Italy is considered Israel’s greatest friend, said Italian Foreign Minster Franco Frattini in an interview with the geopolitical intelligence website Isria.com that touched on the Iran nuclear situation and Israeli-Palestinian Authority peace efforts. He called an attack on Iran “a catastrophe for the entire world” and said he was hoping for international efforts aimed at dialogue in the Middle East to alleviate the tension.

Frattini said he is impressed with Netanyahu’s openness in the peace process and stated that Israel’s security is not negotiable. “The sensitive matter is the continuation of the settlements. …I hope there is a moratorium on settlements, which would allow the negotiations to go forward, I think that a solution is possible if the territories occupied in 1967 are restored,” he said. As far as the prospects for peace in the Middle East, Frattini blamed Hamas. “Clearly that [achieving peace] will be possible if Hamas is no longer a political influence in Palestine.