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CNN Live Today

Israeli Prime Minister to Decide on Arafat Tomorrow

Aired March 25, 2002 - 14:08   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The Arab League summit, just two days. It starts on Wednesday. Still unclear now if Yasser Arafat will be allowed to attend. The White House urging Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel to allow Arafat to travel to Beirut for that summit. Israeli officials say a decision will be announced tomorrow. Arafat has been prevented from leaving the West Bank dating back to the month of December.

President Bush also urging Arab leaders to support a Saudi Arabian peace proposal at that summit. That may come front and center. John King back at the White House with more on this. John, good afternoon.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill. And the White House calculation is it will be very different Arab League summit if Mr. Arafat, the Palestinian leader, is not there. If he is there, U.S. officials believe the overwhelming majority of the focus will be on that Saudi peace initiative, land for peace. If Israel pulls back to its 1967 borders, Arab nations would recognize Israel and normalize relations.

Now, the Sharon government has rejected key parts of that. The prime minister says pulling back to the 1967 borders would endanger Israel's security. So the plan in and of itself is going nowhere. But the U.S. belief is that at least provides a political opening to get the Arab world unified behind a peace initiative. Perhaps down the road, if there is a cease-fire, it's a big if at the moment, there is at least the beginning of a political dialogue.

But, of course, first, Israel would have to grant the Palestinian leader permission to leave the Palestinian territories and go to Beirut. We know in conversations over the weekend, Secretary of State Colin Powell told the Israeli prime minister he believes it would be best for Arafat to get that permission. Vice President Cheney has also made that case.

Two different standards now developing. On the one hand, the White House says Dick Cheney, the vice president, will not meet with Yasser Arafat until there is a firm cease-fire in place. Prime Minister Sharon said last week at the vice president's side that was his standard as well for listing the travel restrictions, first a cease-fire. But the White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer acknowledging a short time ago that when it comes to putting pressure on the Israeli government to let Mr. Arafat travel, a cease-fire is not a condition from the White House perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: American position is that it is better for Chairman Arafat to be there than not to be there in order for the summit to focus on peace. That message has been conveyed, has been received by the Israeli government at numerous levels, and I leave it at that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: The Israeli government said to be not happy with what it views as a double standard coming from the White House. The decision on whether Mr. Arafat can leave and go to Beirut to be made by Prime Minister Sharon and his cabinet tomorrow. More U.S. pressure, in the meantime, more U.S. pressure on Mr. Arafat as well. Secretary of State Colin Powell called the Palestinian leader today. The president's special envoy in the region, General Zinni, pressing the Palestinians to make more progress in those cease-fire talks. The next 24 hours will go a long way in seeing not only if they can get closer, if not all the way to a cease-fire, but whether Mr. Arafat will be allowed to go to that summit. The White House fears that if he is not, the summit dialogue will turn into criticism of Israel and the United States for keeping Mr. Arafat in isolation -- Bill.

HEMMER: John, what's the smart money say? Permission granted or not?

KING: The smart money says the United States, when it puts pressure on the Israeli government, almost always gets its way. Look at last week, the Israelis did pull out of five locations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. But Prime Minister Sharon in a very delicate political situation at home. His standing has gone down on both the left, those who want peace, and the right, those who think that he should have a much tougher line against Mr. Arafat. The Israeli leader, his standing very low right now. He's in a very difficult position. The United States hoping get Mr. Arafat to the summit and a cease-fire will come. Their bigger hope is that a cease-fire comes in the next 12 to 24 hours so they don't have to deal with this very difficult issue.

HEMMER: John, thank you. John King at the White House.

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