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CNN Live Today

Israeli Leaders Scoffing at Notion of Palestinian State

Aired June 18, 2002 - 13:37   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Israeli leaders are scoffing at the notion of a Palestinian state, provisional or otherwise. So is the Bush plan doomed before it's even unveiled?

Edward Walker is a former U.S. ambassador to both Israel and Egypt. He joins us today from Washington with his insights.

Good to see you, ambassador.

EDWARD WALKER, FMR. U.S. AMB. TO ISRAEL, EGYPT: Thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: Overall reaction. What do you think? Is Bush's plan doomed or not?

WALKER: No, it's not doomed, but I certainly think this Hamas terrorist was trying to doom it in advance. That's their basic agenda, to destroy any chances for peace, and to destroy, ultimately, the Israeli state. So that, unfortunately, often has a terrific impact on the possibilities for negotiations.

I think the president has to come out and state clearly what the U.s. Policy is. That's one of the -- I spent three weeks in the region recently, and that was the big question everybody had -- what is the U.S. policy? We need a clarification from the president.

PHILLIPS: There definitely is not a clear, set vision that we have heard thus far. Now, talking about Hamas for a minute, we have got Hamas, Islamic Jihad, all the extremist groups. I mean, this is an element that has to be dealt with, it has to be addressed, has to be recognized. Will this be a part of Bush's speech?

WALKER: I certainly hope so. It's about time somebody started to attack the attackers. You know, I don't quite understand the Israeli policy of constantly blaming all Palestinians for terrorism when it is clearly a subset of groups that seek the destruction of Israel.

Yes, we ought to wage war on Hamas, on the Palestinian Islamic jihad and anybody else who thinks in their perverted way that terrorism will get their ends.

PHILLIPS: Back to substantial plan for improving the Palestinian economy and infrastructure, this has to be the meat of the speech, though.

WALKER: Yes, no question. It's going to require the combined efforts of the international community, the Arab community. It's got to also be contingent on genuine reform of the Palestinian governing authority. That authority, as it's constituted now, cannot lead the Palestinian people, and it certainly is not designed to fill the Israeli people with any confidence. There have to be major changes, and I hope that's one of the directions the president takes.

PHILLIPS: Where does Yasser Arafat fit in? We have all heard very clearly what the president has to say, and how he feels about Arafat.

WALKER: It's up to Arafat where he fits in. If Arafat sees his way clear to start giving a vision of a true Palestinian state and one which is responsive to the people rather than to a few cronies, then maybe he can fit in. If he can't, then there's plenty of Palestinians around who probably can fill the bill.

PHILLIPS: What about international monitoring? There's been a little bit of discussion about this. U.S. troops, U.N.? What could be talked about here? Is at a possibility it could be a part of the speech?

WALKER: Well, I've heard that it's going to be a part of the speech, in the sense that you have to have somebody who acts as an empire, to make sure that the parties stick to their agreements. This is one of the problems we had in the previous administration, agreements were reached and they were never carried out. So some kind of monitoring mechanism, probably or possibly with an international character, that pulls the red card out whenever one of the parties doesn't stick to their word.

PHILLIPS: This can't just talk about the United States, this has to be a global package, wouldn't you think?

WALKER: I would think so. I don't think you're going to have confidence on both sides unless you have a broader participation. Certainly it's been a hallmark of this administration, they want to have broader participation, they want to consult with our Arab allies, they want to consult with the Europeans. So I don't see them moving away from that approach.

PHILLIPS: Former U.S. ambassador Ed Walker. Thanks, Ned.

WALKER: You bet. Thank you.

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