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CNN Live Today

Interview with Ra'anan Gissin

Aired March 28, 2002 - 14:51   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: All right. Let's straighen a few things out right now. As we go to Jerusalem with Mike Hanna, we're getting reports that Yasser Arafat has just completed a news conference in Ramallah. And after that news briefing, in talking with reporters, Yasser Arafat apparently said he is ready to work toward a cease-fire.

What all this means right now, to Mike Hanna right now in Jerusalem, who has been on the phone there essentially with people throughout the area. Mike, what do you know?

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Bill, something rather complicated emerging. Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, has said that he is prepared to declare an unconditional cease-fire, on the basis of the Tenet plan. Now, this, the Tenet plan, the plan drawn up by CIA director George Tenet, nearly a year ago, has been the point of negotiations that have been supervised by U.S. special envoy, Anthony Zinni.

Now, Palestinian sources tell me that the unconditional cease- fire is on the basis of the Tenet plan itself -- unchanged Tenet plan. Now, Israel has been maintaining that there are certain sections of this plan that need to be changed. This was the basis of the compromised proposal that Anthony Zinni had given to the Palestinians and to the Israelis, that was being considered at present.

So, while Arafat has declared that he is ready for an unconditional cease-fire, the basis of the cease-fire is still a point of dispute between Israelis and Palestinians. And while we're still waiting for official Israeli reaction to this, it's unlikely to be met with any great Israeli appreciation, given the fact that this is what they've been talking about for two weeks, is precisely how the Tenet plan should be amended from the Israeli side. And the Palestinians say that that Tenet plan cannot be amended at all -- Bill.

HEMMER: Mike, listen, let's continue this conversation here. Andrea Koppel is at the State Department, and we know that Colin Powell has been in touch with Yasser Arafat. Even last week, we know of that phone call. Major Garrett is also traveling with the president in Texas. We will get to both of them in a moment here.

I don't want to split hairs, but I think wording is very critical here. When he says he is ready to work toward a cease-fire, what you are saying is that he is ready to work toward the Tenet plan, which would essentially put a cease-fire in place, which would essentially be step No. 1, correct?

HANNA: That is quite correct, Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Mike Hanna, thanks. Stand by...

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: Go ahead, Mike. I don't want to cut you off.

HANNA: Yeah, Bill, sorry. Just to make very clear here, though, is that the Tenet plan is the framework about which they were discussing how to get to a cease-fire. It specifies how to get to a cease-fire. But what has been negotiated over recent days between the Palestinians and the Israelis and Anthony Zinni, is how to get this Tenet plan into operation.

Now, this meant that the Tenet plan, from the Israeli point of view, there had to be some adjustments made to it. The Palestinians have been absolutely clear throughout that they will accept the Tenet plan. This is not knew. They have been saying this for days now. But they will not accept amendments to the Tenet plan.

So Arafat has essentially restated his position, that he will accept a cease-fire on the basis of an unchanged, unamended Tenet plan. Israel has said it wants to change elements of that plan. So we still have the dispute. There is still no resolution to what the parties have been negotiating about for days.

HEMMER: Clarification well noted. Mike, thanks.

By telepohone, Ra'anan Gissin is with us, with the Israeli government. Sir, can you hear me OK?

RA'ANAN GISSIN, ARIEL SHARON SPOKESMAN: Yes, I can hear you.

HEMMER: Are you in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv?

GISSIN: I'm in Tel Aviv, on my way to Jerusalem.

HEMMER: All right, listen. What have you heard about this and, in the near term, Israeli government reaction is what?

GISSIN: You know, we are quite fed up with those declarations that Arafat makes every time he feels the pressure is mounting on him. And then turns around after he made the declaration, to continue and support and instigate terrorist activity, the like of which we experienced with the Passover massacre last night.

HEMMER: If he says he is willing, though, to work toward this cease-fire, is that a nonstarter, in your opinion...

GISSIN: No, no, no.

