Molto, Molto Grazie

The telephone here at the Sun rang several times over the past few days, with calls from Italian newspapers wanting to know what we thought of the banquet the Anti-Defamation League was preparing to throw last night for Prime Minister Berlusconi. They were wondering whether the evening would be tarnished by the recent gaffe by the press-baron-turned-premier belittling the crimes of Mussolini. Mr. Berlusconi had already apologized for blundering the point he was trying to make about the Italian fascist of yesteryear. Last night, in a memorably glittering evening, hundreds of New Yorkers, Jews and gentiles alike, turned out to help the ADL honor the premier with its distinguished statesman award.

The banquet was a triumph for Abraham Foxman in his effort to keep the debate focused on which leaders and countries are with Israel and the Jewish people in the war that is being levied against them, on various fronts, by Islamic extremists and old fashioned anti-Semites. Mr. Foxman did not mince his words. "Some don't like President Bush. So they are unhappy with this event," he said in his prepared remarks. "Some don't like Prime Minister Sharon. So they are critical of tonight. Some don't like our guests of honor. We like President Bush, Prime Minister Sharon, and Prime Minister Berlusconi."

"When President Bush challenged and confronted the vicious, murderous regime of Saddam Hussein," Mr. Foxman told Mr. Berlusconi, "you stood with America." Under Mr. Berlusconi, Mr. Foxman pointed out, Italy broke with other European countries and refused to meet with Yasser Arafat. "You never parse the difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism," Mr. Foxman told the premier. In reply, the Italian premier was extraordinarily gracious in giving thanks to America, emphatic in voicing support for Israel, and forthright in pledging to use his presidency of the European Union to press for the security of the Jewish state, leading Mr. Foxman to express a double molto grazie.