Sharon's PR people are working hard preparing his way for a triumphant visit to the USA in a few days. They choose Lally Weymouth, long a "friendly journalist", for one of his first major interviews -- published in Newsweek this week. Actually, Weymouth is not quite a real journalist -- she's really the somewhat eccentric daughter of Washington Post owner Katherine Graham and owes her "job" to that simple fact of birth. Weymouth is extraordinarily Israeli-biased and has traveled the world for many years now gaining access because of her mother and wealth, few remembering that her interviews and columns are only published in the Post-owned publications because years ago she threatened to otherwise go work for the Moonie-owned Washington Times. The major TV interview Sharon gave in advance of his American tour was to another of the somewhat disguised Israeli-oriented journalists, CNN's Wolf Blitzer. And here too few remember that Blitzer came to CNN from being editor of the Israeli-Jewish lobby's newsletter, "Near East Report", and correspondent for the Israeli newspaper, Jerusalem Post.

Meanwhile, Sharon is taking big steps to smash the Palestinian uprising.

He probably personally gave the orders to try to assassinate the head of Fateh in the West Bank, Marwan Barghouti, yesterday -- the sniper missed, killing someone next to Barghouti (maybe purposefully). Trenches now surround Palestinian cities -- just as effectively as barbed wire, though that would look too much like concentration camps in photos. More torture (literally as well as collectively) and even more repression are on the way. Sharon's plans to extinguish the Intifada in one way or another, then to impose terms on the Palestinians, one way or another, with or without Arafat.

And the Israeli propaganda machine is more than alive and well than ever. In fact it has been substantially beefed up and enhanced with the coming of Sharon. Much money and many very competent people, p.r. firms, and organizations are involved in coordinated efforts.

The Arabs and the Palestinians on the other hand remain light years behind, continuing to busy themselves with misguided actions and continuing to compliment themselves for doing little things that don't even begin to keep pace with today's situation. For instance months ago Palestinian supporters in the USA -- given the green light to focus on the general theme of "Right of Return" but not on the crucial issues of the "peace process" itself, the corruption of the Arafat "Authority", the weakness of the Arab regimes, and the realities of their own co-opted organizations -- set April 7th for a major demonstration in New York City. What they should have done when they first learned the dates of Sharon's visit to the US is quickly stepped up the date of their demonstration to coincide with Sharon's visit and literally marched on his hotel and Embassy when he is here. But they continue to be so badly lead, so continually manipulated, and so pathetically confused that they are not capable of any serious, sustained, and timely efforts -- and everyone, themselves included, knows this. This is especially true of the ADC (American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee) which has mislead and deceived so many for so long and whose primary real goal is protecting the Arab regimes from criticism while continually feeding themselves with more money and self-given awards.

Such is the situation in the opening months of 2001 with Ariel Sharon about to make a triumphant visit to the modern-day Empire and then likely to return to the once Holy Land to bleed and torture the Palestinians still further into submission.

NEWSWEEK - March 19,2001 Issue: It wasn't long ago that Ariel "Arik" Sharon was regarded as a has-been, an aging hawk who seemed ill-suited to Israel's modern era of peace and prosperity.

THEN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN tensions erupted in violence, and Israelis flocked overwhelmingly to Sharon, who took office last week as the head of a broadly based Israeli government. Soon after he was sworn in, the former general granted his first interview to Lally Weymouth of The Washington Post and Newsweek. "It's hard to be a prime minister," said a smiling Sharon, sitting behind his desk in his first week on the job. Sharon started by volunteering some information. "President Bush called me two days ago and invited me to visit him on March 20," he said. Excerpts from the conversation:

Weymouth: You were elected to bring security to the people of Israel. How do you plan to do that?

Ariel Sharon: I would like to negotiate with the Palestinians, but this government will be different from the former one. It will not negotiate under terror or violence...

Reportedly, some of Arafat's own security apparatus is engaged in terrorism. Is this so?

