A Romania-born Holocaust survivor and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, Elie Wiesel became an American citizen in 1963. He has authored over 35 books and has done distinguished work as a global human rights campaigner.

Wiesel lives in New York and teaches at Boston University. Every January he teaches a short winter term class at Eckerd College, Florida, where Shakti Bhatt spoke to him about the war on terrorism, Islam, and Yasser Arafat. Excerpts:

Do you think the war on terrorism headed by the US is well-grounded?

Absolutely! I'm totally behind the president's philosophy and actions. Terrorism is a plague, a scourge, and a danger. Imagine it with ultimate power in the small countries. It should be unmasked, dissolved, and eliminated.

Do you think the US war in Afghanistan was fought fairly?

I'm not a military expert, but we must always try to avoid civilian casualties. What they call collateral damage. [The war in Afghanistan] was good. It was good to go and fight terrorism and disintegrate it and dislocate it. Before that, the terrorists had a state. Afghanistan was a terrorist state. After September 11, this had to happen.

A lot of people's perception of Islam has undergone a change following the events of September 11.

You know I am against collective blame and collective judgement. Some Muslims are criminals and others are not. Most of them are not. We must encourage the tolerant ones, who are the majority.

As a religion, do you deem Islam more susceptible to fanaticism?

We have seen enough fanaticism in other religions. In Catholicism, it is growing. Even in my religion, it is increasing. I'm against them too. Islam is currently a hotbed.

How do you view the Middle East peace process?

I am rather pessimistic. I force myself to be hopeful. I am disillusioned after the hopes that Oslo generated. I celebrated [Oslo] in Washington. I was there when [the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin and Arafat shook hands. Arafat rejected [Ehud] Barak's [Israel's prime minister, 1999-2001] unprecedented generosity. What does he want? No other prime minister has ever given or will ever give so much. He wants violence.

Let me give you another example. At the Davos Conference in 1993, we were in Paris. Arafat threw a 38-minute speech and it was filled with so much violence and hatred, even his own people were shocked. Shimon Peres was shocked. The people of Israel didn't vote for Barak again because they said he doesn't have a partner.

Why do you think Arafat refused Barak's concessions?

I don't know. Nobody knows. I spoke to some Muslim people. Even they don't know. One reason could be that the concessions were so generous that Arafat saw it as a weakness of Israel and thought he could get more with the help of violence. Another theory is that he wants to be a revolutionary and not a statesman.

I understand the anger of the Palestinian youth. They should be angry at him. There could have been a Palestinian state long ago. A lot of things could have been done by now. But there is only more violence and more violence and more violence.

How representative do you think is Arafat of the Palestinians?

I don't know.

Do you think the Palestinian state will be a reality soon enough?

Absolutely! Even the hardliners in Israel support it. For all practical reasons, it should be formed. The Palestinian youngsters should give us a chance. For example, I was in Yugoslavia and Bosnia at least two times. I was telling their people that if Milosevic was defeated in Yugoslavia, it is simply because his adversaries used non-violence. Why should the Palestinian youth use violence?

What do you have to say about Israel's assassination policy?

Usually, I am against violence. But what should Israel do? I don't criticise it.

So you feel that the use of force by Israel against the Palestinians is always reactionary, never deliberate?

No doubt. It is always a reaction.

A number of critics have pointed to your inattention to Palestinian rights.

That's true. If the Palestinians were to use non-violence, I would speak for them.

So you don't think there are any human rights violations [by Israel] occurring in the region?

I cannot tell you really. But I can tell you that any other country in the same circumstance, besieged by so much violence and hatred, I don't think they would act differently, be it England or the US or any other. There are these suicide bombers killing innocent civilians, mostly young, or even children on the street or at a nightclub. Where is the glory in this?

How do you assess the current US involvement in the region so far?

For the moment, it is good. For the moment they don't know what to do. I suggested to Kofi Annan to suggest to Arafat to withdraw books from Palestinian schools. I read them and every page is filled with hatred for Jews. I will finance the printing of new books. It is inconceivable and unthinkable that a five-year-old is being taught how to hate. This should be the beginning. But he [Annan] didn't do it.

Why?

I don't know.

Have you read Edward Said?

Occasionally. I disagree with him.

What do you think of the Arab intellectual movement in America?

I don't think it is strong. They are most afraid to speak up.

Have you read the book on yourself by Mark Chmiel [Elie Wiesel: The Politics of Moral Leadership]?

No. I don't like to read books on myself.

Have you heard of it?

No.

Do you have any Palestinian friends?

Not friends. But I know some of them.

There was a lot of disagreement when you wrote in a New York Times editorial that the 600,000 Arabs left their lands. The dissenters claim they were expelled.

That's not true. One thing is clear. As [former Israeli minister for foreign affairs] Abba Eban said, the Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. The Israeli did not chase the Arabs out.

Have you read Fouad Ajami's The Dream Palace of the Arabs?

Yes. I like it.

So you do understand their aspirations?

Naturally I understand the aspiration. It's the methods. See, I am not an Arab. But I can see a human way of judging things.

Design: Dominic Xavier

The Rediff Interviews