ISRAELI OFFICIAL: Killing Arafat is Option

Sunday, September 14, 2003

(6:35 PM ET) (22:35 GMT)

CNN's Jerrold Kessel, Ninette Sosa, Dana Rosenblatt & Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report

"What we really need to see is for the new prime minister ... to make sure he gets the political authority he needs from the Palestinian Council and Mr. Arafat. Only then can he go after the terrorist organizations ... that are killing the dreams of the Palestinian people."

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- CNN
Israel's vice prime minister said Sunday that killing Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat is an option.

"From a fundamental, moral point of view, I want to put this question to every man of conscience," Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told CNN. "How many more civilians must be killed ... before someone will come and say, 'Hey, let's stop the man who has been responsible for all of this?'"

The Israeli Security Cabinet decided in principle last week to remove Arafat, calling him an obstacle to peace, but provided no specifics about how that would be accomplished.

Reacting to Olmert's comments, Palestinian minister Saeb Erakat told CNN Radio that the Israeli government was behaving "like gangsters."

"Nation-states should not act in the way of blackmail, extortion, assassinations ... nation-states must adhere to the rule of law," he said. "I believe [what] the Israeli government is doing now is not the action of nations anymore, it's like gangsters."

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cautioned against killing or exiling Arafat.
(More: company)

2003 © Cable News Network LP, LLLP.

Dan