English transcript

Let me quote you what the PLO Information Office

said in a Dutch paper in 1977, in May 5th. -

'77?

- May 5th, 1977, yes. The statement was very

simple. Our objective remains the destruction

of the Zionist state of Israel. So let's keep

in mind that what we're talking about here is

not the attempt to build a state, but to destroy

one. Do the Palestinians have a right to a separate

state?

Now, no one is denying that there are Palestinian

Arabs. There is a very distinguished Palestinian

Arab sitting right next to me. But the Palestinians

themselves, in the Palestinian National Covenant,

the very first article, say that the people

of Palestine, quote, "are part of the Arab nation."

Well, let's look at the Arab nation. It has

21 states, an area roughly the size of the United

States, and one-sixth of the entire world's

wealth. Now, add to that the fact that there

already exists a Palestinian state, and that

is Jordan. 60% of whose population is Palestinian.

It's, I think, I think it's quite interesting

that Yasser Arafat and King Hussein, who are

bitter enemies, agree on one thing: that Jordan

is a Palestinian state. So what we're talking

about is a demand for a 22nd Arab state and

a second Palestinian state. What should be done

with the Palestinians on the West Bank?

They have a problem. So what should be done,

in your opinion?

Well, I think that the Palestinians in the West

Bank are going to be offered the full human

rights, the full civil rights, as there are

no Arabs are offered in the Middle East. No

Arabs whatsoever have any full human rights

or the right to vote for their own government.

Those Arabs who lived in Israel, in the pre-'67

boundaries, are the only Arabs in the Middle

East who are offered that right. And I am all

in favor of having the same Arabs living in

the West Bank and the Gaza Strip being offered

such a right in the final peace agreement. -

Can we have peace in the Middle East?

- Very briefly, please. Yes, I sincerely hope

so. Look, I'm 28 years old. I've had to defend

my country in two wars and in many battles.

Nobody wants peace more than Israel. But the

stumbling block to the road for peace is this

demand for a PLO state, which will mean more

war, which will mean more violence in the Middle

East. And I think, I sincerely believe, if this

demand is abandoned, we can have a real and

genuine peace. Thank you.