HEMMER: ... or do you see a glimmer of hope or possibility, that indeed the progress at the security table, the negotiations, might actually amount to something? GISSIN: Bill, I'm going to see the glimmer of hope -- and so will the other Israelis, who are mourning today the death of 20 innocent civilians -- when Arafat starts taking action. Deeds, not words -- against the terrorist infrastructure that he himself constructed 18 months ago. He has to dismantle these terrorist organizations, Hamas, Islamic jihad. His own Tanzim, which is leading today -- the No. 1 terrorist group in terrorist activity against our innocent civilians.

He has to take real action. Declarations won't do. They won't get him off the hook. This time it's a moment of truth, and lies will not cover up.

HEMMER: All right, hang on one second. Ra'anan Gissin by telephone there, en route to Jerusalem. We were talking about the briefing that Yasser Arafat had in Ramallah a short time ago. We will play a portion of that right now. And listein, Ra'anan Gissin, hang on the phone right there. We want to get your reaction when we get come back here. Yasser Arafat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YASSER ARAFAT, PALESTINIAN CHAIRMAN (through translator): I would like to reiterate our readiness for an immediate cease-fire. I have notified General Anthony Zinni. And on this occasion, I would like to express my deepest appreciations for the maximum efforts he is exerting.

We informed him that we are ready to immediately begin the implementation of the Tenet war plan, without any conditions and without prejudgicing any of its articles.

Also, we have notified him our readiness to implement the Mitchell report accommodations, in cooperation with the headquartered committee, headed by General Zinni, and that includes the United States of America, the European Union, Russia and United Nations.

Regrettably, I have to tell you that at this particular moment, there are Israeli aggressive preparations to begin -- to initiate and launch a massive military operation against our people, our refugee camps, our villages, our towns and our facilities and installations

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Again, Yasser Arafat. The translator there, Saeb Erakat, in Ramallah, a short time ago. Ra'anan Gissin, if you're still with us, it appears at this time that Yasser Arafat says not only will he implement Tenet, but also he's willing to go with Mitchell as well. Your response to that?

GISSIN: Well, you know, he's made those declarations in the past. He will be judged by his actions, not by his words. And right now, when we're still burying the dead and having a terrorist event in progress, with three dead and two wounded, seriously wounded, and the terrorists there. If he does not arrest the Hamas leaders and stop the terrorist action by these groups -- this is the groups that conducted the last two terrorist attacks. Those words are worth nothing.

HEMMER: He's suggesting also that the Israeli miliatary is about to launch what he calls a large, aggressive campaign, against the West Bank and Gaza. Can you deny that?

GISSIN: No, no, no. This reminds me of -- the same scenario, after the (UNINTELLIGIBLE). When we were threatening to retaliate with massive force, then immediately he issued statements saying that accepts the cease-fire and that he will implement it. He cannot get away with words. He has to do things.

Nothing is going to exonerate him from the responsibility, except taking action against the terrorists. Dismantling the terrorist organization, arresting those that need to be arrested. Without that, we will feel free to take all the necessary measures in order to defend our citizens.

HEMMER: Are you dismissing his comments entirely?

GISSIN: I'm not dismissing his comments. I'm putting it to the test. But I don't know how many times alreay that we had to do that. But every time, ten cease-fires, he violated. And now he's asking again for the world to believe him that he is ready to implement a cease-fire.

These these lies have been regurgitated and recycled time and time again, and the Israeli government is fed up. He has to take action.

HEMMER: You mention reaction against Hamas. What at this point is the threshold in order for Yasser Arafat to meet what you are talking about and describing to us.

GISSIN: He knows exactly what he needs to do. He needs to arrest people that are conducting those terrorist activities. The man who conducted the heinous crime in Netanya, the name was submitted to the Palestinian Authority security forces and Yasser Arafat, and his security men did not arrest him, knowing very well that he was a ticking bomb that exploded unfortunately, and regretably last night killing over 20 innocent civilians on the highest holiday of Israel.

HEMMER: All right. Ra'anan Gissin, a spokesperson with the prime minister Ariel Sharon by telephone there. In Israel, en route to Jerusalem right now, we mention the cabinet meeting in the Israeli government was under way earlier today. A number of questions there about what happens now and if indeed Israel responds.

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