Interview: Middle East Situation

SKy News 10:50 am 17 April 2002

Well in the more than 50 since the founding of the State of Israel the country has never really known peace. Well Britain’s Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks joins us now from our Central London Studio to discuss the attitude of British Jews to Israel and the current violence in the Middle East. A very good morning to you. Thank you very much indeed for coming in. Your personal view first of all, if you don’t mind, About what is happening currently in the Palestinian territories. Do you think Israel was right to send tanks in.

I think this has been a tragic necessity and I don’t minimize the tragedy. But neither do I minimize the necessity. I don’t think people here realize that Israel has suffered 12,500 terrorist attacks in the space of 18 months, that is virtually one an hour every hour of every day and I think everyday life was becoming impossible.

But now of course you get the accusation from the Palestinians that what we are seeing from Israel is state sponsored terrorism.

Absolutely not. I think the current campaign has shown just how far Israel is prepared to put its own soldiers lives at risk, 23 of them lost in Jenin, in order to minimize civilian casualties. I think the Israelis have been very careful, more careful I have to say than the United States in its bombing of Afghanistan.

I suppose the problem is that the outside world sees from the Palestinian side its terrorists in action against civilians with suicide bombings, but from the Israeli side it is the state against civilians. We are just hearing of more than 70 bodies been recovered by health workers in Nablus for example.

Ya. Look, everything that Israel has done since the day of its birth 54 years ago has be to search for and strive for peace and all this conflict takes is one word from the Palestinian leadership which is a clear and unequivocal stop to terror. The second that happens both peoples will live together in peace.

What impact do you thin all of this is having on the way that British people here in Britain are being treated and attitudes here to Jewish people.

Well I think that by and large people understand that the Jewish community has varying views about what Israel’s strategy should be but united in its solidarity with the Jewish people in the State of Israel and totally united in its search for peace. So I think that there is a measure of understanding here and I pray that all our prayers for peace will be answered.

Independence Day celebrations in Israel yesterday. What has gone wrong do you think in the more than 50 years since the creation of Israel. Why has there been this complete failure for these two sides to live alongside each other.

Look, Israel is a tiny country. You know I once went to South Africa to the Kruger National Park with all the lions and the elephants and the zebras. The whole State of Israel is smaller than the Kruger National Park. It is a tiny tiny country and the only place Jews call home, where they can defend themselves and rescue threatened Jewries throughout the world. Why it is that alone of the almost 200 members of the United Nations Israel is a state whose existence is still called into question I don’t know, but I hope it stops soon.

The US Secretary of State of course Colin Powel will be giving a news conference at about 11.30 this morning. Though he reports some progress, it seems he has achieved little. Do you think America’s influence in the region is waning.

No I don’t think so. I think there will be a return to negotiations. Prime Minister Arik Sharon made it clear last night that he is willing to recommence them as soon as possible. I repeat all it takes is an end to terror and violence. This terror, perpetrated by Palestinians is hurting the Palestinians even more than it is hurting Israelis and in the name of goodness stop and let the two nations live together in peace.

Well it is hurting the Palestinians. It is also leaving don’t you think a legacy of utter hatred on the Palestinians towards Israel, Always talk about breeding suicide bombers of the future with this sort of action.

I don’t think Israel has bred the suicide bombers in Palestine. It has been a most irresponsible leadership in Palestine that has taken impressionable young people and told them that they can win their place in paradise by murdering innocent civilians . Now that is the cause of suicide bombing. It is one of the most horrendous things that I have ever witnessed and that is not to me the road to heaven, that is the road to hell.

Dr Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi here in Britain, thank you very much for your thoughts.