Sharon will keep Arafat out if he leaves, claims report

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will not let Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat return if he leaves the West Bank, it was reported today.

The Yediot Ahronot newspaper said Israel’s defence minister had disagreed with Sharon, saying that expelling Arafat would only strengthen his international standing.

Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said the Palestinian leader’s relations with the West were at a low point, and expelling him would be counterproductive.

Sharon told his Cabinet that the Palestinian Authority had not formally asked for Arafat to be allowed to leave, Yediot reported.