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CNN Live Today
Interview With Archbishop of Canterbury's Mideast Envoy
Aired April 11, 2002 - 13:14 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The archbishop of Canterbury's Middle East envoy is in Israel, and he hopes to end the standoff between Israeli troops and Palestinians holed up in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The Reverend Canon Andrew White is with us now live from Jerusalem. Thanks for joining us this afternoon, Cannon White.
REV. CANON ANDREW WHITE, MIDEAST ENVOY OF ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: Good evening.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, what can you tell me about who you believe is still in the Church of the Nativity and what the scene is there?
WHITE: Well, we know that there are probably about 250 people in the church at the moment, of which about 40 are religious, members of religious orders. The majority of those belong to the Franciscan movement, but there are also six Armenians left and some Greek Orthodox members of the religious communities as well.
In addition to the religious people who are in there, there a number of Palestinian police, and then an unknown quantity of members of terrorist groups or paramilitary organizations, whether the Fatah Tanzim or Islamic Jihad or Hamas.
WHITFIELD: And they have to...
WHITE: The conditions we've...
WHITFIELD: I'm sorry. They have taken refuge there for safety, but is there a way in which to describe what is taking place within the confines of the church, and if there has been any damage to that historic site or any injures to the people within the walls?
WHITE: Well, I've described it this morning as a volcano waiting to erupt. And there's already some lava, as it were, coming down. There's at least 10 people who are seriously injured inside -- in fact, yesterday we had reports of a nun sewing someone up with cotton and a needle. We know that there has been some fire damage and also some crossfire damage within the church. And we're also aware that the humanitarian crisis is now very considerable. There's not water. Very limited food left, and the sanitary conditions are said to be quite disastrous. But I must say that it is now 36 hours since I have been able to speak to anybody inside the church, because people's mobile phones are no longer working because there's isn't electricity to charge the batteries. All normal telephone lines have been cut.
WHITFIELD: So, what are your concerns now of what may have transpired within the past 36 hours, since last you spoke with anyone on cell phone?
WHITE: Well, I think one of our real concerns is the body of a Palestinian policeman, which needs to be buried. One of the realities is that there -- it may come to the case that people inside simply have to bury this policeman within inside the church. And you can only then begin to imagine the consequences of having a so-called Palestinian Muslim martyr buried in a Christian church. We saw recently terrible controversy in Nazareth over a situation of -- whether the site was a church or a mosque, and we dread to think of what the consequences of this could be.
But there have been intensive negotiations. All I can say is today we've been involved in negotiations about negotiations, and there hasn't been much progress. And we're desperate to try and find some solution now to this erupting volcano, as we have called it.
WHITFIELD: What are the likely consequences that would take place from a burial like that?
WHITE: Well, it would certainly cause -- possibly cause very considerable conflict between the Christian and Muslim communities. And the Palestinian community have always been very careful to talk about Palestinian unity, and at the moment there's even debate about whether the Christians in there are actually staying under their own will, or whether, as the Israelis say, they're being held hostage. I think the reality is they're too afraid to leave, because they're fearful about what may happen to their compound, to their convent and monastery as well as the basilica themselves.
I last spoke to a priest within the confines of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. They were saying they were still trying to continue with their prayers and worship amidst this ongoing disaster in there. And I think in reality within the Church of the Nativity, we have the whole microcosm of what is going on within Israel and the Palestinian Authority areas at the moment.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much, Reverend Canon Andrew White, for joining us from Jerusalem.
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