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CNN Live Today

Israelis Celebrate Independence Day With Concerns About Crisis

Aired April 17, 2002 - 13:08   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: Here in Israel, the country celebrated a birthday on Wednesday, 54 years old. It's Israel's day of independence now. But with the current crisis under way, Israeli reaction was brief. Jerrold Kessel now on the streets of Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Independence day, barbecue time for Israelis. Today, worries are kept on the back burner. But beyond that, Colin Powell's unsuccessful attempt to get a cease-fire has many Israelis concerned things will get worse still.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that the situation will be worse. The suicide explosions and the fight in all the cities of -- in Gaza Strip and the West Bank streets, the war there will get worse.

KESSEL: Across town on the Palestinian side of Jerusalem, Israeli independence is anything but a day for celebration, but shared is a concern with Israelis that the conflict is only likely to deepen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the situation will deteriorate if any deterioration is possible, actually, because when the policy of the United States doesn't take into consideration the Palestinian feelings or the Palestinian policies or even the Palestinians' good intention.

KESSEL: Failure is a term being readily applied to the Powell mission.

SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: Honestly, the situation is worse today than it was seven days ago. So, if we cannot get Sharon to withdraw from reoccupied areas, do we expect to convince anybody that by doing a conference or anything, we are going to convince Sharon to withdraw to the '67 border and have comprehensive peace?

KESSEL: Yasser Arafat was absolutely livid after the talks.

YASSER ARAFAT, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: Who can accept it internationally?

KESSEL: With Israeli forces still carrying out Ariel Sharon's declared war on terror inside Palestinian areas through and now beyond the Powell visit, the Israeli prime minister might have reason to be satisfied he's had his way. But Mr. Powell is also told Israel it must begin, in his phrase, to look beyond occupation.

And there's also been another very tangible gain for Yasser Arafat. He survived Mr. Sharon's attempt to isolate him and make him irrelevant, a declared non-partner. After two meetings, Mr. Powell was still saying forcefully the Palestinians must make a strategic choice against terror. Yet, the secretary of state emphasized Yasser Arafat is the Palestinians leader, indicating strongly the U.S. does not accept the Sharon view.

GERALD STEINBERG, BAR ILAN UNIVERSITY: Powell has come and gone. He was here for five days, met with Arafat twice. And Arafat is still dependent on Israeli water, Israeli food and Israeli electricity for communications. If the Israelis decide that they don't want Arafat to do interviews, he is not going to do interviews. That's not a great victory for Arafat either. He's still in the ball game, but he's really hanging by a very thin thread.

KESSEL: Mr. Powell was also at pains to stress the attempts to get a cease-fire might have been premature, that the mediation mission was still in its middle, and that he will be back. For all that during this tour, he had been unable to probe the two sides into the kind of stability he says the United States is seeking for the region.

During this visit, Mr. Powell wielded no big stake either against Yasser Arafat or Ariel Sharon, but there is patently a new element in the picture: U.S. resolve, Washington reengaged and saying it's determined to end the conflict.

(on camera): And if this time, the U.S. message was only a warning, the warning seemed clear enough, that when the United States again says enough is enough, it will expect the change in attitudes it's demanding of both sides will really be heated.

Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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