Israeli PM berates Italy for contacts with Hezbollah
AFP
Date: 11-01-05
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rebuked visiting Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini for his government's contacts with a representative of Lebanon's Hezbollah militia, saying that the group was a threat to regional security.
During an early-morning meeting with the Italian minister, Sharon expressed his disappointment that Italy's Lebanese ambassador Franco Mistretta had recently met Lebanese Energy and Water Minister Mohammed Fneish -- the first member of Hezbollah to hold a cabinet position.
Sharon pointed out that during Fini's previous visit to Israel, he had asked the Italian minister for his help to ensure Hezbollah was put on the European Union's terror blacklist.
"Instead of working towards this, you meet with representatives of Hezbollah and give this organisation legitimacy even before it gives up its weapons and stops acts of terror against Israel," Sharon said.
Hezbollah, he charged, was still operating as a terror organisation despite its participation in the elections.
"Hezbollah is a threat to regional stability as well as to Lebanon's internal stability," Sharon said. "We must work to disarm Hezbollah and bring about the deployment of the Lebanese army along the border with Israel."
Hezbollah's armed wing consistently opposed Israel's occupation of south Lebanon, leading to the Jewish state withdrawing its forces from there in May 2000 after two decades.
Fini responded by saying Israel should have no reason for concern about Italy's stance on terrorism.
"We are very familiar with both the nature of Hezbollah and its involvement in terrorism," Sharon's office quoted him as saying. "This meeting had no significance with regard to the good relations between Israel and Italy nor to our determined stance against terrorism."
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