WEYMOUTH: The U.S. government fears that Arafat will undermine you as he did Abu Mazen.
Qurei: The real problem is Israel, not Arafat. Abu Mazen is a good man who tried his best. I was at his first meeting with Sharon. We came back with nothing. Then we went to Washington. We met with President Bush, who gave all his support to Abu Mazen. I said to President Bush, “Abu Mazen will go home with support from your administration but he needs the support of the Palestinian people. He won’t have it unless the situation on the ground changes. Please help with Sharon to change the situation.” But nothing happened.
Arafat certainly helped undermine Abu Mazen, don’t you agree?
Look, Arafat is a human being. He is the elected president and he is under siege. He was not happy with Abu Mazen, and he will not be happy with me if his situation remains as it is. Therefore, one of the prerequisites of my success is that Israel should change the way it deals with Arafat: he should be free to go to Gaza or abroad.
Perhaps Israel would do more if the terrorism stopped.
He is trying.
Shouldn’t he try harder?
Arafat is in prison. And the Israelis destroyed the Palestinian security services.
Will you ask Israel to stop targeted killings if you deliver a ceasefire by Palestinian extremist groups?
All the killings of Palestinians should be stopped. The Israelis say they want actions, not words. I feel the same way.
You want them to stop targeted killings, ease the checkpoints–what else?
Demolishing houses. Also, [they should] release prisoners.
Arafat created a national security council that he may use to undermine your powers.
No, it will support our government. I know how to deal with Arafat. He gave me his support. If Israel and the U.S. support us, I think things will move.
What happens if a bomb explodes in Jerusalem tomorrow and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades take credit?
We will run after them. There is a conviction among the Palestinians that they will give this government a chance.
Do you think you could persuade Sharon to stop the wall [Israel is building in the West Bank]?
Sharon wants me to stop violence and resistance. Why does he have the right to confiscate our territory?
Are you trying to unite the security services under your command as the Roadmap specifies?
The Roadmap is not the Bible. I will report to Arafat.
Isn’t Arafat unwilling to accept the existence of a Jewish state?
He likes the Jewish state more than I. Who is responsible for all the agreements with Israel? He was the decision maker.
What is your assessment of Prime Minister Sharon?
As a person, he is warm in a meeting, but he is not easy.
I thought maybe you and Sharon would declare a ceasefire to calm things down.
The ceasefire would be the first step. The end should be a permanent status agreement. If the U.S. wants to help, it should call for an international conference.
