Author:
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: February 14, 2002
Israel's environment minister Tzachi
Hanegbi, who has been visiting India, is among the young rising stars in
the Israeli Cabinet. But what singles out the 44-year-old former Justice
Minister are his hardline views on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. He's
not just from the same Likud party as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but
he's also Sharon's ''friend'' and is said to have his ear. Hanegbi disagrees
with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres's more moderate views and has even called
for his ouster from the post recently. Here he tells SONIA TRIKHA why he
thinks Yasser Arafat is ''irrelevant'' in Israel.
There is a great deal of concern
in the Arab world over India's growing relations with Israel. How would
you address that?
My main purpose was to enhance the
relations between India and Israel in environment and any other area I
can helping, as well as to commemorate the 10th anniversary of our diplomatic
relations.
In a mature world, the equation
that if you are a friend of my enemy, you are my enemy, doesn't hold true
any more. Countries even have diplomatic ties during war. So it is not
a legitimate question from the Arabs. India has ties with Pakistan, so
why not Israel?
We share with India the same sensitivity
on the problems of fighting terrorism. You have the same problem in Kashmir
as we do. Now, India and Israel are in the same boat. You too want a partner
who is sincere. Otherwise, you have no option but to fight your fight.
Pakistan is in the family of nations that must now divorce itself from
the power of terrorism. India and Israel are going to be very intimate
in the future. We share the same values of democracy. I don't know any
other country with whom we share a closer destiny.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has
said Yasser Arafat is "irrelevant", is that a realistic position to take
against your prime interlocutor?
We are all united behind the fact
that Yasser Arafat has made himself irrelevant. It is not a rhetorical
development. It is a change in reality in the last one-and-a-half years.
In 2000, the then prime minister Ehud Barak made a generous offer even
though he did not have the authority of the Israeli Parliament or its people.
All his initiatives were rejected by the Palestinian authority and Arafat,
and days later, they launched a war against us. Since then, the Palestinian
authority has lost its power to be a partner in talks.
Is that why Sharon spoke to three
other leaders in the Palestinian Authority recently?
His meeting was a result of the
fact we are trying to make an artificial distinction, hoping that this
is not a problem of the Palestinian Authority but of Arafat. We are not
convinced that there is a distinction, but we are hopeful. Right now, there
is no one to challenge the deterioration that Arafat is leading both nations
to.
But is possible for Arafat to gain
relevance again?
If he gives in, yes, he can make
himself relevant again. But for that, he must fulfil some conditions: collect
weapons, close down the infrastructure of Islamic terrorist outfits, arrest
the murderers of 260 Israelis, end the incitement and extradite tourism
minister Rehavam Zaevi's killers. This is why Arafat is trapped in Ramallah.
He should be busy arresting the killers and travelling around the world.
But he is irrelevant because he is not going to do it. He does not want
to pay the price of Egypt's Anwar Sadat who was assassinated for making
peace or King Hussein of Jordan who was criticised for it.
There is a view that Arafat's going
into exile could help the peace process.
Arafat's exile could lead to the
solution, but that is not the solution. Our focus is to get back to the
negotiating table. Nobody knows what the outcome will be of his disappearance.
Ariel Sharon met US President George
W. Bush, what kind of support was he looking for?
This was a very important meeting.
Our purpose was to convince Bush that the time has come for harsher pressure
on Arafat. The US must threaten them that things could go back to the pre-Oslo
stage when Washington did not recognise them. Tell the Palestinian Authority
that they will be treated like the al Qaeda if they don't stop the terror.
This kind of pressure will make them realise that and bring them back to
the course of negotiation.
How far can Israel go in its quest
for security? There has been talk of recapturing the West Bank and Gaza.
We don't know how long the stalemate
will last. Israel is not a casino that we can afford a daily gamble on
our lives. If need be, we can take control of one city, two cities or every
city. After all, why did we leave? Because we signed an agreement in Oslo.
Now that agreement has to be honoured by the other side.
