NEWSWEEK: Are you concerned that if a peace agreement is reached in the coming weeks it will lessen your chances of defeating Prime Minister Barak? Ariel Sharon: Not with the kind of agreement that he’s negotiating. The more the details will be known, the more negative the effect will be [on Barak’s campaign].
Have you seen the document of the agreement? It’s a terrible thing. It’s unbelievable.
What for you is the “unbelievable” part? Jerusalem. Not only the historical issue. I am talking about the Old City of Jerusalem, that is the heart of the Jewish people. Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible I think 676 times.
And you think such an agreement is also dangerous for Jordan? That might be the greatest danger to the Hashemite Kingdom, which is a stabilizing factor in the region. I say that they are terrified. And they don’t understand. But they know that if Arafat will be sitting on the Jordan River, he will destabilize the situation in their country.
If Barak manages to clinch a deal with the Palestinians and you win the election, you’ll face a lot of pressure to implement the agreement–from the United States, from others. Look, no doubt, I’ll have to deal with that, and as I said it’s very complicated. But if I go on what Barak says, that [the election] is a referendum [on the peace deal], if he loses I don’t have to [honor it].
Will you feel bound by any of it after the election? If he loses the election? And he regards it as [a referendum]? The answer is no.
In practical terms then what will you do? Will you tell the Palestinians you want to renegotiate, to reopen the agreement? Or will you tear it up and start all over again? It’s very complicated to reach a permanent agreement on the issues of Jerusalem, security zones, the refugees. Therefore I suggested then that the concept would be nonbelligerency, something long-term with no timetable but with a list of expectations. As a Jew, I can say very clearly that I understand it’s not easy to be a Palestinian. Not easy. And we have to take steps in order to make their life easier
A lot has been made of the fact that you’re unwilling to shake Arafat’s hand. Have you changed your thinking? No. Look, symbols are important. When the conflict ends, and there will be real peace, I will shake his hand.
And you can bring real peace? I have the experience. I participated in all the wars of the state of Israel, and I commanded maybe the best units and the formations and always in the hardest parts of the wars. I saw all the horrors and fears of wars, and I saw my friends being killed. Myself, I was seriously injured twice in battle, and therefore I believe that I understand the importance of peace better than any of the politicians who have been speaking about peace but never had that experience.
