JERUSALEM, Sept. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Monday that Israel has not adopted a formal decision to kill Palestinian National Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, Israel Radio reported.

　　"It (killing Arafat) is not the official policy of the Israeli government. It was never before, and we don't speak about any killing. We didn't speak about it before, and we don't speak about it today," Shalom told reporters.

　　Sharom's comment was apparently to soften remarks made by Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that "killing (Arafat) isdefinitely one of the options" under consideration by the Israeli government.

　　"We are trying to eliminate all the heads of terror, and Arafat is one of the heads of terror," Olmert told Israel Radio on Sunday.

　　 "In my eyes, from a moral point of view, this is no different from killing others who were involved in... acts of terror. It's only a practical question," said the hawkish senior official.

　　Olmert said expelling Arafat or ensuring he was completely cut off in his Ramallah compound in the West Bank were also options forthe government.

　　"He would be like a prisoner in a dungeon," Olmert said, adding "He'd receive his food ration twice a day but would not be able to meet with anyone, convene news conferences, give interviews, or speak on a cellphone or telephone."

　　Saeb Erekat, Palestinian chief negotiator, said in response that "this is the thinking and action of the mafia -- not a government."

　　"Deportation would lead to killing Arafat, and if Arafat is killed then the Palestinian (National) Authority is also killed," Erekat told Israel Army Radio.

　　"My home town Jericho will be taken by Palestinian militias, in Nablus and Rafah and Khan Younis (as well). Probably the first thing they will do is to come to my house and shoot me, and kill meand kill all Palestinian moderates."

　　The world was shocked by Israel's threat to expel Arafat and haswarned Israel against doing so for fear that this would complicate the peace efforts and inflame the region.

　　US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday that Israel would incite rage not only among Arabs but also Muslims everywhere by exiling or executing Arafat. Enditem