548
PARTISAN REVIEW
times; he liked it here; and he is a good friend. I think it is unfortunate that
he ran into
all
these difficulties recently. But that's life.
WP:
He resembles you in one respect. He's very forthright, very direct,
very frank, and pretty honest.
TK:
I think he's an admirable person. If I should speak from our point of
view, the mayors' point of view: all the other candidates in the coming New
York elections, with the possible exception of Dick Ravitch, have no adminis–
trative experience of running a city. And I think administrative experience in
running a city is a prime necessity for a mayor. Probably my closest friend,
the most intelligent person I know, is Isaiah Berlin. I would dread him being
the mayor.
EK:
So what are you looking for in a mayor?
WP:
Well, there's a lot of ideology in New York.
EK:
As
you said, you need someone to deal with the sewage, the street
lights and the drug problem.
WP:
Do you have a large drug problem here?
TK:
We have a drug problem, it's not in the same class as yours. We are
trying to fight it, not very successfully. Of course, there is the connection be–
tween the drug problem and crime. But it's not on the same scale as yours,
by far.
WP:
No, not the kind of crime we have in New York. In fact,we keep saying
that despite all the attempts to frighten us by the American media, as you
were saying before, Jerusalem seems
to
be a safer city than New York.
TK:
Yes, definitely. It's also a city full
oflife.
EK:
Well, this is what hits you when you get here.
TK:
It's alive. There are hundreds of examples of common activities be–
tween Jews and Arabs. Go to the Liberty Bell Garden and see how many
Arabs picnic under the trees, and how many children come to the roller
skating rink: or go to the new museum and see how many Arabs visit there.
EK:
And this is going on in spite of the
Intifada.
TK:
Yesterday we had a meeting of neighborhood councils. All the Arab
neighborhood councils were there. And we talked frankly about all sorts of
things.
EK:
Do you see them as getting more politicized as the
Intifada
goes on?
TK:
I think these are aspects of freedom, this is one part, and there is the
other; they do both. When they discuss politics they are on one side. When
they discuss school buildings or street lighting or libraries, they are on the
other side. What goes on in their minds is very complicated.
EK:
Do you think that when they close the shops in the Old City, for in–
stance, that they are hurting themselves by not selling?
TK:
Look, there is one thing that is vastly underestimated. That is the Arab
