. Nunziati, a journalist in his thirties, covered the European institutions and EU affairs from Brussels before his termination.
With information from Brussels Signal
