Rome – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to arrive in Italy Tuesday for talks with his Italian counterpart, Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi “is a great friend of Israel working to promote peace and security,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Italian state television broadcast on the eve of his departure for Rome.
The visit marks the right-wing Israeli premier’s first trip to Europe since since taking office nearly three months ago.
It also takes place at a delicate moment for Berlusconi, who in recent days has kept an uncustomary low profile – on both national and international issues – following a scandal involving allegations that a call girl was paid to stay overnight at one of his residences.
Netanyahu and Berlusconi are expected to discuss the situation in the Middle East, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the violence that erupted in Iran following the June 12 presidential elections.

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