American reports say that you do not dominate all the Palestinian groupings. What is your reply?
Should I respond to them with fire and sword? We set up a national commission grouping all forces. We held many meetings with them and we’re satisfied with the relations linking us to these forces.

PROUD OF POLITICAL PLURALITY
What is the nature of the “coexistence” between Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fateh, the last-named being not only the largest and best-armed formation but also the party of Yasser Arafat?
Fateh is the party of the Palestinian people and carries on the struggle in the name of that people. I confirm these fraternal relations which unite us, whether we are far or near, in agreement or disagreement. It’s a matter of pride for us. The Palestine Liberation Organization brings together all ideas, opinions and orientations. We have faith in political plurality, without however having a plurality of powers.

Marwan Barghouti has emerged as the moving spirit of the Intifada, his voice being notable for its intransigence, while other voices, such as that of Colonel Jibril Rajoub, responsible for preventive security in the West Bank, gives priority to the cease-fire and advocates a policy of non-escalation towards the Israelis. Can we speak of a sharing of roles or are there rival currents within the Palestinian Authority?
How do you want a father to describe his sons? I will say that we are proud of our unity while at the same time appreciating these stands, whether we agree with them or not. Such is the nature of our people and of our relations.
I would like to remind you of something: when I left Tripoli, Lebanon, in 1983 to go to Egypt, many people criticized me within the Fateh movement and in the Arab nation. What then happened, not after years but months? Everyone realized the importance of Egypt, of that visit and of our relations. Furthermore, they blessed my initiative and said it had been successful.

You showed great emotion after the assassination of the general secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Abu Ali Mustafa. But after the murder of the Israeli tourism minister, Rehavam Zeevi, there were arrests of PFLP members. How do you justify that?
Abu Ali Mustafa was my brother, a very dear friend and companion of the road, may God receive his soul. Those who carried out the attack transgressed the decision of the PFLP.
I told the British prime minister, Tony Blair, and I repeat it today: We didn’t know who carried out the attack, but later we were able to find out because of information from sources close to the United Nations, the Americans, Russians and Europeans. We arrested two of them but weren’t able to catch the other two.
We were surprised to find that the two brothers we caught were in the service of Israeli intelligence. I put a question to the PFLP to which they did not reply. One of those who carried out the operation hailed from El Bireh, near Ramallah; his family was expelled because of doubt concerning his moral and ethical stances.
That family settled at Beit Rima, and it wasn’t the first time Israeli intelligence took part in such acts. The first time, I denounced the Israeli game in Beit El to Rabin, King Hussein, and President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. Rabin was offended and avoided me for some time; then, he became convinced of what I had told him. It was the same after the Tel Aviv-Jaffa operation before the Oslo Accord. I reported everything to the UN, the Americans, the Russians and the Europeans, but nothing happened.

Following the dramatic events of September 11, there has been unrest among students of the Islamic University in Gaza. There were clashes with the police and demonstrators were killed. Why this reaction? Did the Palestinian Authority act to please the Bush Administration?
There were also martyrs among the police. As far as I am concerned, I do not tolerate such manifestations being held under Bin Laden’s portrait. Do you remember the pictures, shown on television around the world, of children offering sweets to passers-by after the events of September 11?
We arrested the person who stirred up this trouble, and it turned out that he was an Israeli agent who gave five dollars [20 shekels] to every child who took part in the demonstration. I won’t allow anyone to hold up a portrait of Bin Laden.

Don’t you think there may eventually be a schism within the ranks of the Palestinian Resistance?
Not at all.

The latest stage has seen an escalation on the part of the Lebanese group Hezballah in support of the Intifada, something which is contrary to the line taken by the Palestinian Authority. What is your comment?
Naturally Hezballah has its friends in Palestine through Iranian influence.

American and European reports speak of Iranian influence in the Palestinian “street”. Are these reports exact? And will the Palestinian Authority allow the interference of the Islamic Republic?
Attempts of this kind have been made, but this doesn’t affect us. We also have many friends in Iran. Don’t forget the stand of the Palestinian Revolution beside Khomeini and his revolutionary movement.

