BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The second-ranking official in the Israeli government said Sunday that killing Yasser Arafat is an option, as thousands of Palestinians took to the streets across the West Bank and Gaza Strip promising to protect their leader.

　　Israel blames Arafat for blocking peace efforts and preventing a crackdown against militants who have carried out two suicide bombings in the last week.

　　Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that killing Arafat is a possibility --along with expelling him or keeping him in a siege that would "isolate him from the world." Olmert's comments have not been part of any official government statement.

　　Olmert's comments appeared aimed at sending signals to other Palestinian leaders to abandon Arafat. Olmert, considered a likely future candidate for premier, is the closest official to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to say outright that Arafat might be killed.

　　"Arafat can no longer be a factor in what happens here," Olmert told Israel Radio. "Expulsion is certainly one of the options, killing is also one of the options."

　　US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Israel would incite rage among Arabs and Muslims everywhere by exiling or killing Arafat.

　　On Sunday, thousands of supporters arrived for a fourth straight day at Arafat's compound, chanting that their 74-year-old leader "is a mountain that the wind can't shake."

　　Arafat emerged and waved, smiling.

　　Some 5,000 Palestinians in the Rashidiyeh refugee camp in southern Lebanon also demonstrated to support Arafat. Speaking by telephone over a loudspeaker, Arafat told them: "I will die in Palestine and I will not leave."

　　In an unusual gesture, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa offered support to Arafat by telephone Sunday, officials said. It was disputed who had placed the call.

　　The Palestinians have asked the U.N. Security Council to intervene to protect Arafat, who on Saturday urged Israel to return to the negotiating table to end three years of violence that has killed more than 800 Israelis and some 2,500 Palestinians. He also sent some mixed messages, recently telling supporters, "To Jerusalem we are going as martyrs in the millions."

　　Killing Arafat would "open the gates of hell," said Mohammed Barakeh, one of three Israeli Arab legislators who met Arafat on Sunday and said they would lobby for Israel to reconsider its decision to remove him.

　　Another legislator, Abdulmalik Dahamshe, said only Arafat is capable of making peace and that "neutralizing Arafat means removing any hope for peace."

(People's Daily)