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CNN Live At Daybreak

Election Eve in Israel

Aired January 27, 2003 - 05:38   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk Israel now. It is election eve in Israel, a most crucial election, as Israeli voters choose the next parliament and prime minister. It will be Israel's fifth government in the past 10 years.
CNN's Kelly Wallace is live in Tel Aviv for us this morning -- and, Kelly, lots of violence over the weekend out of the Gaza Strip.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lots of violence, Carol, and security expected to be the dominant issue in this election. Another big story, though, just how unexcited voters are about their options. We spent much of the day yesterday in Netanya, the site of the deadliest suicide bombing in Israel since this latest intifada began more than two years ago.

There we found many depressed voters. We also found two men who said that they have always voted in the past. This time, though, they say they won't go to the polls.

We asked them why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I think that it will change nothing. I think that the problem that we have here in Israel, it's not only a local problem. We need to see the whole global problem that it's finitism (ph).

WALLACE: Shaya (ph), let me ask you, isn't there any party you could vote for that could bring, possibly bring change to this country? SHAYA: I don't think so. The situation in this country, it's not the government that is going to change it, not Sharon and not Mitzna. We already have Sharon and we are thinking that he's going to take another convention and it's not going to change nothing, nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The latest polls show the Likud Party, led by Prime Minister Sharon, with a solid lead. So the expectation is the prime minister will hold onto his job. The question then becomes will he be able to put together a stable coalition government? Carol, many Israelis don't think he'll be able to do that. Many Israelis expect to be back at the polls again very soon -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And if he is unable to do that, tell us why Americans should care about this, Kelly. WALLACE: Well, a lot of reasons, of course. First, Prime Minister Sharon has a very close relationship with President Bush. Also, Prime Minister Sharon certainly has his views about how to handle the current conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. If he is forced to put together, Carol, a narrow, right-wing religious coalition, well, those parties might not allow him to make some concessions down the road with the Palestinians.

So that could have enormous implications for the United States. Many people think the Americans, after any possible operation in Iraq, will come to this issue and put more pressure on the Israelis and the Palestinians to try and make some concessions for peace -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kelly Wallace, thanks for putting things in perspective for us.

Kelly Wallace live from Tel Aviv this morning.

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 January 27, 2003 - 05:38   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk Israel now. It is election eve in Israel, a most crucial election, as Israeli voters choose the next parliament and prime minister. It will be Israel's fifth government in the past 10 years.
CNN's Kelly Wallace is live in Tel Aviv for us this morning -- and, Kelly, lots of violence over the weekend out of the Gaza Strip.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lots of violence, Carol, and security expected to be the dominant issue in this election. Another big story, though, just how unexcited voters are about their options. We spent much of the day yesterday in Netanya, the site of the deadliest suicide bombing in Israel since this latest intifada began more than two years ago.

There we found many depressed voters. We also found two men who said that they have always voted in the past. This time, though, they say they won't go to the polls.

We asked them why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I think that it will change nothing. I think that the problem that we have here in Israel, it's not only a local problem. We need to see the whole global problem that it's finitism (ph).

WALLACE: Shaya (ph), let me ask you, isn't there any party you could vote for that could bring, possibly bring change to this country? SHAYA: I don't think so. The situation in this country, it's not the government that is going to change it, not Sharon and not Mitzna. We already have Sharon and we are thinking that he's going to take another convention and it's not going to change nothing, nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The latest polls show the Likud Party, led by Prime Minister Sharon, with a solid lead. So the expectation is the prime minister will hold onto his job. The question then becomes will he be able to put together a stable coalition government? Carol, many Israelis don't think he'll be able to do that. Many Israelis expect to be back at the polls again very soon -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And if he is unable to do that, tell us why Americans should care about this, Kelly. WALLACE: Well, a lot of reasons, of course. First, Prime Minister Sharon has a very close relationship with President Bush. Also, Prime Minister Sharon certainly has his views about how to handle the current conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. If he is forced to put together, Carol, a narrow, right-wing religious coalition, well, those parties might not allow him to make some concessions down the road with the Palestinians.

So that could have enormous implications for the United States. Many people think the Americans, after any possible operation in Iraq, will come to this issue and put more pressure on the Israelis and the Palestinians to try and make some concessions for peace -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kelly Wallace, thanks for putting things in perspective for us.

Kelly Wallace live from Tel Aviv this morning.

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