ISRAEL VIOLATING INTERNATIONAL LAW
You gave the order for a cease-fire after the withdrawal of the Israeli tanks from Jerusalem and Beit Rima. Does this mean the end of the Intifada or is this a mere truce imposed by American pressure?
Unfortunately, they did not apply the agreements proposed by the American, European, Russian and UN delegates.
The Israelis were supposed to evacuate all the zone they occupied after September 28, but they are continuing their “targetted” assassinations, ignoring all their commitments. Their aim is to escalate the situation against our people.
Sharon and Mofaz, his chief of staff, are now implementing a new plan, which they call “Uranim” (Hell). Attacks have recently been made on Nablus, Hebron, Tulkaram and Kalkiliya. This is a challenge to the international community. I wonder how international law tolerates such massacres, especially the murder of my brother Abu Ali Mustafa after the illness of my brother Dr. George Habash.

Sharon has set up a barricade between Israel and the coastal zone. Does this allow him to smother the Intifada and impose a political solution?
No one can exert pressure on us. They’ve interfered with the water supplies in the cities and villages. In addition, they’ve stolen money which the Authority is entitled to have, and these sums amount to some hundreds of millions of dollars.

Can a Palestinian state emerge after the events of September 11, or has the prospect of setting one up been eliminated by those events?
Do not forget that the establishment of the Palestinian state was decided by the Palestine National Council meeting in Algiers in 1988. I was elected as its president. No fewer than 128 countries now recognize the Palestinian state. We need no permission for this from Israel.

How do you evaluate President Bush’s initiative on the Palestinian state? Is it a maneuver or a serious proposal?
It is a serious and sincere initiative. It was announced during the European Union session and the meeting of the Group of Eight last summer. President Bush promised to announce this initiative at the United Nations.
Certain Arab states were informed of President Bush’s stance. Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Morocco were all informed about the American stance. We thank our Arab brothers for the efforts they have unceasingly exerted in favor of the establishment of the Palestinian state.

BUSH HAS STAYED IN CONTACT WITH US
Shortly before September 11, Washington indicated that it was not interested in the massacres being perpetrated in Palestine. What is your comment?
Since the day he took office, President Bush has always kept in contact with me by phone, and Secretary of State Colin Powell continually meets with Palestinian leaders. Visits between American and Palestinian leaders have not stopped.

Why have Israeli forces been deployed in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority? By doing this, has Sharon broken his bridges with President Bush in order to consolidate his position with his own constituency?
I would like to ask whether what is happening in these areas is tolerated by the US, the UN and even by Jewish and Israeli opinion, as was the case in regard to Chamberlain’s position in regard to Czechoslovakia.

Did you not lose a precious opportunity when Barak was prime minister?
My name is not Yasser Arafat but Yasser Arafatian. I don’t betray the Armenians and I don’t sell their churches, including that of Sitna Mariam, the largest in Jerusalem. Nor will I sell the Aqsa Mosque; this will not be tolerated on the Christian, Moslem or Arab levels. So what is this precious opportunity I lost? Is it because I betrayed nothing?

What are the secrets of Camp David? Is it true that you rejected the settlement offer because it did not include East Jerusalem? What happened in Camp David during the summer of 2000?
The negotiations were intensive and we adopted a stance in accordance with the decisions of the Palestine National Council, the Arab and Islamic summits, the UN and the conference of Madrid in application of resolutions 242, 338, 425 and 194.
Isn’t Jerusalem part of the territories occupied in 1967? Isn’t the Jordan valley part of those territories? Can I renounce the Palestinian territories? Have you forgotten that President Bush Sr. blocked 10 billion dollars in order to freeze the illegal building of Jewish settlements in occupied territory?
Progress has been achieved, but not on the fundamental issues.
After Camp David, we won Sharm al-Sheikh, then Taba, intensifying our meetings with the Israeli side.

Do you believe Ariel Sharon is capable of making a political initiative, or is his only purpose to make war and above all to force the Palestinians out of their own land?
We hope there will be a political project, but so far, he hasn’t shown any desire for one.

To what extent can Israel carry out a “transfer” of the Palestinian population, as conceived by Rehavam Zeevi?
Is such a project acceptable to the international community? Is it acceptable to the Arabs, the Europeans, and even to the Israelis themselves?

