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Netanyahu misunderstands Italian joke

Updated: 04/Jan/2006 16:45

Binyamin Netanyahu and Silvio Berlusconi

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Israeli politician Binyamin Netanyahu was left embarrassed this week after it was revealed that an industrialist was only joking when he offered him the post of Italian finance minister.

Netanyahu had proudly announced to the Israel Bar Association last month that he had turned down the offer from businessman Carlo De Benedetti in favour of taking the leadership of the Likud.

Speaking at the conference, Netanyahu said: “I decided to stay here...this is a critical time in Israel, an hour of decision on social and economic issues,” said Netanyahu. Netanyahu also stated his refusal was "to the chagrin of many."

The comments gained wide coverage in the Israeli media, but upon hearing of the furor, De Benedetti cleared the matter up.

“The comments were made lightheartedly. It was a joke,” close aides to Carlo de Benedetti told Israeli newspaper, Yediot Aharonot.

No authority

The misunderstanding occurred last October when De Benedetti was visiting Israel. De Bendetti was introduced to Netanyahu by Israel’s Ambassador to Italy Ehud Gol.

De Benedetti’s aides explained that the two had a conversation about Netanyahu’s fiscal reforms in Israel. "De Benedetti listened to him politely and said: ‘these proposals are interesting. Maybe you should present them to the Italian government’," said the aides.

De Benedetti was never authorized to offer such political posts as he is not part of the Italian government and is even an opponent of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Controversial figure

Netanyahu sparked great controversy in the last Israeli government as Finance Minister. He enacted various economic reforms meant to stimulate the economy and to entice big businesses to invest in Israel.

Some saw Netanyahu’s enactments as insensitive to the poor as they benefited the wealthy and imposed financial impositions on the less well off.

Netanyahu has since been voted as the leader of the Likud for the upcoming Israeli elections.

He has been given the difficult task of resurrecting the party after the defection of Prime Minister Sharon. Many polls show Netanyahu’s Likud receiving less than 20 out of the 120 Knesset seats in the elections.