Sharon arrives in Italy

The Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon arrived on Thursday in Rome in a visit which will last for one day and met with the Italian President Carlo Chambi and also with the Italian foreign minister Renato Rojero.

Israeli political sources in Jerusalem said that Sharon's visits to certain European states aims at affecting the position of the European Union to be more balanced in the Middle East.

In interviews he made with the Italian media on the wake of his visit to Rome, Sharon called on the Italian government to make pressures on the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat to put an end to what he called violence and terrorism in the region, ignoring that the Israeli tanks are striking complete Palestinian quarters near Rafah.

Sharon also rejected any negotiations with the Palestinian side unless a complete cease- fire is observed, noting that the EU member states take a less objective position towards Israel, in comparison to the American position, as he claimed.

On the wake of Sharon's arrival in Rome the Italian daily Almenfesto issued a caricature indicating to the practices of demolishing the Palestinian houses by the Israeli government in an attempt to eliminate the Palestinian Intifada.