ROME – "I feel the suffering of the people in Israel personally, and this always makes me feel closer," Italian opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi has said in an exclusive interview with Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, held at his luxurious palace Palazzo Grazioli.
Berlusconi, who according to opinion polls is expected to win the April 13 Italian general elections, spoke of his sympathy for the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
"We personally suffered when we heard, for example, about a family sending its sons to school on two separate buses in order to ensure that they don’t both encounter the same terror attack," he said.
Addressing the anti-Semitism in Europe and the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Berlusconi noted that "the remembrance day starts and ends without schoolchildren understanding its purpose. It must be expanded.
"Three days after visiting a concentration camp I found it difficult to function," he added.
Berlusconi also addressed his personal ties with former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the Iranian threat and the Italian election campaign.
Full interview to be published in Yedioth Ahronoth on Friday