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CNN Live At Daybreak

Standoff Continues in the Middle East

Aired April 04, 2002 - 06:10   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: Well with all of that said, we want to go live again to the Middle East for details on the latest unrest.

Our Jerrold Kessel joins us live from Jerusalem.

Hello, Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Now very much the focus of interest in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, in the heart of that town, the Church of the Nativity, one of the holiest places to the Christian world, the place where Jesus believed to have been born, built over the sight where Jesus believed to be have been born. And where for the last two-and-a-half days we've had a standoff with more than 200 people. And many of them armed Palestinians, many of them said to be on Israel's wanted list, who have taken positions up, taken refuge, if you like, in the church, and who have refused the Israeli army's demands that they come out and give themselves up. And they have this standoff been going on for two-and-a-half days.

And within the last hour, people within the church and a leading Roman Catholic lay official saying that the -- there were explosions. And part of those explosions they are saying was the Israeli army blowing off a door at the back door of the Church of the Nativity area, the compound there, as they say, a prelude to Israeli army action.

Now the Israeli army had said that they would not go into the church, that they're trying to get those Palestinians out of there and to force them to go out but that would not include harming the church or going into the church. The Israelis denying that charge. I will speak to an Israeli official very shortly.

But as the Israeli military offensive deepens in the West Bank an initiative attempted by the European Union is being sending two top- flight envoys here. Their problem will be will they get to see not only Prime Minister Sharon but also Yasser Arafat who's been kept in isolation in his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah. And the Israelis saying bluntly that they won't allow anybody to go and meet with Mr. Arafat, even though the Palestinians are saying that if they aren't allowed to go and meet with Mr. Arafat, then no Palestinian officials will meet with them.

Here we heard a short time ago on CNN from the top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: If Europe, if the United States, if Russia, if the Security Council or the United Nations are telling us that the Israelis have been denying them the right to go see Arafat, how do we convince any single Palestinian that these people who are unable to get the permission to go to Ramallah to see Arafat from the Israelis will sit with us and get the implementation of Resolution 1402?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KESSEL: Defiant Palestinian position even as the Israelis are defiant in face of the growing international pressure that they curb their military offensive.

And now we're joined here in our Jerusalem bureau by a spokesman for Prime Minister Sharon.

Raanan Gissin, thanks very much for joining us.

I'd like to ask your response to those charges that the Israeli army, in contrary to what had been said before, has begun an action against those people who are inside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

RAANAN GISSIN, SHARON ADVISER: Well, first of all, the whole question of breaking into the church and blowing up a door, baseless lies, part of a disinformation campaign similar to the accusation, allegation that we killed a priest which still is alive and well. We will not harm the churches in any way. We will find a way to deal and arrest those wanted terrorists which we are after without harming the church.

KESSEL: How are you going to do that, by forcing them out, in which way...

GISSIN: Well look...

KESSEL: ... without harming the church, as you put it?

GISSIN: I think -- I think with patience, with perseverance and with negotiations. We did it in Bitonea (ph) when we got those people out, and we sorted out those who are terrorists or (ph) taken for interrogation and were incarcerated. Those had nothing to do with terrorism were released and went freely, and there was no bloodshed and that's the way we're going to conduct this here (ph).

KESSEL: Patience and perseverance, is that what you'll be applying also to the European request to meet with Yasser Arafat contrary to what Prime Minister Sharon says is Mr. Arafat's isolation? Are you not going to allow them to meet with Yasser Arafat?

GISSIN: Well the other way round. They need some patience and perseverance until we complete this operation to uproot terrorism. Arafat will remain in isolation for the duration of this operation because isolated he cannot do much harm. And when he's isolated, he can -- he is not being harmed and also he can't do much harm to the process.

KESSEL: But that means that there's no chance of getting a resolution of this, even a cease-fire because the Palestinians say unless Arafat is able to meet with them, then they won't meet with the European envoys or indeed with the United States envoy.

GISSIN: Well getting a resolution and getting a cease-fire is not dependent on Arafat declaring one but on us eradicating terrorism. Once there is -- terrorism does not serve as a potent threat on all those who want peace, there will be a cease-fire.

KESSEL: Does your ban on anybody going to meet with Yasser Arafat include the U.S. envoy General Zinni?

GISSIN: Well we don't know. Prime Minister Sharon is going to meet this afternoon with General Zinni. If General Zinni presents that request and the reason for that, the Prime Minister will consider that and will make a decision at that time. Right now he's isolated.

KESSEL: Thank you very much.

Well there you heard perhaps a glimpse into Mr. Sharon's thinking, perhaps a glimmer of a change in the Israeli situation. If General Zinni presents a new -- a new position, said Raanan Gissin, about meeting with Yasser Arafat, perhaps the Israelis will allow him to go to travel to Ramallah. That would be a change in this isolation that they've imposed on Yasser Arafat. Perhaps a way out of this diplomatic standoff, we shall be following it through the rest of the day.

Back to you for now, Carol.

COSTELLO: Right about that. Thank you.

Jerrold Kessel reporting live for us this morning.

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