After drawing widespread criticism for Vice-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's comment that killing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was an option under consideration, Israel on Monday launched damage control measures.

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on Monday said that such a move was 'not the official policy of the Israeli government', the New York Times has reported.

"We don't speak about killing," Shalom said. "We didn't speak about it before, and we don't speak about it today."

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After two suicide bomb attacks on September 9 left 15 dead, the Israeli security cabinet had on September 11 decided to forcibly expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

A government statement issued after the meeting of the security cabinet had said: "The events of these last few days have proved again that Yasser Arafat is an obstacle to all attempts at reconciliation between the Israelis and the Palestinians."

"Israel will act to remove this obstacle in a manner and at a time which will be decided afterwards," it said.

Olmert's comments came on Sunday September 14.

Israel has forcibly restricted Arafat to his office in the West Bank since December 2001.

At the United Nations, Israel came in for strong condemnation for its decision to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from Palestinian territories.

"To remove Arafat would be a major political mistake and adversely affect the peace process," representatives of about 40 member states said.

However, the vote on a resolution condemning Israel for plans to oust Arafat, drafted by Palestinian UN envoy Nasser Al Kidwa and supported by Arabs, was postponed after the United States, Israel's closest ally, threatened a veto, describing it as one-sided for its failure to condemn suicide attacks against Israel.

The resolution asks Israel not to expel or deport Arafat and ensure no harm comes to him. Diplomats said Syria, the only Arab member of the 15-member Council, made some changes in the text but that failed to satisfy the United States.

It was unclear whether Arabs would agree to amend the text further to win American support. Diplomats said the United States had not explicitly ruled out the possibility of abstaining if the resolution in the present form is put to vote.

Kidwa warned the Council that any action against Arafat would mean an end of the Palestinian authority and the peace process. He walked out of the Council as Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman began speaking.

Gillerman strongly attacked Arafat describing him as an obstacle to peace and a 'professional terrorist' and said his removal would lead to a swift end of the conflict in the region.

Outside the Security Council, Gillerman said if Israel had wanted to kill Arafat, 'it could have done 3000 times'.