(24 Nov 2003)
1. Various of Italian Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini arriving at Yad Vashem Holocaust museum
2. Various of Fini looking at exhibition
3. Fini laying wreath at monument
4. Various of Fini on tour of museum
5. Fini exiting museum
6. Various of Fini signing guest book
7. SOUNDBITE (Italian): Gianfranco Fini, Italian Deputy Prime Minister:
"We have to condemn the shameful chapters in the history of our people and to try and understand why complacency, collaboration and fear led to an absence of reaction among Italians in 1938 to the disgraceful fascist race laws. We have to do this, not only to settle the accounts with the past, but to prepare for the future."
8. Audience listening to speech
9. SOUNDBITE (Italian): Gianfranco Fini, Italian Deputy Prime Minister:
"We have to do this, so that it is clear to all today in 2003, so that when it comes to racism and anti-Semitism, no one can say 'I am not connected, it has nothing to do with me, it is not my place to respond'."
10. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Fini entering the Prime Minister's office
11. Fini and Sharon shaking hands
12. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew): Ariel Sharon, Israeli Prime Minster
"I welcome Italy's deputy prime minister Mr. Fini. His visit is another important chapter in Israeli-Italian relations."
13. Delegates seated around table
STORYLINE:
Italy's deputy prime minister Gianfranco Fini visited the the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem on Monday as part of an official visit to Israel.
The visit to Israel is seen as an attempt to expunge a neo-fascist past which has tainted him and his right-wing National Alliance party.
During the tour of the museum, Fini condemned his country's fascist past and said lessons must be learned to deal with racism and anti-Semitism today.
Afterwards he proceeded to the Israeli Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem for talks with Ariel Sharon.
A possible contender for the premiership, Fini once called Italian dictator Benito Mussolini a 'great statesman'.
He has been gradually trying to remodel his image to come across as a moderate voice in Premier Silvio Berlusconi centre-right coalition.
During a visit to the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz in 1999, Fini was pelted with eggs and snowballs by protesters.
The following year he voted for a law to introduce a Holocaust memorial day in Italy.
Last year, he withdrew his Mussolini comments and said Italians must accept responsibility for crimes under Mussolini, including the deportation of Jews to Nazi concentration camps.
Leaders of the Jewish state initially ignored Fini's overtures but, persuaded recently that he is sincere, decided to embrace him during his visit.
Almost 7-thousand Jews were deported from Italy during World War II, 5,910 of whom were killed.
Mussolini was responsible for anti-Semitic laws in Italy that expelled Jews from government and university jobs and the military, and restricted their work, schooling and right to own property.
Last week, Fini dismissed a National Alliance party member who had circulated a video praising a convicted Nazi war criminal.
Italy currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.
Israel is increasingly concerned about anti-Semitism in Europe, citing attacks on Jews, Jewish targets and a recent European Union poll showing that more than half the Europeans questioned, believe Israel is a threat to world peace.
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