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CNN Live At Daybreak

Israelis and Palestinians Meet Again Today on Trying to Come Up With Cease-Fire

Aired March 25, 2002 - 05:09   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: COSTELLO: The Israelis and the Palestinians do meet again today on trying to come up with a cease- fire and as you know the violence just will not stop there.

We want to go live now to Jerusalem. Our John Vause is there -- good morning, John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

There have, in fact, been more Israeli incursions here overnight in the southern town of Raffah. There at least one Palestinian was killed and also in Hebron there was an exchange of gunfire overnight between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It is has been a weekend of violence. At least nine Palestinians have been killed, some of them gunmen, but some of them also civilians.

Two Jewish settlers were also killed. One was ambushed while driving his car south of Hebron and then just hours before that another Jewish settler was also killed.

Despite the violence, though, talks of cease-fire continue. Last night the Palestinians and the Israelis met with the U.S. envoy here, General Zinni. At that meeting, a three hour meeting, General Zinni put forward bridging proposals to try and get these two sides closer to the Tenet plan for a cease-fire.

Now, today, the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, is meeting with several members of his cabinet, putting those proposals to them. So, too, the Palestinians. Also today, Yasser Arafat meeting with the U.N. envoy here, as well.

Now those three parties will again meet later today, General Zinni, the Israelis and the Palestinians, to try and work out some kind of cease-fire, some kind of working towards this Tenet proposal.

Now, of course, that is crucial for Yasser Arafat if he is, in fact, allowed to attend that Arab summit in Beirut. The trouble here for the Israeli prime minister is that if he allows Yasser Arafat to attend without any kind of tangible proof that the Palestinian leader is cracking down on militants, that could be seen as a sign of weakness here by members of his own government, who are urging the Israeli prime minister for an even tougher crackdown on the Palestinians. But also on the other side of the coin, if he does, in fact, allow him not to -- or keeps him here, rather, then that means that that Arab summit could be overshadowed by the plight of Yasser Arafat and in many ways that Arab -- that Saudi peace proposal will not be discussed, will not receive the attention that it is, that it deserves, that it needs, at that Arab summit in Beirut, which begins on Wednesday -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Of course, there is one more scenario, that Arafat be allowed to go to the Arab summit but not allowed to come back.

VAUSE: Yes, that is something which is being discussed here. And, of course, Yasser Arafat has always maintained that he can slip in and out of the West Bank and in and out of the territories as much as he wants, he can come and go at will.

He, of course, is saying that he will make a decision at the last minute whether or not he will attend, whether or not he will decide to attend the Arab summit. So he's obviously keeping his options open on whether or not he will go. But so far the Israeli prime minister is saying that there's been no demonstration there from the Palestinian leader that he has done enough to earn his ticket to Beirut, if you like.

But, of course, yes, the problem for Yasser Arafat is that if he leaves Ramallah, then he may not be allowed to come back.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

Thank you.

John Vause reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning, we thank you.

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