Italy Wants To 'Help' Israel In Gaza, Too
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Rome has offered to take a leading role in policing a UN-imposed ceasefire in southern Lebanon, and Italy's foreign minister says his nation and its European allies could similarly assist Israel with the troublesome Gaza Strip as well. In an interview with Israel's Ha'aretz published Friday, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said that the "idea of sending UN troops to the Gaza Strip is currently being aired." "I think that if things go well in Lebanon" following the deployment of an expanded UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), "a similar positive process could also begin in the Gaza Strip," D'Alema said. That process would include the formation of "a Palestinian unity government that meets the criteria set by the international community, and the presence of a UN force to bolster the Palestinian government." But key to success in both Lebanon and Gaza, D'Alema suggested, is for Israel and its American allies to stop taking a "simplistic view" of Hezbollah and Hamas as merely terrorist organizations. "An organization that has 35 members of parliament and three ministers cannot be described solely as a terrorist group," he said, noting that in Europe, "Hezbollah is not considered a terrorist group," but rather "a military organization" that also "participates in elections." Hamas controls an even larger percentage of the Palestin |
