'I think of my own kids,' says Fischer, emergency
mediator
By Adar
Primor
Ha'aretz Foreign Editor
Visiting
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer still gets worked up when he
speaks of Friday's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. "After all, I was
there," he says in an interview with Ha'aretz. "Three hours before
the terror attack, I was jogging there. I ran to Jaffa and from
there, back to the [Dan] hotel," he says.
Fischer seems to
have been deeply affected by the incident. His tone of voice and the
rhythm of his words change from time to time during the
interview.
"The first thought that went through my mind was
about my two children - 17 and 22 years old - in other words, the
ages of the young people who go out to discotheques on Friday
nights, as do millions of young people all around the world. I love
the lifestyle of Tel Aviv - one of the most wonderful cities I know.
And now, the lives of 19 innocent people have been taken and many
have been injured."
Fisher defines the attack as "a murder"
and "a terrible crime." He came to Israel on a mediation mission, to
promote peace - he knew the situation was complex, but never
imagined it was so complex.
"There is no doubt that [the
attack] has completely altered the situation in the region because
we are now at a juncture between war and peace and the situation
could change dramatically within hours.
"Therefore, our
message at the meeting with President Arafat in Ramallah was passed
on without beating about the bush. I explained to him that he had to
act immediately if he wanted to save the peace process. He has to
deliver. We have no need for words right now, but deeds - positive
deeds," Fischer says, banging his hand on the desk as if to
demonstrate the seriousness of the situation.
Fischer does
not speak in the often-abstract language of diplomats. The "positive
deeds" he demands of the Palestinian Authority are very clearly
defined: an immediate, sustainable cease-fire; the implementation of
tough security measures; the renewal of the security cooperation
with Israel, the arrest of "those responsible for the horrendous act
of terrorism," a public condemnation of their actions and their
prosecution.
His tone softens when he speaks of the Israeli
obligations: "This is a nightmare for any democratic government.
Concern for the security of its citizens is an obligation of the
government of Israel. This is absolutely obvious." Nevertheless,
Fischer hopes that "the people and government in Israel will find
the courage not to seek vengeance."
"There is a slight chance
for a positive turnaround," he says. "We must use this chance, even
if it is very marginal. We must exploit it within hours. I hope we
will succeed in doing so. If we don't, we will at least know that we
have done the utmost."
Fischer clearly places the brunt of
the blame for the situation on the shoulders of the PA leader.
"Matters are in Arafat's hands," he says, denying a report yesterday
in Yedioth Ahronoth that he had threatened Arafat with a suspension
of all German economic aid to the Palestinians if the PA leader did
not announce a cease-fire. "That report is a mixture of fiction and
non-fiction," he says. "We spoke about the draft of the declaration,
the current situation and nothing more."
The report in
Yedioth also said that after the German minister asked Arafat to
disassociate himself from terrorism "from the bottom of his heart,"
the PA leader replied: "And the Germans' disassociation from the
Holocaust; do you really want to tell me that it is from the bottom
of the heart?"
Fischer gets angry. "We never spoke about that
- never, never, never, never," he says. "Don't take any notice of
such fairy tales."
Fischer held a second unscheduled meeting
with Arafat in Ramallah yesterday evening; he also extended his stay
in Israel by a day. "This is not a matter of an independent German
[peace] initiative," he says.
"We have a special
responsibility toward Israel that is based on our tragic history. We
will never forget this responsibility. This is one of the fait
accompli of our policies as a democratic Germany.
"As
Europeans," he continues, "we have an interest in peace in the
Middle East. We are speaking about neighboring regions and I think
Europe should play a stronger and more positive role. Israel knows
Germany is trying to achieve this. We have to be valuable partners
for both sides.
 
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© copyright
2001 Ha'aretz. All Rights Reserved
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German Foreign Minister Joschka
Fischerlaying a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in
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