SARID: We have to remember that Barak has been prime minister for five weeks. After five weeks to compare Ehud Barak to Benjamin Netanyahu is outrageous. There is no comparison whatsoever. At least Barak is a very honest person. The problem with Netanyahu was that he said different things to different people. The advantage of Barak is that he’s saying exactly the same thing to his ministers and to the Israeli public and to the Palestinians. I hope that he will be successful in his effort to change the [Wye River] agreement. If not, there is no question the Wye accords will be implemented as it is.
Do you think trying to change the agreement was a bad way for Barak to start his relationship with the Palestinians? My start would have been different, but I’m not sure it’s a bad start… [Barak] is in a very complicated situation.You have to take into consideration that [within his government] there are many political [parties] that do not identify with his political views–the National Religious Party, for example. Meretz serves to balance the powers within the government. This is our very special mission. We can’t afford to be indifferent or lazy.
How do you see your role in the peace process and in the cabinet? Our role is to ensure that the Wye accords will be implemented one way or another. At the present moment, we support the prime minister’s effort, hoping that in the very near future we’ll reach an understanding with the Palestinians. If we come to the conclusion in a few weeks that we are stuck, we’ll talk again to the prime minister to convince him that implementation of the Wye accords is the most important necessity. We believe that the prime minister has an open ear to listen to what we have to say and to be convinced.
What sort of changes do you have in mind for the education system that are related specifically to the peace process? We have a lot of work to do. We have to change some of our educational programs. We have to try to uproot all kinds of negative stereotypes with regard to Arabs [and] Palestinians. This is our neighborhood. We have to understand it and make an effort to live peacefully with our close neighbors. Those stereotypes play a very, very negative role. This is my first task–to try to change the stereotypes. It’s not very easy. We are talking about programs of many, many years. This is not to say that if you read Israeli curricula that you will come to the conclusion that you are reading horrible texts. But still we have many changes to make. I am asking my [education] professionals to check the programs.
Do Palestinian schools teach negative stereotypes about Israelis and Jews? I am very much concerned about the educational programs of the Palestinians. It’s a matter of taste, and they are not to my taste, not at all. They are provocative and, I believe, counterproductive. Since I maintain very close relations with my colleagues in the Palestinian government I will urge them to do what I’m doing here. Even though there is no comparison between our programs with regard to stereotypes and prejudices: I’m not happy about our programs, but I’m very, very sad about their programs… [But] an integral part of our credo is to encourage meetings between Israelis and Arabs. After a meeting, prejudices gradually vanish. One of the problems is that many Palestinians don’t meet Israelis and Israelis don’t meet Palestinians. Whenever they meet they realize that the other side has no horns. This is a wonderful and exciting surprise. They have no horns. They have no horns. Surprise. Surprise.
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is coming to the Middle East on Sept. 1. How will her trip help the peace process? I hope Madeleine Albright will be free to deal primarily with future negotiations between Israel and Syria. If she has to be active on the [Syrian and Palestinian] fronts, it will be unfortunate. So let’s hope that when she comes our preliminary problems with the Palestinians will be settled, and she will have enough time to concentrate on the peace process with Syria.
