Netanyahu thanks Alfano for Italy UNESCO

(ANSA) - Rome, May 2 - Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday phoned Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano to thank Italy for voting against a UNESCO resolution tabled by Arab countries contesting Israeli sovereignty over part of Jerusalem, the foreign ministry said.
    The ministry's statement quoted Alfano as saying "Just before the vote I announced to the Prime Minister the decision taken by the Italian Government to vote against the UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem, because it was highly politicized, and I expressed the hope that other EU countries would go in the same direction.
    "I also told Netanyahu that this decision was made in the light of the excellent bilateral relations existing between Italy and Israel. "Netanyahu thanked Italy for its choice, which represented an example for the other countries and congratulated Italy for its leading role".
    The resolution passed by 22 votes to 10 with 23 abstentions.