After Abbas, Arafat picks Speaker for PM

‘‘Arafat told the Fatah leadership that he nominates Abu Ala to form a new government,’’ a Palestinian official said after Arafat met Fatah members in Ramallah.

Palestinian officials said Korei was present at the Fatah meeting and made no response to Arafat’s announcement. The nomination must be approved by the Fatah leadership and Palestine Liberation Organisation. Both bodies, dominated by Arafat loyalists, met on Sunday.

Israel quickly ruled out any talks with the Palestine leadership if it were controlled by Arafat. But top officials went a step further on Sunday, saying Israel should deport the former guerrilla leader from Palestinian territories. ‘‘I think Arafat’s expulsion is an inevitable result after years of involvement in terrorism,’’ Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said, expressing support for such a move. He said any decision would await ‘‘a strategic discussion’’ in the Cabinet, but gave no date.

Other ministers have called in the past for Arafat to be ousted, but Sharon has overruled them, fearing an international backlash.

Meanwhile, US-backed Palestinian Security Minister Mohammed Dahlan said he would not serve in a new Cabinet unless it was led by Abbas. Dahlan said Abbas had reached a ‘‘point of no return’’ in relations with President Arafat but that his woes were aggravated by continued violence of militants and Israel’s continued punishing military grip on West Bank cities.

Dahlan said: ‘‘If they expel or hurt him, it will harm the Palestinians but it will harm Israel more and it will harm the peace process’’. Palestinian analysts say exiling Arafat abroad could dramatically increase militant violence. Aides to Dahlan said the tussle with Arafat, an ex-guerrilla chief and longtime icon of Palestinian nationalism, had embittered him because he and Abbas were painted by Arafat loyalists as US collaborators and stooges of Israel. (Reuters)