President Yasser Arafat "is one option being considered…" by Israel, a move that was expected to raise tensions with Washington and other world quarters.
The announcement comes days after the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) raised doubts on whether the earlier announced "removal" meant only"expulsion" of Arafat as mentioned by most media, BosNewsLife reported earlier.
Speaking to reporters Olmert said that Israel is trying to eliminate what he described as "one of the heads of terror". The United States has already condemned any "expulsion" of Arafat, saying the move would be "unhelpful."
But the Jerusalem based Christian news agency Jerusalen Newswire (JNW) quoted Israeli Education Minister Limor Livnat as saying that "Israel is an independent and sovereign state and though it has a close and friendly important relationship with America, it doesn’t take orders."
ISOLATING ARAFAT
Olmert stressed the Israeli security cabinet is still considering expelling Arafat or ensuring "he is further isolated in his partially-destroyed headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah," however he made clear that other options, including killing Arafat, are a possibility.
In an earlier statement, the government expressed its determination to "remove this obstacle in a manner, and at a time, of its choosing." However Palestinian leaders condemned the move, saying it will lead to unprecedented violence.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat described Olmert’s remarks as the "thinking and action of the mafia – not a government," the Voice of America (VOA) said. He added that if Arafat is expelled or killed, it will mean "the destruction of the entire Palestinian Authority."
"TOTAL ANARCHY"
Without Arafat in control, he said, local Palestinian militia groups would rule the streets and "total anarchy" would reign in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Erekat also warned that these armed groups would want to kill moderate Palestinian leaders, probably including himself. In a first sign of increased militant activity, Arafat’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade threatened earlier that if their boss would be harmed, Israel would be "flooded" with bombers in an "all out war," JNW reported.
"We will prove that we know how to defend our leader and symbol of our resistance," vowed the group. Other militant organizations, including Hamas, have already declared war with Israel.
