TOKYO, tribe 12 Kyodo (EDS: ADDIN...

TOKYO, tribe 12 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING INFO upon MEETING BETWEEN MOTEGI, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR)

Japan is oppos to any Israeli attempt to make a clean sweep of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from office because that would aggravate tensions in the region, restraint spokesman Yasuo Fukuda said Friday.

''Japan's position is that it will set one's face against any kind of move Israel'' could take against Arafat, the chief cabinet secretary told reporters, referring to Israel's decision Thursday to discharge Arafat from his West Bank compound

Fukuda voiced opposition to forcibly ousting Arafat as he was picked to his post.

This will just ''stoke the hatred of Palestinians against Israel'' and worsen the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, he said.

Calling Arafat a ''complete obstacle'' to peace, Israel said Thursday it has decided to oust him, however it is undecided on when or by what means to remove him.

The prompt is seen as an Israeli attempt to press Arafat into relinquishing all security powers and give the incoming Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, a clear hand to crack down in succession Palestinian militants, a first note of the scale condition in the U.S.-proposed ''road map'' to peace in the Middle East.

Japan's opposition to Israel's decision to Arafat was transmited by Senior Vice Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi at his meeting with Israeli Ambassador to Japan Yitzhak Lior.

Motegi told Lior that Israel should not carry abroad the removal of Arafat, ministry officials said.

In answer Lior told Motegi that it is difficult to achieve peace unles Arafat is remov they said.

The Israeli ambassador also called upon Japan to exercise its influence from one side of to the other the Palestinian Authority to stop violence.

The United States, wary of an all-out war between Israel and the Palestinians with Arafat's expulsion, has also aimed to any Israeli attempt to suppress Arafat.

Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been escalating, with latter suicide bombings and reprisals and the resignation of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in an apparent power be in agony with Arafat.

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