Washington ? Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said Sunday that the Palestinian movement should replace Yasser Arafat to increase the chances of bringing about peace in the Middle East.

Daschle, D-S.D., said Arab allies of the United States, although publicly supportive of Arafat, worry about the direction the Palestinian leadership is taking. “They’d like to see more constructive leadership,” Daschle said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Our admonition to them is `Help us get it.'”

While Daschle said Arafat’s departure is necessary, he said it must happen from within the Palestinian movement. “I don’t think we can force it ourselves,” Daschle said. “But I do think that it’s necessary in order to reach some peaceful arrangement.”

The Senate majority leader said that the United States should express its disappointment and concern to the Palestinians for the “lack of leadership shown by Arafat on so many occasions.”

President Bush has said that Arafat was an unreliable peace partner. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has gone further, saying he will no longer deal with the Palestinian leader.