Italian prime minister calls for empathy for all victims, whether of Holocaust or Israel's war on Strip

        Italy's prime minister has called for empathy for all victims, whether of the Holocaust or Israel's war on GazaSilvio Berlusconi's link between the Holocaust and the plight of the Palestinians could land him in hot water with his Israeli hosts, who have given him a warm welcome. In a speech in Jerusalem, Berlusconi said Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza last year was justified self-defense. But during a stop in the West Bank, he later explained this does not rule out sympathy for the war's victims. some 1,400 Palestinians were killed in the fighting. Berlusconi said, "Just as it's right to cry for the victims of the Shoah, it's right to show pain for what happened in Gaza." Shoah is the Hebrew word for Holocaust. Berlusconi first arrived in Ramallah, where he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The two then toured the city of Bethlehem, where the Italian premier visited the Church of the Nativity. In a joint press conference with Abbas, Berlusconi was asked about the separation fence built by Israel around the West Bank. He refused to address the issue, saying he did not see the fence – although he had passed by it on his way to the city. The Italian premier also said that stopping settlements was a condition for progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. According to Berlusconi, "In my conversation with the Palestinian president we made it clear that we understand the need to stop expanding settlements. I discussed the issue with Israel's leaders as well and told them that stopping the settlements is a condition for resuming the negotiations." Berlusconi said he does not rule out recognizing a Palestinian move for a unilateral declaration of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. "As far as we are concerned, this is a logical possibility, but we cannot get into the details of the agreements that both the Israeli and Palestinian sides must reach." (00,39)