Netanyahu Gets Berlusconi’s Support to Stop Palestinian Recognition at UN

[Jefferson23]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured Italian help in his campaign to peel away European support for recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations in September.

“I don’t think this in any way would contribute to bringing peace,” Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said at a press conference in Rome today after a two-hour meeting with the Israeli leader at the Villa Madama government compound.

Netanyahu has been making repeated visits to Europe as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas prepares a formal statehood proposal to be presented at this year’s annual meeting of the UN General Assembly in three months. He said statehood should be the result of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and the UN effort would only complicate the Middle East peace process.

The two leaders and accompanying Cabinet ministers from both countries also signed a series of eight agreements aimed at boosting Italian-Israeli cooperation in tourism, education and economic development. The press conference took place in a white tent in which Berlusconi had a wall-size painting of nymphs surrounding a male harpist by the 18th century Italian artist Andrea Appiani brought in as a backdrop.

in full: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-13/netanyahu-seeks-berlusconi-support-to-stop-palestinians-at-un.html