OUR 2ND FAVORITE ITALIAN (MR. RUFFINI'S STILL IN FIRST) :

Italy's Berlusconi urges Arafat to quit (Reuters, June 27, 2002)

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat should book himself a place in history and stand down, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Thursday, backing a U.S. call for a change in Palestinian leadership.

Berlusconi, who has forged close ties with the Arab world since taking office last year, told reporters the international community was ready to help Palestinians as long as they set up a transparent democracy.

"Many people are convinced that Arafat, a winner of the Nobel peace prize, should make a generous gesture and move aside," Berlusconi said on the final morning of a two day meeting of major power leaders.

"If I were President Arafat I would make a grand gesture that would enable him to go down forever in history as the man who gave everything for the freedom of his country," he said.

The problem with this suggestion is that Mr. Berlusconi is a patriot--Mr. Arafat is not.

Still, the statement is a reminder of how potent a force it may be for Europe to be swinging Right while Republicans hold the U.S. White House. This is the alignment that was required to finally win the Cold War too.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 27, 2002 3:26 PM