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CNN Live Today

Israelis Celebrate Jerusalem Day

Aired May 09, 2002 - 12:50   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: We want to get back to the Middle East now -- Israelis paying tribute to the city they consider their capital. We are speaking of Jerusalem, a city to which the Palestinians also have claims.

And Jerrold Kessel now more on the streets of Jerusalem on this day that is considered Jerusalem Day -- Jerrold, good evening to you.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill.

And just when Israelis and Palestinians, some were hoping that certainly there was a lot of belief that maybe they were moving away from confrontation into the diplomatic arena, that suicide bombing night before last just outside Tel Aviv. Now it seems they are heading for more confrontation.

But over the last several hours and today for many Israelis, that's a thing they shove aside, because this is a day where they are celebrating. It is Jerusalem Day.

We'll look at some of the crowds here. You can see it is the tail end of a massive procession that has been wending its way into the walled Old City of Jerusalem. Thousands and thousands, tens of thousands, mainly of young Israelis, but many who have been coming from all over the country, from all over the West Bank in Jerusalem, wending their way into the Old City, where they will have a ceremonial (INAUDIBLE) for this Jerusalem Day at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site.

Now, this is the day where the Israelis mark as the 35th anniversary of what they see as the uniting of the city under their rule, East and West Jerusalem -- for the Palestinians, of course, the day when Israel annexed and occupied East Jerusalem and remains that way, so anything but delights for them -- but, certainly, for Israelis, a great deal of delight.

And what's interesting, perhaps, about this year's celebrations, it has always been a celebration really of the nationalist camp, of the right wing, of the religious Israeli. For the last 10 years, they seemed to have hijacked this Jerusalem Day, which united Israelis. But this year, there is something different, because even though the crowd is predominantly nationalists and religious Israelis, there is a kind of patriotism that is sweeping Israel this day and age. And they all feel that they are together in this, united, facing an isolation, their isolation in the world. And this is a day when they are together. And they are even tolerant of, let's say, this Jerusalem Day belonging to the ultra right.

But there is a very joyous mood. We have just seen the end of this parade coming in here. It's so nice. For instance, one young lad came up to me and gave me this little candy toffee. And it had a note saying "Happy Jerusalem Day." Well, of course, I can't eat it because it is a toffee and I won't be able to speak any more after that. Perhaps maybe that's what you want.

But it's not only the joyous thing. I have also seen some signs, people carrying slogans which say: "Arabs out. Us or Them." So, there is that mood, too. The confrontation isn't gone all together. And, if you will let me, I will eat the candy now -- back to you, Bill.

HEMMER: Not just yet, though, Jerrold. Two questions. No. 1, any time you see a crowd of Israelis, one immediately thinks of security. What is it like there in terms of security?

KESSEL: Well, there have been a lot of guns around, and a lot of soldiers. They have been all over the city today. There have been marches and various ceremonies held. Prime Minister Sharon spoke at one of the main ceremonies there at one of the battlefields in the 1967 Arab-Israel war, when the Israelis managed to capture the eastern part of the city.

There has been a lot of security all around, and on the streets as well, a lot of guns. But I dare say this is a day when anybody who wanted to strike would keep away, because there are too many people on the streets, too many police on the streets.

I have spoken to a lot of Palestinians in the city. And,of course, for them this is a day just reflecting what they say is anguish, because they don't like the uniting of the city under total Israeli rule. Many Palestinians do say, yes, a united Jerusalem, but they wanted their part as their capital as well. But, for today, it is the Israelis who hold sway. Absolutely, this is their day when they say, "Jerusalem is ours, all ours."

HEMMER: And, Jerrold, that leads me to my second question. Do Palestinians view this celebration as incendiary in a way?

KESSEL: Yes and no.

I wouldn't say especially incendiary. They don't like it, of course. Down on the eastern side of town, we were there. We spoke to a number of Palestinians. And of course they don't appreciate at all the flag-waving. But they see it as part of the Israeli creation of what they see as a myth of the total unanimity and unity of Jerusalem.

Now, there is, to some degree, Israel does have total control over this city. But East Jerusalem, those Palestinian neighborhoods remain very much Palestinian neighborhoods. And there is that ongoing debate that has gone back to Camp David a couple years ago, where President Clinton tried to get that deal between Israelis and Palestinians, almost to divide a united city, if you like. That remains in many people's minds.

But, for the moment, it's confrontation rather than even anything on Jerusalem that's at the forefront of these proceedings.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jerrold. Eat that toffee -- Jerrold Kessel live just outside the Jaffa Gate there, Old City of Jerusalem.

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