Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said on Wednesday that the US veto of a UN resolution demanding that Israel not harm or expel him, encouraged Israeli policies against Palestinians.
"This no doubt encourages Israel," Arafat told the Arabic Al Jazeera satellite television when asked about the US veto.
"If there was no green light and international silence, would there be this daily destruction of our people, villages, refugee camps, cities and Christian and Muslim sanctities?".
Arafat had earlier said at his half-demolished West Bank compound that he was not "shaken" by the US veto. "We are more important than any resolution," Arafat said.
But other Palestinian officials feared that Israel could see the US move as a licence to kill Arafat.
Israel's threat to "remove" Arafat, calling him an obstacle to peace, has thrust the former guerrilla leader back into the world spotlight and boosted his popularity among his people.
Ariel Sharon's right-wing government, whichcalled the resolution unbalanced, sparked an international outcry last week by announcing a decision to "remove" Arafatfollowing two suicide bombings that killed 15 Israelis.
Israel has not said how or when it will act against the74-year-old Arafat, largely confined to his Ramallahheadquarters for nearly two years by Israeli troops.
In vetoing the resolution, which demanded Israel "desistfrom any act of deportation and cease any threat" to Arafat'ssafety, the US said the text failed to name Palestinian groupswho have claimed responsibility for suicide attacks.
"Our policy on Arafat has not changed. We think he is partof the problem, not the solution but we do not support hisexpulsion or his elimination," a US embassy official said.
Meanwhile, averting a clash with the US over a West Bank barrier, Israel cancelled a cabinet meeting due to approveconstruction of a new section of fence deep in occupied land.
Officials said the meeting was cancelled for "technicalreasons". The cancellation took place as the United States saidit was examining the possibility of deducting expenditure on thebarrier from a $9 billion US loan guarantee package.
Israel says the barrier is to keep suicide bombers out of its cities, but Palestinians say it expropriates West Bank land, causing hardship to the local population.