Bravo, Silvio! Bravissimo! Berlusconi slaps down France over Israel trip. (Hat tip: Joel G.)

”They missed a good opportunity to shut up,” Berlusconi told reporters in response to French criticism of his decision not to meet Palestinian leaders during a recent trip to Israel.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said this week that Berlusconi had ”not satisfied the European position” by holding talks only with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during his June 9 visit to Jerusalem.

”I went (to Israel) as the prime minister of Italy. There's no way France can issue criticism over something that was the sole right and responsibility of the Italian prime minister,” Berlusconi said, clearly bristling with irritation.

His choice of words in telling France to keep quiet precisely echoed comments made by French President Jacques Chirac earlier this year when he criticised east European leaders for their staunch backing of the U.S. position on Iraq.