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Israeli Prime Minister Gets Jeers From Party Before Knesset

Aired May 14, 2002 - 11:09   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We move on to the Middle East now, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, he went before the Knesset this morning to explain his stand on Palestinian statehood, which clearly is different from many in his own Likud party.

Our Jerrold Kessel joins us now from Jerusalem -- Jerrold, hello.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

And it was a calm, collected position. A man in control, a man in command. That's the message and the atmosphere which Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, tried to exude, to put across here in the Knesset here a short while ago, as he addressed the plenum. Two days after the Israeli prime minister took that battering at the hands of his own Likud party, which went against his wishes and restated its adamant and absolute opposition to the idea of a Palestinian state, something which Mr. Sharon has himself said he is not against down the line as part of the future peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

But it was a bland restatement of Mr. Sharon's position; rather an explanation of his position on the Palestinian state idea. As he said, the first two conditions needed to be met on the Palestinian side: a complete and total cessation of terror and incitement and violence, and a reform of the Palestinian Authority. Then there could be really serious moves -- diplomatic moves -- toward peace. And then the prime minister went on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): When these two basic conditions are met, we will be able to enter a staged solution, a settlement, involving a long-term interim arrangement with the Palestinians. And then when we see how the Palestinians are building up their society and their self rule, once we're convinced that they really are determined to achieve peace -- and I'm sure that will be the case -- we will be able to progress towards discussions on the nature of the permanent relations between us and them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KESSEL: Notice there, Daryn, no word of that -- no word and no term -- Palestinian state. Mr. Sharon clearly deciding that where as he had had a stick poked in his eye by his own party, he didn't want to poke a stick in the party's eye by mentioning the term "Palestinian state." But, clearly, he is not going to say he's against it. He's let it be known to the United States, to the rest of the international community, that nothing has changed in his idea that he does believe it is possible down the line.

But Mr. Sharon really trying to build on that event in his own party, and really paradoxically almost coming out of it stronger than weaker. Because even though the party said it was against him, he has positioned himself almost -- or is being positioned again at the center of Israeli politics with the idea that he does not rule out moves towards a serious political or diplomatic solution. What he does with that new repositioning in itself in the center of Israeli politics may be another matter. But in internal political terms, he certainly has come out of this ironically rather better than worse.

KAGAN: Well -- and on that note, Jerrold, let me ask you a question. Why even about any pressure from the party at all, which clearly didn't stand by him, and appears to be making a move to put Benjamin Netanyahu as their candidate. It appears like Mr. Sharon is going around his party and going to the people to get the support.

KESSEL: Absolutely right. And speaking to all the serious people in the Likud party, Mr. Sharon's minister. And here, time and again, in the last 36 hours, as they take stock of that curious event within the party of Mr. Netanyahu's real challenge to Mr. Sharon. At this stage, at any event, many, many serious voices not only within the Likud, but also in the Likud saying the party shot itself in the foot. That the majority of the Israelis that was (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by polls that have been taken since then and appeared in Israeli newspapers today showing the majority of the Israelis -- both within the Likud and in the general public -- support the idea of a Palestinian state, accept the idea that there will be inevitably, if there is a peace with the Palestinians, a Palestinian state.

So, Sharon, ironically coming out of this rather well. And his party looking as if it is an anachronism, at least in those terms and those ideological terms of the restatement of a position to a Palestinian state. A curious political development, but Ariel Sharon benefiting from it in the long run, it seems, and making hey of it here in the Knesset. At least he hopes to when that vote comes up. And if he does get that big majority, that will confirm these polls, that the majority of Israelis are behind him, not behind that hard stand of the Likud -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Just one of the reasons that makes your job so fascinating covering Middle East politics, among many other things for us -- Jerrold Kessel, thank you so much for that latest.

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