remove Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from his compound Ramallah.
Using stun grenades and tear gas, Israeli riot police stormed the area to disperse large groups of Arab youths throwing stones onto Jewish worshippers praying below, at the Western Wall, reporters said.
No injuries were reported, and the crowds quickly dispersed, the Voice of America (VOA) reported.
These clashes came as news emerged that a decade after the signing of the fated Oslo accords, Israel decided to "remove" PLO leader Yasser Arafat "once and for all", claiming his relenting pursuit of terror is destroying any prospect of future peace.
It was interpreted by most media as a forcible expulsion, but the informed International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) pointed out that the Security Cabinet authorized future action to exile, jail "or possibly kill" the Palestinian leader.
OPINION POLL
VOA meanwhile quoted an Israeli opinion poll published Friday as saying that 37 percent of those questioned wanted. Arafat to be killed, while 23 percent said Israel should force him into exile. However United States Ambassador Dan Kurtzer reportedly met with Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz in Tel Aviv Friday morning to raise the Bush administration’s concerns about expelling Arafat.
Washington had earlier described the decision as "unhelpful" although Israeli officials said that despite the disagreement, the Israeli-American relationship had remained strong as ever.
There has also been criticism of the Israeli decision, including from the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, Russia and Arab nations. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told reporters the move would encourage more acts of terrorism.
NO RECONCILIATION
However "recent days’ events have proven again that Yasser Arafat is a complete obstacle to any process of reconciliation," the Cabinet reportedly said in an earlier statement defending its decision to remove Arafat.
"Israel will act to remove this obstacle in the manner, at the time, and in the ways that will be decided on separately," the ICEJ News Service quoted the Cabinet as saying.
The decision followed two suicide attacks in Jerusalem and near Tel Aviv earlier in the week which killed at least 16 people and wounded many others.
In addition the death toll of another attack at a Jerusalem passenger bus on August 19, rose to 23 after Tova Lev died of her injuries early Friday, Army Radio said.
Meanwhile crowds gathered at Arafat’s Ramallah compound vowing to defend him. The Palestinian leader came out to address his supporters, saying he would not be forced out, said reports from the scene.
