ROME (EJP)--- A friendly hug in front the television cameras ended the warm visit that Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert paid to his Italian counterpart Romano Prodi in Rome on Wednesday.

The two leaders discussed the Middle East situation with specific focus on the Iranian threats against Israel, the Italian role in the Unifil II peacekeeping mission in Lebanon and the peace process with the Palestinians as well as Syria.

Even though the Italian premier leads a coalition which includes at least two harshly anti-Israeli leftist parties Prodi and Olmert reportedly agreed on most of the issues.

Prodi expressed his "indignation and total disagreement" on the negationist conference on the Holocaust held in Teheran. And despite being Iran’s first European commercial partner, the Italian premier called on the international community to "do everything possible to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons".

Working together

From next January, Italy will become a rotatory member of the UN Security council for two years. It was then Olmert’s turn to thank Italy for its "tremendous efforts" at a UN level for the implementation of resolution 1701.

The premier told the press that “since he was at the head of the European Commission, Prodi has always been a friend of Israel”.

Olmert then underlined how Israel and Italy are both working to "preserve peace and maintain Lebanon’s integrity".

Whilst condemning the Teheran conference as "the most brutal kind of anti-Semitism", Olmert also said he was "touched" by Prodi’s words on the preservation of the Jewish identity of Israel as well as on Iran. The two prime ministers also agreed on the need to resume "direct talks" with the Palestinians, while the acknowledged their different views on Syria – an important peace partner for Prodi, a supporter of terrorism for Olmert

"This subject found us in disagreement" said Prodi, who nonetheless stressed how Italy and Israel still believe in the road map. Olmert concluded his Rome visit by meeting first with Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’alema , then with the leaders of the Italian Jewish Communities. Only some 50 protesters met near Romano Prodi’s political seat, weaving a banner saying "Olmert, persona non grata"

The Backstage

Speaking to EJP on the eve of Olmert’s visit, Eyal Arad, the political strategist for Olmert’s Kadima party and one of his closest counsellors, said that all "moderate regimes in the region" run the risk of "sabotage and rebellion, because someone is trying to sow the seeds of extremism in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq". This, he said, will lead "only to greater violence".

Arad travelled to Rome a few days before Olmert to launch Kadima Italia, “a party”, he said, “that aims to educate civilian society and Italian institutions on issues of peace in Middle East security”.

Although Arad was not officially tasked with the preparation of the premier’s visit, by meeting with local politicians from left to right, he undoubtedly sounded the government and the opposition’s intentions with regard of the Middle East scenario.

While making no direct mention of the spirit of Munich, Arad sought to spur on Europe, "which should recall from its own history what having an imperialist neighbour can mean". He described Iran as "a threat to the Middle East, as well as to former Soviet bloc states and the entire world”.