ITALY: Israel says Iran's behaviour biggest threat to peace

Record ID: 313596

  • Title: ITALY: Israel says Iran's behaviour biggest threat to peace
  • Date: 24th June 2009
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (JUNE 23, 2009) (REUTERS) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAYING: "I think we have to recognise that the greatest threat is the kind of aggressive and violent behaviour that we see coming from Iran." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAYING: "Iran is not only supporting its terrorist proxies that oppose peace -- Hezbollah and Hamas -- it is also repressing its own people." (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI SAYING: "We spoke of this and we have ensured our commitment to continue these (economic) relations (with Iran) only if this is considered useful and positive by the international community and with the direct approval of the American administration." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAYING: "We also spoke about the speech I gave in which I made what I think is the winning formula for peace. A demilitarised Palestinian state that recognises the Jewish state of Israel." NETANYAHU AND BERLUSCONI SHAKING HANDS NETANYAHU AND BERLUSCONI LEAVING THE ROOM
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAAEOO20ZT2L3J00UJH40YUOCKC
  • Story Text: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday (June 23) Iran's response to election protests showed its "true nature" and called Tehran's "aggressive and violent" behaviour the greatest threat to peace.
    "I think we have to recognise that the greatest threat is the kind of aggressive and violent behaviour that we see coming from Iran," Netanyahu said at a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Rome.
    "Iran is not only supporting its terrorist proxies that oppose peace -- Hezbollah and Hamas -- it is also repressing its own people," he said.
    Standing beside Berlusconi, one of Israel's firmest European allies, Netanyahu voiced his appreciation for the Italian premier's "cautionary words that such a regime should not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons capability".
    Italy currently has the third strongest economic ties with Iran in Europe.
    "We spoke of this and we have ensured our commitment to continue these (economic) relations (with Iran) only if this is considered useful and positive by the international community and with the direct approval of the American administration," Berlusconi said.
    Netanyahu is making his first trip to Europe since he took office in March as the head of a right-leaning government, and is expected to use his visit to Rome and Paris to advocate stronger global sanctions against the Iranian government.
    The Israeli prime minister also discussed his conditional endorsement, under U.S. pressure, of the internationally-backed goal of Palestinian statehood, a change of direction that Palestinians said fell short of their independence aspirations.
    "We also spoke about the speech I gave in which I made what I think is the winning formula for peace. A demilitarised Palestinian state that recognises the Jewish state of Israel," he said.
    Netanyahu will meet with the Italian President on Wednesday (June 24) before leaving for Paris on the second leg of his European tour.
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