Solana confers with Israeli defense minister

The Israeli defense minister Benjamin Bin Aliazer on Wednesday during his meeting in Tel Aviv with the higher official responsible for the foreign policy in the European Union Javier Solana urged the European Union to make pressures on the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat.

The Israeli radio quoted Bin Aliazer as claiming that fighting the Palestinian Intifada is the best thing that can be made to ensure the stability in the region, noting that this will contribute to alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Meantime, the chairman of the Palestinian Authority yasser Arafat expressed his confidence that the Israeli prime minister, whom he described as " the historical enemy" will be defeated.

In a statement to the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am issued on Wednesday, Arafat defended measures imposed by the Palestinian authority on the Palestinian national resistance movement especially Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.