At Jewish dinner in Paris, Italian PM compares Ahmadinejad to Hitler

European Jewish Press ^ | 9/22/2008 | John Milner

[markomalley]

Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi implicitely compared Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Adolf Hitler at an award ceremony in Paris.

Speaking in the French capital last week a dinner where he received an award from the Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal in France, Berlusconi was quoted as saying in a reference to Ahmadinejad :''We must all be extremely wary of the lunacy of those who say, even if only for domestic political reasons, that Israel must be wiped off the world map.”

Referring to Hitler, he said, ''We don't believe such things are real, but there has already been a certain gentleman who started off as a democrat but who went on to do what he did."

At the ceremony, the Italian Prime Minister reiterated his support for Israel.

''I've always been, I would say naturally, a friend of Israel,'' he said. ''In my childhood I had Jewish friends who I loved and who loved me back. Then I visited Auschwitz and in that moment I felt Israeli, too.''

A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry, Hassan Qashqavi, called Berlusconi’s comments "absurd".

"He has made such comments in the past, and they lack any logic and the high values of the Italian people and culture," Qashqavi said.

He also criticised Berlusconi for "defending the Zionist criminals whose hands bear the blood of thousands of Palestinian children, women and people".

[Perdogg]

If he is Hitler, then how many divisions is he willing to provide?

[Ronin]

And this is bad? Why?

[NOBAMA in 08]

Right on Target, Berlisconni hits one out of the Ball Park!

[NOBAMA in 08]

Correction with Apologies:

Berlusconi

[ASA Vet]

[danamco]

At Jewish dinner in Paris, Italian PM compares Ahmadinejad to Hitler

Looks to me that Gov. Palin thinks the same while the Jewish organization in N.Y. and Hillary plus hussein 0bana DON'T think so!!!

[Camel Joe]

I have to ask if we are all ready for Israel to launch a nuclear attack on Iran? We have left the Israeli's little choice in the matter as we have refused to sell them equipment that could otherwise disable the attempt by the Persians to acquire a nuclear weapon. Currently Russia has agreed to supply Iran with weapons systems that should in a rational world negate any complaints from the Arab world of US weapons sales to Israel. Unfortunately we do not live in such a world, therefore we leave Israel with the choice of doing nothing or defending themselves with the only means left to them that would at least give them a chance at survival, nuclear attack.