Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Israeli Channel One TV on Thursday that Palestinian National Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat shouldn't think that he is safe in his position.

Sharon made the comment in a recorded speech which will be broadcast during the Passover holiday, Israel TV reported Thursday night.

In September 2003, Israeli cabinet voted that Arafat "was a total impediment to peace" and decided that he would be "removed". Later, Sharon changed the rhetoric, saying that expelling the Palestinian leader is not a realistic option.

The Israeli prime minister had said on many occasions that "our calculations for years have been that expelling him (Arafat) would not be good for Israel.'"

Following the assassination of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin last week, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon said that the responses of Arafat and Hezbollah leader Sheikh Ahmed Nasrallah showed that "they understand that this is approaching them."

Also on Thursday night, Sharon met with American envoys Steven J. Hadley, Elliot Abrams and William Burns to discuss his plan to disengage the Israelis from the Palestinians.

No details about the meeting have been revealed.

The three US officials came to discuss the letter of guarantees that Sharon will receive in his meeting with US President George Bush scheduled for April 14 in Washington.

Israel is requesting that the United States publicly recognize the route of the separation fence, after Israel agreed to postpone building the problematic section next to Ariel and to erect a non- contiguous fence near Palestinian areas close to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.