When will President Arafat visit President Bush? Why haven’t you been to the White House? Is Sharon closing the doors of Washington so as to prevent you from going there?
I don’t think that Sharon has the possibility of doing that. As for President Bush, he has his programs and problems, which we appreciate.
I repeat that the contacts have never been broken, directly or indirectly, between us. Moreover, our Arab brothers have intensified their meetings in Washington. What counts is the outcome of these meetings.

Is Ariel Sharon the hostage of senior military officers and personalities well-known for their extremism such as Shaul Mofaz, Moshe Yaaloun and Ben Eliezer?
These officers were present at the time of Rabin, Peres and Wye River, where we reached agreements with Sharon and Netanyahu during work meetings held under the chairmanship of President Clinton.

What is the truth about divergences between Benjamin Eliezer, the defense minister, and Mofaz, the chief of staff? Is Mofaz’s threat to resign serious or only a trial balloon?
It’s a question of maneuvering among them, nothing more. These are matters of internal politics which have nothing to do with peace.

According to French and British diplomats, the effective power in Israel is not held by Sharon but rather by the heads of security organizations, and more precisely by General Mofaz. Is this true? And what is the nature of the relations between the heads of the security bodies and the chief of staff?
Sharon stated through his son that if negotiations were to occur, they should take place under his chairmanship.

Sharon has twice visited the White House and intends to go there again by mid-November. How can this be justified, at a time when it is said that there is a certain tension in his relations with Bush? And is it true that the Jewish lobby in America mistrusts Sharon?
The Jewish lobby is not with Sharon but with any extremist element. This is very clear.

It is said that the Labor Party will quit Sharon’s coalition cabinet, as will the Russian Jews and the extreme right. Is Israel heading for early elections?
The Russian Christians are more important than the Russian Jews. The Christians comprise 70 percent of the total of Russian immigrants. Nineteen of those killed in the Dolphinarium were buried in Christian cemeteries. Can you believe that? Here President Arafat showed me a cutting from the newspaper Haaretz indicating this fact.] Russian Christians celebrated the millennium in Jerusalem according to the Christian ceremonial. I allowed them to take part in it.

What is your reading of the political comings and goings?
There will always be such comings and goings, but they don’t affect us.

You’ve had many meetings with Shimon Peres, the Israeli foreign minister. Can he take effective decisions, or is he just a diplomatic mask for Sharon?
He tries to do something, but Sharon always has his eye on him and reins him in at the appropriate time.

FRATERNAL RELATIONS WITH KING ABDALLAH II
How are your relations with King Abdallah II of Jordan? Have you really agreed with him to prohibit any Palestinian exodus from the West Bank? Is that why the border has been closed to families wanting to go to Jordan?
No Jordanian or Arab door has been closed in our faces. I thank God that my relations with King Abdallah II are fraternal and close. I am proud of them, and we make the fullest use of them.

Do the suicide operations serve your policy or do they destroy the moderate line you are following under American pressure and advice?
The Israeli press considers that these operations are being carried out so that Sharon can have more control.
Sharon has said that the Zeevi operation served the same purpose as the one perpetrated against the Israeli ambassador in London in 1982, which was used as the pretext for the second invasion of Lebanon. The killing of the ambassador then was the work of Abu Nidal and followed the assassination of one of our ambassadors and one of our heroes, Dr. Issam Sartawi. These operations give the Israelis cover so they can escalate the situation and carry out operations like “Uranim”.

From where do the movements of “Hamas” and the Islamic Jihad get their orders to carry out operations in Israel? Is it from within the territories or from outside, as some claim?
Perhaps you can ask them this question.

Is the Arab assistance promised to the Palestinians at the Amman summit arriving on time? One remembers that in the past complications have had a negative influence on the Palestinian “street”.
What was decided at the Amman summit has not been fully implemented. The 45 million dollars per month have been coming, but this sum doesn’t cover even 30 percent of the Palestinian Authority’s needs. I thank all donors, in particular our brothers in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom’s leadership, led by King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdallah and Defense Minister Prince Sultan, for their praiseworthy efforts and assistance. Equally, I thank all other Arab countries which have been true to their commitments, in particular our brothers in Kuwait, for their determination to fulfill their commitments.

