Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Violence in Middle East Escalates to New Heights

Aired June 02, 2001 - 16:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Israeli police say the suicide bombing inflicted on Friday evening outside Tel Aviv disco is the highest death toll of any single incident since the violence reignited in the region eight months ago. Joining us with more on the possible ramifications of the attack is CNN's Christiane Amanpour. She is in Jerusalem.

Christiane, Yasser Arafat has now ordered his security forces to implement this immediate cease-fire. Has it been effective in the past when he's done that?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, with varying degrees, yes. The point here, though, is that we have now just spoken to a Palestinian official who confirmed that Yasser Arafat has issued an order to implement an immediate cease- fire.

However, they are saying that it's going to take several days. We have also heard from the Israelis who say they are going to give diplomacy a chance to work and to see whether Yasser Arafat can stop the violence before they consider other measures to react.

However, they have said that they wanted it done as soon as possible. So, it is going to be -- we're waiting to see whether what the Palestinians do, or what they are able to do, is sufficient to satisfy the Israeli demand that concrete steps, concrete actions are taken within a very short period of time, including the arrest of suspected terrorists, and issues ordered -- sorry -- orders issued over the Palestinian radio and television.

KELLEY: And just in case, though, there have been some Palestinian evacuations, haven't there, or they are preparing for some evacuations?

AMANPOUR: Well, what has happened is, during the course of today, Palestinians, thousands of them who work in public services and police stations and other Palestinian government buildings, have been ordered to evacuate, in fear that there would be a retaliatory strike.

Also, Palestinian radio has been broadcasting to the Palestinian people to stockpile emergency supplies of food, water and other lighting equipment, in case electricity goes off. They have been told not to gather in large numbers anywhere and keep to the lower floors of any buildings that they are in. We also know that people working for foreign organizations, for instance, embassy consulates or aid organizations have been coming out of the Gaza strip in fear of retaliation. Some U.N. workers, we were told, have left the Gaza strip temporarily to see just what happens.

So, there is a fear that this is going to happen. On the other hand, Israel thinks that it's better if it can get international pressure to persuade Yasser Arafat to use his authority to put an end to the kind of violence that we've seen certainly in the last 24 hours.

On the Palestinian side, they are making urgent calls for the United States to get involved again, to send back the envoy William Burns to the region, as a matter of urgency, according to Palestinian officials, and they say there's no way Israel and the Palestinians can bridge their gaps. It desperately needs a third party intervention.

KELLEY: How are things on the street where you are, Christiane, in Jerusalem? Are there protests, or what is going on there currently?

AMANPOUR: Well, what happened through the course of today was, as these tensions have been very high with this extraordinary death toll, 18 people, 18 Israelis were killed in that bomb attack, plus the suicide bomber and most of those were teenagers waiting to go into a nightclub last night, and so the shock level, as you can imagine, is extremely high, and so are the tensions.

And in Tel Aviv, near the nightclub in question, today there were clashes and skirmishes between Israeli Arabs and Jews, because that area is very near Jaffa, which is a traditionally Arab area. So, there have been clashes down there. Things are quite now.

In general, however, it's been very quiet, both on the West Bank and in Gaza because of this fear of retaliation. In Jerusalem, it's been quiet because it is the Sabbath on the Israeli/Jewish side, and on the Arab side it's been quiet because Jerusalem is still in mourning over the death of Faisal Husseini, who was a leading Palestinian peace activist and negotiator.

So, on the street, the level has been pretty calm, except for that incident in Tel Aviv which is now over.

KELLEY: OK, Christiane Amanpour, from Jerusalem, thanks very much for the information.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com