Israeli police have arrested a man suspected of calling for the killing of the opposition Labour party leader, Ehud Barak.

Police say the man, who was an airport security guard, was overheard saying that all Ashkenazi -- or European -- Jews need to be murdered, including Ehud Barak.

The opposition leader has been travelling across Israel in pre-election campaigning and his plane had been due to land when the incident happened.

The man has since said he had not intended to threaten Mr Barak.

Correspondents say Israelis have been particularly sensitive to such remarks since the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, by a right-wing Israeli.