KUWAIT HAS ALWAYS REMAINED ON OUR SIDE
We have noticed a certain opening up in Kuwaiti-Palestinian relations. It seems that you have visited Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah in hospital in London. Is this true?
Yes, and this was the least I could do. Kuwait, its emir, government and people have always remained on our side in all circumstances. They never abandoned us even in the time of misunderstanding. I hope the emir recovers soon and returns home in good health. May God protect him for us as the ruler and guardian of Kuwait’s independence and sovereignty.
Sums have been collected from various parts of the Arab world but we haven’t received them yet. The billion dollars the summit agreed to give us has not reached us.

You have expressed your gratitude several times for the pivotal role played by Saudi Arabia, and particularly by King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdallah and Prince Sultan. Has this role been an effective support for the Intifada and ensured its continuity?
The role of Saudi Arabia has been the source and sustenance of the Palestinian people’s resistance, not only that of the Intifada. It’s a historic role of which we are proud.

After more than a year of struggle against the Israelis what results has the Intifada obtained? Has it shaken the Jewish settlers and forced them back behind the “Green Line”? Or have there been losses?
The Intifada is not something new for the Palestinian people I would like to remind you that the “Intifada of stones” lasted for seven years. A second uprising broke out when Netanyahu wanted to open the tunnel leading to the Aqsa Mosque. The present Intifada started when Sharon challenged the Palestinian people and tried to do harm to the holy places. The attempt to compel the Palestinians to bend the knee will fail. Let’s not forget that Palestine has a strong people.

I WILL VISIT DAMASCUS SOON
You have spoken several times about an imminent visit to Damascus. Your principal aide has recently taken the final measures for a visit you were supposed to pay but which was cancelled at the last moment. Why was that?
Because of considerations I do not want to speak about. God willing, a visit will take place soon.
Marwan Barghouti, the Fateh leader in the West Bank, has expressed doubts on several occasions about the diplomatic role played by Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak. Is there a lack of confidence among Fateh members about Cairo’s role and initiatives?
We judged it hard. President Mubarak has made several praiseworthy initiatives that cannot be ignored in regard to the Palestinian people be it on the Palestinian, Arab and international levels.

Was the implicit objective of the Amman summit, the Mitchell plan and the Tenet report to snuff out the Intifada and prevent it from reaching its political objectives?
They were aimed at stopping the killings and implementing what was agreed at Sharm al Sheikh, Taba and during contacts on the Arab and international levels.

Why hasn’t the Mitchell report been applied?
The Israelis agreed to it, but on the ground they’re working to sabotage it. We respect our commitments to the Mitchell plan as well as to the agreements of Madrid, Oslo and Taba. Isn’t the Israelis’ return to the regions they agreed to evacuate a dangerous escalation of the situation, one denounced by the international community starting with America?

On what basis has security coordination been resumed between the Palestinian Authority and Israel? Given the hundreds of dead and the thousands of wounded, doesn’t coordination mean that the sacrifices made by the Palestinian people for a year will have been in vain?
They’re only meetings, not coordination. Unfortunately we haven’t reached any result despite the American presence in these meetings, which were held in order to find a way of applying the agreements.

PRAISEWORTHY EUROPEAN INITIATIVES
What do you think of the European role? Is it an echo of the American role? Does Europe have the freedom to take initiatives and a bigger margin of action in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
In fact, the Europeans are making praiseworthy initiatives on all levels. They acknowledge their effective political cooperation with us to the end of establishing a Palestinian state.

There have been European reports claiming that certain Palestinian groups may be allies of Ossama bin Laden. Is this true? And does this have a negative influence on your relations with Washington?
It’s not true. So far, no Palestinian has been implicated in the attacks on September 11.

Does Abu Ammar think that the Hezb al-Tahrir, the Liberation Party, founded by Sheikh Nabhani, is the ally of Bin Laden in Palestine and Arab countries?
I know nothing of this matter.

What do you think of the attacks on September 11?
Our position is clear and frank. We are against any terrorist operation. We consider the military occupation of our land a terrorist act. International human rights organizations have denounced the harm done to the Palestinian people.

