By Megan Goldin

ROME, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Israel on Wednesday brushed off criticism by Pope John Paul in which he called for the Jewish state to build bridges with the Palestinians rather than a controversial barrier it is constructing in the West Bank.

A senior official close to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who was wrapping up a three-day visit to Italy, said Sharon "appreciates" and "respects" the Pope.

"But we can't build bridges over dead bodies," the official said.

Israel says the barrier of concrete and razor wire it is constructing to separate Israel from the Palestinians in the West Bank is intended to keep suicide bombers out.

"The construction of a wall between the Israeli people and the Palestinian people is seen by many as a new obstacle on the road to peaceful cohabitation," the pope said on Sunday. "In fact, the Holy Land does not need walls but bridges," he said.

Sharon did not meet the pope during his stay in Rome even though his schedule would have allowed such a meeting.

Vatican sources said the pontiff would have met Sharon if a meeting had been requested.

But Israeli officials emphasised that Sharon's trip to Rome was intended to thank Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for his support of the Jewish state during Italy's term of the rotating presidency of the European Union.

ITALIAN-ISRAELI RELATIONS

Israel has been grateful for the role Italy has played in watering down EU resolutions against the Jewish state during its term and in ensuring the militant Hamas group, behind dozens of suicide bombings, was put on the EU's list of terror groups.

"Today Italy is Israel's greatest friend in Europe and we feel this friendship in all offices of government," Sharon told Jewish leaders during the visit.

The issue that Sharon pressed time and time again in his meetings with Italian officials, including Berlusconi, was a need to halt what he calls a "great wave of anti-Semitism" engulfing Europe.

Sharon asked Berlusconi to help stop the spread of anti-Semitism in Italy and in Europe.

"Sharon expressed Israeli concern about a possible resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe and received strong assurances from Berlusconi that the Italian people would work hard to counter this phenomena," Berlusconi's office said.

Berlusconi, a fellow conservative who has a warm personal relationship with Sharon, also offered to host a Middle East peace conference between Israel and the Palestinians once a U.S.-brokered "road map" to peace was revived.

One leading Sharon supporter in Italy is Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini, leader of a party that traces its roots to Fascism.

Fini, who is due to visit Israel next week, put Italy at odds with EU policy by calling the construction of the West Bank barrier an act of self-defence.

Part of the barrier is going up on occupied land and isolating tens of thousands of Palestinians. Washington has criticised the project for appearing to seize land and prejudge borders in a final peace accord.