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CNN Live Today

Mixed Palestinian Reaction to Bush Peace Proposal

Aired June 25, 2002 - 12:30   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: Now to the Middle East, where at least in public, both sides are putting the best face on President Bush's long-awaited blueprint for peace. It's the West Bank city of Ramallah today once again surrounded by Israeli tanks. Yasser Arafat called the plan important, but he bristled at the notion that the White House wants him gone.

CNN's Matthew Chance is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of disappointment in the aftermath of President Bush's widely anticipated policy statement, his vision for a blueprint for peace in the Middle East, very -- a lot of disappointment amongst Palestinian officials about what President Bush had to say.

They have been trying, at the same time, though, to draw out the most positive aspects from it, welcoming, to according Palestinian officials, the call for an independent Palestinian state, a restatement of that U.S. position. They also called on the United States to ask Israel to make an immediate withdrawal of Palestinian territories.

Now, on this central issue, though, of the leadership -- of course President Bush saying that, in order for a Palestinian state to be supported by the United States, then there needed to be a change and a different leadership put in place through democratic elections -- Yasser Arafat has sort of side-stepped the wide general analysis that he is the one specifically that has to go. Remember, President Bush didn't name him personally. Yasser Arafat himself was not named, although, of course, all the fingers are pointing to him, him being the leader of the Palestinian people.

He rejected this and said that, in fact, there was another interpretation for the speech.

YASSER ARAFAT, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (through translator): First of all, it's clear that what you are saying is not accurate. President Bush talked about a Palestinian state and elections. And we are proud to be a democratic state. We had election on this Palestinian land under international supervision, headed by the Portuguese president, as well as President Carter and Japanese prime minister. And we declared ourselves to be democratic. And our people are proud to be living in a democracy.

CHANCE: Well, if Palestinian officials are trying to put the best possible spin on this U.S. policy speech, certainly that's not the case with ordinary Palestinians, the ones we have been speaking to today, under tight curfew, remember, with Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers still patrolling the streets of Ramallah.

They have been expressing their deep disappointments at what they heard coming from the president of the United States, specifically the fact that the key issues, as far as they are concerned, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- the situation regarding the final status of Jerusalem, the final borders of an eventual Palestinian state, and what to do with the millions of Palestinian refugees who are being housed in camps in Arab countries in the region -- the fact that those issues, very emotional issues, were not addressed, were side-stepped, and, indeed, no timetable was laid out for them to be addressed, is something of deep concern to ordinary Palestinians here.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Ramallah, in the West Bank.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, at the White House, they know a single speech won't wipe out generations of hatred, but you have got to start somewhere.

CNN's Kelly Wallace joins us now.

Kelly, what is the White House reaction to Arafat saying it should be the Palestinians who decide the leadership of the Palestinian people?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, well, to that, a senior administer I was talking to said that President Bush was very clear in his speech yesterday that he believes the Palestinian people deserve new and different leaders. And the administration is calling for local and national elections.

It's interesting. The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, says he is also calling for those elections. And, as we heard in Matthew Chance's report, he is indicating that he was elected during democratic elections. Kyra, this administration is not really answering the question, "What if Yasser Arafat happens to be reelected?" The sense we are getting from White House aides is, they think that would not happen, that the Palestinian people are looking for someone else beyond the status quo -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kelly, what is the White House saying to those who say the speech is just asking more of the Palestinians than the Israelis?

WALLACE: Well, it is certainly tough on the Palestinians. And it got a bit tougher after last week's back-to-back suicide bombings in Israel, the president really coming to the conclusion, according to senior aides, that, in order for there to be progress, you had to have new leadership. But the message we're getting today is the White House saying the Israelis need to take steps as well, that they need to do things, including, at some point, withdrawing to those positions that existed back during September of 2000. The message from White House aides is, the president is calling on all parties -- the Israelis, the Palestinians and the Arab leaders -- to do their part and to heed the president's call -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: What about Arab leaders? Are they on board with this call for a new Palestinian leadership?

WALLACE: Unclear at this time -- so far reaction fairly positive from Arab leaders. Certainly, Secretary of State Colin Powell has been working the phones, reaching out to the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. These countries definitely want to see peace in the region. They are very supportive of the creation of a Palestinian state over a three-year time line.

The big question is, these leaders have certainly been putting pressure on the administration to negotiate with Yasser Arafat, saying he is the leader of the Palestinian people. So, we will have to watch and see how these leaders respond to the president's call for new leadership of the Palestinian people -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Our Kelly Wallace live at White House -- thanks, Kelly.

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