Jerusalem, Jun 13 (IANS): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences for the loss of the media mogul and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, while eulogising him as "a great friend of Israel".
"I was deeply saddened by the passing of Silvio Berlusconi. My heartfelt condolences go to his family and to the people of Italy," Netanyahu said on Monday in a statement released by his office.
Netanyahu referred to Berlusconi as "my friend" while praising his support for Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Silvio was a great friend of Israel and stood by us at all times," he added.
Berlusconi, a dominant figure in Italian politics for three decades, died on Monday at the age of 86 at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, after battling a series of illnesses since 2020.