TEL AVIV, Sept 18: Palestinian President Yasser Arafat told Israelis on Thursday they should be ashamed of themselves for wanting him dead and appealed to them to help restore a shattered ceasefire.

Several Israeli ministers dismissed Mr Arafat’s appeal for truce, with one of them describing it as part of a “campaign of lies”.

However, in a sign of divisions in Israeli ranks, President Moshe Katsav said Mr Arafat could yet play an active role in relaunching the peace process.

“If Arafat works towards a ceasefire and dismantles the terrorist organizations infrastructures, he could win worldwide praise and international recognition; it could enable the resumption of the diplomatic process,” Mr Katsav told reporters.

Yasser Arafat has launched a media offensive to respond to Israel’s decision to “remove” him after suicide bombings killed 15 people last week. The threat has touched off an international outcry and boosted his grassroots support.

“Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?” Mr Arafat told Israelis in remarks to Yedioth, referring to a recent poll in the newspaper that found 37 per cent of Israelis favoured killing him and 23 per cent wanted him exiled.

The Palestinian leader pointed out it was he who signed interim peace accords with Israel in 1993.

Mr Arafat called on Israel to halt its military crackdown to help re-establish a ceasefire that militants broke off last month after Israel killed a Hamas leader in Gaza.—AFP