Arafat or threatening his safety was vetoed by the United States. Israeli officials denied in 2012 any connection with the recent finds. Israeli journalist Yossi Melman, who specializes in espionage stories, reported that, based on his research with Dan Raviv, Israel did not kill Arafat. Melman stated that the IDF had wanted to take harsh action against Arafat, ranging from killing him to expelling him, but Prime Minister Sharon rejected these ideas, stating that the advantages wouldn't outweigh being accused of killing Arafat, and Arafat already seemed to be an irrelevant leader who wasn't trusted by the international community. References External links Al Jazeera Investigates - What Killed Arafat?. Al Jazeera International reactions to Arafat's death. BBC News. 11 years after Arafat's death: Scientific doubts, political certainties. Julien Salingue, MEE, 12 November 2015 Death conspiracy theories Deaths by person in France Yasser Arafat