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CNN Live Today

Israelis Warily Watch Iraqi Situation

Aired December 12, 2002 - 10:33   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now to the crisis in the Middle East. Israelis are watching the ongoing conflict with Iraq closely, wondering whether another Gulf War could mean a repeat of Iraqi Scud attacks on Israel back in 1991.
Many believe that there is no way to escape the dangers that lurk beyond their borders.

CNN's Kelly Wallace reports now from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yoalza Evy (ph) shows us exactly where he and his wife will go inside of their reinforced closet if their neighborhood once again is hit by Iraqi Scud missiles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope not to be a long time.

WALLACE: But Zaevy (ph) won't leave his home if missiles strike. His building in the neighborhood of Ramat Zahn (ph), east of Tel Aviv, had to be completely rebuilt. It was destroyed by one of the 39 Iraqi Scud missiles fired at Israel during the Gulf War.

Zaevy (ph) himself narrowly escaped an attack, leaving work a half hour before a missile destroyed his office and several homes. His wife says Israelis don't have a place to go where they can be totally safe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Israel, we have constant threats without Iraq. It's not only Iraq, it's the Hezbollah in the north, and the Palestinians in the west and in the east, so we have always threats.

WALLACE (on camera): To escape the violence here, many Israelis often go on vacation abroad. In fact, one-third of the population travels outside Israel every year. But now Israelis have a new worry -- worry they could be targeted wherever they might go.

(voice-over): This, after the twin attacks in Mombasa, Kenya. A suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel, and an attempted shoot down of an Israeli plane. At this Jerusalem cafe, most say they will still travel abroad. Only this man said he would make some adjustments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will not demonstrate being an Israeli. There have been times that this was good to be an Israeli, but unfortunately, not now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't like this way. If I go, I go as I am.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't change my lifestyle. Don't ask me why, maybe it's a foolish thing, but I'm not afraid.

WALLACE: Back in Ramat Zahn (ph), not everyone plans to stay put if war breaks out. This woman was just a few block away when a Scud destroyed her mother's home in 1991.

"I will go to Eilat in southern Israel," she says. "There is no way I will stick around. It was too traumatic last time."

And some Israelis fear Saddam Hussein could pose a bigger threat to Israel this time around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because last time, he didn't use chemical weapons or biological weapons, and it didn't help him a lot, you know? So I think maybe this time maybe he is going to use chemical weapons.

WALLACE: But there was not a lot of activity at this gas mask distribution center nearby. Perhaps one sign many Israelis are learning to live with fear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: Overall, most of the Israelis we talked to showed some anxiety, but most say they are not afraid about a possible war with Iraq or any terror attack abroad. Life goes on here, one Israeli man told us, and he said, recent events show that what happens here could happen anywhere else in the world -- Leon.

HARRIS: Now Kelly, has that country's policy gotten any clearer, and has there been any clearing up of the consensus among the people there about whether or not Israel will strike back if they are hit this time around by Scuds from Iraq?

WALLACE: Well, a lot of concern here. Many Israelis believe it was a show of weakness not to respond to those Iraqi Scud attacks back in 1991. What the Israeli government will say -- it won't say, it won't make it clear if it would respond in the case of any Iraqi attack this time around.

What you do get a sense, though, is there will be coordination between the Israeli government and the American administration if there is any response, and as part of that possible coordination, before any military action in Iraq, the U.S. under-secretary of Defense, Douglas Fife (ph), was in Jerusalem today meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Sharon -- Leon.

HARRIS: Kelly Wallace reporting live for us from the afternoon -- late afternoon hours there in Jerusalem. Thanks, Kelly.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired December 12, 2002 - 10:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now to the crisis in the Middle East. Israelis are watching the ongoing conflict with Iraq closely, wondering whether another Gulf War could mean a repeat of Iraqi Scud attacks on Israel back in 1991.
Many believe that there is no way to escape the dangers that lurk beyond their borders.

CNN's Kelly Wallace reports now from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yoalza Evy (ph) shows us exactly where he and his wife will go inside of their reinforced closet if their neighborhood once again is hit by Iraqi Scud missiles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope not to be a long time.

WALLACE: But Zaevy (ph) won't leave his home if missiles strike. His building in the neighborhood of Ramat Zahn (ph), east of Tel Aviv, had to be completely rebuilt. It was destroyed by one of the 39 Iraqi Scud missiles fired at Israel during the Gulf War.

Zaevy (ph) himself narrowly escaped an attack, leaving work a half hour before a missile destroyed his office and several homes. His wife says Israelis don't have a place to go where they can be totally safe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Israel, we have constant threats without Iraq. It's not only Iraq, it's the Hezbollah in the north, and the Palestinians in the west and in the east, so we have always threats.

WALLACE (on camera): To escape the violence here, many Israelis often go on vacation abroad. In fact, one-third of the population travels outside Israel every year. But now Israelis have a new worry -- worry they could be targeted wherever they might go.

(voice-over): This, after the twin attacks in Mombasa, Kenya. A suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel, and an attempted shoot down of an Israeli plane. At this Jerusalem cafe, most say they will still travel abroad. Only this man said he would make some adjustments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will not demonstrate being an Israeli. There have been times that this was good to be an Israeli, but unfortunately, not now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't like this way. If I go, I go as I am.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't change my lifestyle. Don't ask me why, maybe it's a foolish thing, but I'm not afraid.

WALLACE: Back in Ramat Zahn (ph), not everyone plans to stay put if war breaks out. This woman was just a few block away when a Scud destroyed her mother's home in 1991.

"I will go to Eilat in southern Israel," she says. "There is no way I will stick around. It was too traumatic last time."

And some Israelis fear Saddam Hussein could pose a bigger threat to Israel this time around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because last time, he didn't use chemical weapons or biological weapons, and it didn't help him a lot, you know? So I think maybe this time maybe he is going to use chemical weapons.

WALLACE: But there was not a lot of activity at this gas mask distribution center nearby. Perhaps one sign many Israelis are learning to live with fear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: Overall, most of the Israelis we talked to showed some anxiety, but most say they are not afraid about a possible war with Iraq or any terror attack abroad. Life goes on here, one Israeli man told us, and he said, recent events show that what happens here could happen anywhere else in the world -- Leon.

HARRIS: Now Kelly, has that country's policy gotten any clearer, and has there been any clearing up of the consensus among the people there about whether or not Israel will strike back if they are hit this time around by Scuds from Iraq?

WALLACE: Well, a lot of concern here. Many Israelis believe it was a show of weakness not to respond to those Iraqi Scud attacks back in 1991. What the Israeli government will say -- it won't say, it won't make it clear if it would respond in the case of any Iraqi attack this time around.

What you do get a sense, though, is there will be coordination between the Israeli government and the American administration if there is any response, and as part of that possible coordination, before any military action in Iraq, the U.S. under-secretary of Defense, Douglas Fife (ph), was in Jerusalem today meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Sharon -- Leon.

HARRIS: Kelly Wallace reporting live for us from the afternoon -- late afternoon hours there in Jerusalem. Thanks, Kelly.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com