Berlusconi says settlement policy unwise for peace
Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has warned Israel that its settlement policy was unwise and did not help promote peace in the region.
“Israel’s settlement policy could be an obstacle to peace. I would like to say to the people and government of Israel, as a friend, with my hand on my heart, that persisting with this policy is a mistake,” Berlusconi was quoted as saying by Haaretz, one day before he begins a visit to Israel. “I welcomed Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu’s courage is his announcement of a 10-month [residential settlement construction] freeze. It will never be possible to convince the Palestinians of Israel’s good intentions while Israel continues to build in territories that are to be returned as part of a piece agreement,” Berlusconi, who describes himself a s a supporter of Israel, said.
The Italian leader said that his views on the decades-long conflict plaguing the Middle East have shaped Italy’s new foreign policy.
“I always supported Israel. As a result, as prime minister, I changed Italy’s foreign policy and thereby turned Italy into Israel’s closest friend in Europe … At the same time, I cultivated ties with the moderate leaders of the Arab and Muslim world,” he said.
“Italy today is an essential stop, sometimes the first, that Middle Eastern leaders make in Europe. We feel involved in efforts to find a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian question. Italy proposed the beautiful town of Arice as a location for future peace talks between the [two] sides.”
For the Italian prime minister, Syria and Israel should assume a new role in the equation for peace in the region.
“The time has come for Syria and Israel to act together for the sake of peace, in the framework of which the Golan Heights will be returned and at the same time diplomatic and friendly relations will be established between the two countries, and Damascus for its part will stop supporting organizations that do not recognize Israel’s existence. All of us are working to find a comprehensive solution, and Italy’s presence in Lebanon [as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force] is testimony to this,” Haaretz quoted him as saying.
