Jerusalem ? Israel will not allow Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to return to the West Bank if he leaves the area, a senior Israeli official said Monday.

Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said the Palestinians have approached Israeli authorities about the possibility of Arafat attending international conferences.

“He’s free to leave, but he’s not free to come back,” Gissin said the Palestinians were told.

“We have considered Arafat irrelevant for some time, and many in the world are realizing that, too,” Gissin said. “If he were not here, perhaps the Palestinians could choose a new way and a new leadership.”

Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat called Sharon’s stand “despicable” and accused him of sabotaging peace efforts.

Israel charges that Arafat is responsible for nearly two years of Mideast violence by encouraging militants to attack Israel and failing to crack down on extremist groups. Palestinians counter that Israel has neutralized Arafat’s security forces in the West Bank, and charge that the Israeli occupation and army operations in Palestinian areas are behind the violence.