The Palestinian Authority does not take any preventive steps against the infrastructure of the terrorist organizations. And Arafat's most loyal forces, like the presidential guard and Force 17, are active participants in violence and terror.

If the Intifada uprising gets worse, would you consider re-entering Palestinian controlled areas on the West Bank?

Palestinian controlled areas? The answer is no. Areas that were given to the Palestinians-there, I think the situation is irreversible, and I don' t think we have to re-enter. That doesn't mean that Israel will not take steps against people who find shelter there.

Have you talked to Arafat?

About three weeks ago, Arafat called me and we had quite a long conversation. I stressed that I would like to make a clear distinction between terrorist organizations- against whom we have to take the necessary steps- and, on the other hand, the Palestinian population, whose conditions I would like to ease. I said I would like to start immediately by opening the gates of the Palestinian Authority area to raw materials, [permitting] their agricultural products to be taken out and increasing the number of employees [allowed to come to Israel]. But a day or so later, a wave of terror started and has continued right up to today.

Do you believe Arafat has control?
He hasn't lost control.

Does he have less control than six months ago?
No change.

If Arafat wanted to stop the terror, could he?
Yes, he can stop it.

When you spoke to Arafat on the phone, did he indicate he would control the violence?
He listened, he did not answer.

Did he call you or did you call him?

He called me. I said I would like to ease the conditions of your people but in order to do so, steps should be taken to stop the violence.

The U.S. is hoping you will turn over the tax payments to the Palestinian Authority.

We shouldn't look at Arafat as someone who cannot pay his wages. They have property worth over a billion dollars all over the world.

Do you have plans to meet with Arafat?

I'm ready to meet and negotiate with him but that cannot be done under pressure of terror or violence. That is the difference between this government and [Ehud] Barak's. Making those concessions weakened Israel.

It's rumored that your government may close the Gaza airport so that Arafat's plane cannot take off.

I don't want to go into details. Because the Palestinian Authority is behind terror, the concept should be to ease the lives of ordinary citizens and harden the lives of those in the Palestinian Authority.. Arafat agreed to take the necessary steps but he freed many terrorists who are now involved in terror. [In addition to]Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah is involved in terror inside Israel. They are backed by Iran and have the sympathy of Syria. Hezbollah has never had better relations with Syria

Is that because Syria's new president, Bashar Assad, is more sympathetic to them than his father?

I think the father, being more experienced, understood better. Hezbollah also has support in Arafat's presidential guard. Ten days ago, a colonel in the presidential guard was killed by us: he was the liaison with Hezbollah.

What are the targets of Islamic Jihad and company?

Their targets are Israeli and Jewish targets around the world.

Do you have an interim plan because now that Barak's attempts at a comprehensive deal have failed?

Barak agrees he did not succeed. President Clinton called me and said Israel is free from what he calls "Clinton principles." He said he warned Arafat many times that he was playing with terror. The former president came up with certain proposals. He said they failed because of Arafat. And therefore Israel is no longer committed to this plan.

Some say you plan to create a unilateral separation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

One should look at realistic plans. The length of the border of Judea and Samaria 'til 1967 was 309 killometers, and we never managed to control it. If we were to make the separation Barak mentioned, the length of the border would be over 700 kilometers [435 miles]. Who could patrol this border? It is not realistic. There should be an interim agreement or a situation of non-belligerency. I know the Palestinians are suffering from lack of contiguity. They don't want Israeli check points.

Would you give the Palestinians contiguity?

Yes, and a road so they could travel freely from the north to the south of Judea and Samaria. I have a plan so they don't need to cross check points. Maybe that is the way to move forward to peace.

Is the Palestinian Authority importing a lot of weapons and ammunition?

The most dangerous equipment being smuggled in are arms they are not entitled to have [coming] from Sinai and by ship via Gaza's beaches. They have to stop it.

Do you think Iraq is a threat to Israel?

