Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's gesture while greeting former US President Donald Trump is going viral across social media platforms. During the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt, as Trump praised Meloni, she responded with a folded-hands gesture, a traditional Indian 'Namaste', capturing widespread attention online.
“We have a woman, a young woman who’s… I’m not allowed to say it because usually it’s the end of your political career if you say it: she’s a beautiful young woman!” Trump said about Meloni while addressing the audience.
He then turned back to find Meloni, who greeted him with a Namaste.
Meloni embraced Indian “Namaste” greeting on multiple occasions
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has shown a consistent preference for the traditional Indian greeting, "namaste," during recent diplomatic encounters. In August, Meloni greeted US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley with the “namaste” as she arrived at a multilateral summit in the United States.
Meloni has also used the folded-hands greeting at other international events, including the G7 summit held in Italy.
2025 Gaza peace summit
After Hamas released the 20 Israeli hostages as part of President Trump’s peace plan to end the conflict in Gaza, world leaders gathered to sign a peace agreement in Egypt.
The summit took place in Sharm el-Sheikh, a resort town on the Red Sea, with the goal of backing the ceasefire in Gaza, bringing the Israel-Hamas war to a close and creating a long-term plan to govern and rebuild the damaged Palestinian territory.
This meeting was clearly intended to build global support for Trump’s vision to end the war.
