Those who want peace in the Middle East defend Israel, which represents a bedrock of stability for the West and for Europe," Salvini said on Wednesday after meeting premier Benjamin Nethanyahu in Jerusalem.
"Whoever wants peace defends Israel, which is the only certain guarantor of stability for the West and for Europe," said Salvini.
"Who questions Israel's right to exist is sadistic and masochistic," he added.
Answering a reporter's question on Tuesday's suspected jihadist gun attack on a Strasbourg Christmas market that killed at least three people and injured a dozen, Salvini called for closer cooperation with Israel also in the field of intelligence.
"Strengthening ties with Israel means improving security. Netanyahu and I are in complete agreement about this," Salvini said.
Netanyahu called Salvini "a great friend of Israel."
Salvini sparked controversy on Tuesday upon his arrival in the Jewish state when he called militants from Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah "Islamic terrorists" during a helicopter trip to view alleged cross-border tunnels into northern Israel.
Salvini's description of Hezbollah drew criticism Italy's defence ministry, where unnamed officials said such remarks were harmful for Italian soldiers attached to the UN peacekeeping mission and for Italy's command of the UNIFIL force and its reputation for neutrality between Israel and Lebanon.
A former commander of the Italian contingent in Lebanon, General Franco Angioni, also criticised Salvini, saying that as a politician, he should "weigh his words" and "show wisdom" in such a "delicate" region of the world.
