Speaking at a special Knesset session on Wednesday in his honor, visiting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi addressed the plenum.

Addressing the parliament in Italian, he stated clearly that his government is against the Goldstone Report, which he blames for “trying to incriminate Israel”, adding Israel’s response to Hamas rocket attacks was “justified”.

“We are proud that Italy knew how to act when Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were bombed” he explained, receiving a warm round of applause from lawmakers. He cited Italy’s pro-Israel stance, including its refusal to attend the Second Durban Conference following the anti-Semitic fiasco at the first conference.

PM Berlusconi vowed his country will remain a staunch ally of Israel, and will work to combat European anti-Semitism.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu used his exceptional oratory skills to respond appropriately, referring to his colleague by his first name, calling him a “brave leader”, mentioning his leading role in combating anti-Semitism. He mentioned Italy’s efforts to bring Israel into the European Union, and expounded on Italy’s unwavering support for Israel.

Following the Knesset session, he met with President Shimon Peres, bringing an end to his official three-day official visit.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)