Dismay at Arafat expulsion plan

Friday's papers examine the decision in principle by the Israeli Government to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from the West Bank.

Some Israeli papers are unimpressed, saying this is the wrong way to isolate Mr Arafat and that it could be counterproductive.

One UK-based Arabic paper suggests Arab countries may be worried by the prospect of the Palestinian leader turning up on their doorstep.

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There is no argument - Arafat must be neutralized. The question is how to do this: expel, liquidate, or leave him imprisoned under house arrest?... The cabinet decision is a false threat that has achieved opposite results... The spontaneous demonstrations that broke out in the territories and in Palestinian refugee camps in the Arab world have proved that the president is the undisputed Palestinian leader.

Roni Shaked in Yedi'ot Aharonot - Israel

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There are some who are raising ideas for a no-holds-barred assault, along the lines of 'we will crush them' - something that is liable to plunge the region into greater bloodshed and destruction. These ideas must be utterly rejected... Sharon turned out to be someone neither ripe for a permanent agreement with the Palestinians nor capable of eradicating terror... It is a failure of leadership from every standpoint.

Ha'aretz - Israel

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Showing too much generosity for too long, the public has granted credit to Ariel Sharon and the exclusive military option. But for how long? What else has to happen before the public says: you have failed. You have overdone it. Go home.

Doron Rosenblum in Ha'aretz - Israel

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The secret of Sharon's power has always been the wide support his political and security approach has won. But one fine day, with little or no warning, public opinion could conclude that in fact the prime minister has exhausted himself. His security policy has failed and he has lost his political way in the recesses of the road map. The demand for someone else to have a go in his place will accelerate.

Hemi Shalev in Ma'ariv - Israel

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It is already fitting to say it out loud: Sharon, not Arafat, is the problem. Israel, not the Palestinian Authority, is the refusenik, for it refuses to grant others what it demands for itself. It is the one ready to pay any price in blood, so it can keep fat swathes of the territory occupied in the Six Day War.

B Mikhail in Ma'ariv - Israel

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The biggest terrorist Ariel Sharon is cheating himself by deciding to expel Palestinian President Yasser Arafat... The reality which this terrorist denies is his inability to stop the intifada by the brave Palestinian people.

Al-Bayan - UAE

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The Palestinians think they will realise peace with the fall of Sharon and the Israelis think they will do so with the fall of Arafat.

Al-Ayyam - Palestinian

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What Sharon's government is doing today shows a dark future being drawn by the Zionist group in the region. It seems peace is Sharon's last option.

Ukaz - Saudi Arabia

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When we hear that Israel has decided in principle to expel Arafat... this means that Sharon has released trial balloons to measure Arab and international reactions, and then he will behave accordingly... Arab regimes are frightened of Arafat's expulsion for a very simple reason: they are afraid he will descend on them as a guest as this would put them in an embarrassing position with the USA and Israel.

Al-Quds Al-Arabi - London

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.