Berlusconi apologises for Mussolini blunder
Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian President and current President of the European Council, has apologised to Jewish community leaders in Italy for claiming that former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was "benign".
In an interview with British political magazine the Spectator last week, Berlusconi said, "he was a very benign dictator. Mussolini did not murder a single person. Mussolini sent people away on holiday in an internal exile".
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But according to historians, Mussolini was responsible for the death of at least one million people. He was also responsible for deporting Italian Jews to German extermination camps.
He excused himself for any offence caused, adding that the interview had taken place after several glasses of champagne.
However, the Jewish community said that the apology must be extended to the Italian people at large, not just to them.
The President of the Italian Jewish community, Amos Luzzatto said, "he apologised to us, and to me in particular, but not to the Italian people".
A spokesman for the Jewish community in Rome echoed Mr Luzzatto's sentiments, saying that Mr Berlusconi needed to "present his apologies to all Italians. It is not up to the Jewish community to excuse Berlusconi for his comments on Mussolini. It is up to each Italian to decide".
Mr Berlusconi's gaffe revived memories of his summer controversy, when he caused a major decline in Italy's relations with Germany after likening a German MEP to a concentration camp guard.
