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Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Has to Call for Early Elections
Aired November 05, 2002 - 06:22 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Major developments today in Israeli politics. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had to call for early elections after failing to put together a new coalition government.
Let's take you live to Jerusalem now and speak with Jerrold Kessel, who's been following this for us -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Catherine, as the world watches the U.S. midterm elections, the word coming out is of cliff hanger and of parity. It couldn't be more different with regard to the Israeli elections, as their election campaign gets under way today for what will be an election in the first week in February.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon effectively kicking off the election campaign as he announced that he was being pressed to and will now accede to the idea of an early election, stressed three things -- unity, national responsibility and stability, a message which he seemed to be gearing as much to the Israeli people as across the ocean to Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I will not change the government's basic lines nor will I impair the profound strategic agreements and understandings we have with the United States. Nor will I turn my back on the major achievements that the government has achieved with the White House under my leadership. Nor will I break the budgetary limits. I will get the budget passed in a second and third reading as soon as possible without modifying the level of the deficit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: No change in policy, says Ariel Sharon. That cuts little ice with the Palestinians, who say anyway his policies have been absolutely rotten. Here the first reaction from the Palestinian side to this news that they'll be an early Israeli poll from the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: We hope that the Israeli people will elect a government that can deliver peace. The Israeli people deserve a government that will take them to the shores of peace. In the last two years we have seen time wasted. We have seen more settlements, a deepening of the conflict and we really hope that the Israeli people this time will choose a government capable of delivering peace in the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: It'll be an unusual election because it'll be fought in the midst of these ongoing battles with the Palestinians and also with that looming possibility of a U.S. military campaign against Saddam Hussein's Iraq. But the fact that the Israelis are going to the polls in this regard in the midst of that possible campaign in Iraq could also be seen as a message to the United States that Israel will be involved with its own affairs and perhaps will not be involved in any which way in that U.S. campaign against Iraq. That's something that's also a positive message that'll be received in Washington -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you, Jerrold.
Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Elections>
Aired November 5, 2002 - 06:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Major developments today in Israeli politics. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had to call for early elections after failing to put together a new coalition government.
Let's take you live to Jerusalem now and speak with Jerrold Kessel, who's been following this for us -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Catherine, as the world watches the U.S. midterm elections, the word coming out is of cliff hanger and of parity. It couldn't be more different with regard to the Israeli elections, as their election campaign gets under way today for what will be an election in the first week in February.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon effectively kicking off the election campaign as he announced that he was being pressed to and will now accede to the idea of an early election, stressed three things -- unity, national responsibility and stability, a message which he seemed to be gearing as much to the Israeli people as across the ocean to Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I will not change the government's basic lines nor will I impair the profound strategic agreements and understandings we have with the United States. Nor will I turn my back on the major achievements that the government has achieved with the White House under my leadership. Nor will I break the budgetary limits. I will get the budget passed in a second and third reading as soon as possible without modifying the level of the deficit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: No change in policy, says Ariel Sharon. That cuts little ice with the Palestinians, who say anyway his policies have been absolutely rotten. Here the first reaction from the Palestinian side to this news that they'll be an early Israeli poll from the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: We hope that the Israeli people will elect a government that can deliver peace. The Israeli people deserve a government that will take them to the shores of peace. In the last two years we have seen time wasted. We have seen more settlements, a deepening of the conflict and we really hope that the Israeli people this time will choose a government capable of delivering peace in the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: It'll be an unusual election because it'll be fought in the midst of these ongoing battles with the Palestinians and also with that looming possibility of a U.S. military campaign against Saddam Hussein's Iraq. But the fact that the Israelis are going to the polls in this regard in the midst of that possible campaign in Iraq could also be seen as a message to the United States that Israel will be involved with its own affairs and perhaps will not be involved in any which way in that U.S. campaign against Iraq. That's something that's also a positive message that'll be received in Washington -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you, Jerrold.
Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Elections>
