JNS.org – Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, making his first trip outside Europe since taking office in April, expressed admiration for Israel’s culture of innovation by saying Monday in Jerusalem that he wanted to learn “how to build a start-up nation” from Israel.

It was a “very important signal” that Letta’s first trip as prime minister outside Europe was to Israel, he said, Israel Hayomreported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during his meeting with Letta, stressed Israel’s willingness to restart peace negotiations with the Palestinians and the need for the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

“If Hezbollah isn’t a terrorist organization, I don’t know what a terrorist organization is,” Netanyahu said.