Is Bin Laden using the Palestinian card in his statements addressed to President Bush saying that America will have no security if the Palestinians are not reassured and if peace is not set in place in the Middle East?
The Palestinian cause is undoubtedly a central question. It is a Palestinian, Arab, Christian and Islamic cause and that of the non-aligned countries from Japan to Chile.

I AM A RESERVE OFFICER IN THE EGYPTIAN ARMY
What is your relationship with President Hosni Mubarak, and why do you go to Cairo so often? Hasn’t President Mubarak been sponsoring the process of reaching a settlement between you and Israel ever since the Oslo accord?
I’m proud of our relationship. Have you forgotten that I’m a reserve officer in the Egyptian army? That I was one of those who led the popular resistance to British occupation of the Suez Canal Zone? Without doubt, the Palestinian cause is central for the Egyptian people and government and for President Hosni Mubarak, whom I name “the blessed President Hosni Mubarak”.

How do you see Sharon’s statement that the Oslo accords are things of the past? Does that mean the end of the autonomous Palestinian Authority?
It would put an end to the peace process.

You frequently visit the Vatican. Why?
I’m proud of my relationship with His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and I appreciate his honorable stands in regard to Palestine, the holy places and the Palestinian people. Don’t forget his role in the Islamo-Christian dialogue. Our relationship is a historic one and I take pride in it in the name of the Palestinian people.

Has the Intifada foiled the plans to implant Palestinians? Does this project still exist?
Is there one Palestinian who would approve implantation? We insist on implementation of resolutions 242, 338, 425 and 194, the last of which demands that the refugees be allowed to return to their homes.

The Intifada has contributed over the past year to a return in force of the PLO, on the political, military and financial levels, to the Lebanese scene. How is your relationship with the Lebanese authorities?
I am proud of my relations. Delegations are continually visiting Lebanon and Syria.

I’LL BE TAKING PART IN THE ARAB SUMMIT IN BEIRUT
Will you be taking part in the Arab summit to be held in Beirut?
Of course. I’m in ongoing touch with my brothers in Lebanon, on the levels of the leadership, the government and the people. Can we forget that those who defeated Sharon in 1982 were the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples? Together we paid the price in terms of human and material losses.

How will the Palestinian Authority deal with Islamic fundamentalist groups in the refugee camps in Lebanon, in particular the “Osbat al-Ansar”, which the United States includes in its list of terrorist organizations?
This is a matter for the Lebanese government; I’m not going to interfere in it.
What about judgements handed down by Lebanese courts concerning PLO officials in Lebanon?
We hope these problems will be resolved in a fraternal spirit with our brothers in Lebanon, as such problems usually are.

Should we fear a battle between Palestinian factions in Lebanon?
Not at all. That won’t happen.

What is the result of your inquiry concerning the four Lebanese judges assassinated in Sidon?
I insist that those guilty of this should be tried and severely punished.

What truth is there in Israeli claims of trafficking in Lebanese arms for the benefit of the Resistance and the Palestinian organizations in occupied Palestine?
Is there any truth in any Israeli statement?

What of the situation in the Shebaa Farms? What does the future hold?
UN Resolution 425 is clear and Israel must implement it in full.

At a time when you are insisting on a dialogue with the Israeli foreign minister and formulating peace proposals, the Israeli forces are continuing their violations in the regions under the jurisdiction of the Authority, taking as hostages activists of all Palestinian groups. Is your dialogue with Peres not a sort of concession in advance to his conditions?
The negotiations between the Vietnamese and Americans in Paris lasted five years.

What did your conversation with Prime Minister Tony Blair in Gaza City bear on?
That meeting was a complement to that held in London, which dealt with the necessity of applying UN resolutions as well as agreements which have been signed, and of implementing what Blair himself said, expressed not only in the position taken by the EU but also during the G8 summit in Genoa, as well as on the international level generally, on the importance of a Palestinian state.

The French newspaper Libération recently carried a report published in the daily Haaretz revealing a secret plan to destroy the Palestinian Authority by assassinating President Arafat. You have of course taken appropriate security measures?
We all consider ourselves as possible candidates for martyrdom.