I think that the new administration rightly regards Iraq as a very dangerous country. They have the know-how [to make] weapons of mass destruction weapons. They have a very capable group of scientists. No doubt, they they are making tremendous efforts to possess weapons of mass-destruction. Therefore, we support the steps being taken [ in Washington]. I think there is also a danger of Iran getting long-range missiles, thanks to support from North Korea and Russia. The most dangerous thing is that Iran has become the center of world radical Islamic terror.

What are your other priorities?

To encourage immigration to Israel. We have to make a major effort to bring another million Jews from Russia, South America, Central America, France, the Ukraine, from other places in the former Soviet Union. And, of course, we will make a major effort for American Jews to live here. I believe that in the coming ten to 12 years we have to make an effort to bring another million Jews here. We brought one million in the nineties. I want to bring another million Jews in the coming 10, twelve years. By the year 2020, I hope the majority of Jews will be living here in Israel. We also have to make a tremendous effort in education, here and abroad to teach Zionist values on the one hand and on the other hand, the most sophisticated scientific technology. And then we must bring unity to the Israeli citizens -between ourselves and the Jews around the world. I believe I can talk to the right and to the left, to the religious and the secular, to the ultra-orthodox, to the Arabs, to Jews in Israel and those in the Diaspora. And then of course we must attract more investment. These are going to be my main goals.

Is Israel at a crisis point?

The country is facing great dangers. On the other hand, there are great hopes. It is a country of talent. I think that the idea is to contain the dangers and to pursue the hopes.I believe I can do it.

Are you going to try to do a deal with Syria?

It's very hard for this small nation to negotiate on two fronts. And besides, Syria at present is the main supporter of the Hezbullah. I think first we have to deal with the Palestinians.

Some say you'll be like the hardliner Richard Nixon who unexpectedly opened America's relationship with China-that you'll be the hawk who's able to make peace with the Palestinians.

I believe I can make peace because I saw all the horrors of wars. I participated in all the wars and lost my best friends in battles. I was seriously injured twice. Therefore, I understand the importance of peace better than the politicians who speak about peace but never experienced war.

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[The Sunday Times, 11 March]

THE government of Ariel Sharon, meeting today for the first time, is to urge Israel's parliament to approve a law that would allow the security service to torture Arab detainees.

The use of "moderate physical pressure" during interrogation has been oulawed by the high court and Yossi Beilin, the former Labour justice minister, resisted demands by Shin Bet, the domestic security service, for its reintroduction.

Political sources said Sharon's administration, which was sworn in on Wednesday, was sympathetic to the demand and had enough support to push the measure through the Knesset.

Shin Bet officers say force is justified in "time bomb" cases when a prisoner is thought to have knowledge of a terrorist act that is about to be carried out.

"We interrogate hundreds of Palestinians every day, all supected of terrorism," said one Shin Bet source. "Last month we arrested a girl who lured an Israeli boy via the internet to Ramallah, where he was brutally murdered. It took us 30 days to get a confession out of her.

"If we had been allowed to apply physical pressure she would have confessed after a couple of hours. Physical pressure saves time and sometimes life."

Force was routinely used by the security services until 1984, when two Palestinians were murdered during a Shin Bet investigation. A commission of inquiry forbade further torture, but the continued use of "moderate physical pressure" was permitted until September 1999.

Political sources say the nation's mood has been changed by the tense military situation and the government would probably succeed in pushing the measure through. At least 343 Palestinians, 65 Israelis and 13 Israeli Arabs have been killed since the beginning of the Palestinian uprising five months ago.

The move has come despite signs that the first meeting will soon take place between Sharon and Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader. Sharon's son, Omri, met one of Arafat's senior advisers secretly in Tel Aviv last week, apparently to discuss the violence. The Palestinian cabinet later said it was extending the hand of peace to the new Israeli government - but also called for an end to what it called Israel's policy of "siege and destruction".

In a concession, the Israelis yesterday allowed the Palestinian parliament to hold its first full session since the beginning of the uprising. Two members were barred from attending on the grounds that they had incited violence against Israel.

In a speech to the parliament, Arafat called for renewed peace talks - but only on the basis of "existing agreements and understandings".