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CNN Live At Daybreak

War in Iraq: Israeli Reaction

Aired March 26, 2003 - 05:46   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We are going next to Jerusalem because a lot of our focus over the last couple of hours has been how this war in Iraq is playing, if one can use that term, in a larger Arab context throughout the Arab world, particularly throughout the Muslim world.
We want to check in with Jerrold Kessel who is in Jerusalem for a look at how the Palestinians are reacting to what has been going on in Iraq -- Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Anderson.

And you could say that there are two key words in that, solidarity and linkage. You certainly do see a good deal of solidarity on the Palestinian street, ordinary Palestinians, just like the rest of the Arab world, perhaps even more so, feeling solidarity with, not so much with Saddam Hussein, although there is with the -- with Saddam Hussein himself personally as well, people wearing key shirts but waving Iraqi flags at regular demonstrations, but certainly solidarity with the Iraqi people.

Now the question of the leadership of the Palestinian Authority is another matter. What they've done is they've taken the general position that this war is a wrong war, that it should have been solved by peaceful means and have been against the United States invasion, the United States war on Iraq, as they put it. But they stop short of going beyond that because they are hoping for the issue of linkage to come to the fore, that there will be a linkage between -- or the war in Iraq and the later attempt to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

And Palestinian leadership has been buoyed (ph) by the fact that not only British Prime Minister Tony Blair brought that up yesterday but that Secretary of State Colin Powell made the point that when the -- that so-called roadmap to peace, Middle East roadmap to peace will be issued, it will be in the form that it was first designed back in December. And that that will come to the fore once the Palestinians have a new prime minister and a full -- a fully approved cabinet in place. That's what the Palestinian leadership is hoping for.

And it's precisely what the Israelis are not hoping for a linkage between the ongoing war in Iraq and the resolution of the Palestinian- Israeli question. But it already indeed, even if you do find the solidarity on the Palestinian side, you see both sides looking to the day after -- Anderson.

COOPER: Well, Jerrold, how closely is this story -- I mean, obviously this story is being followed extraordinarily closely both by Palestinians and Israelis. Just give us a sense, you know, in the Israeli media. I mean has this captivated Israelis? Are they watching this thing 24 hours a day on television like everyone else?

KESSEL: Well Israelis have been on the sidelines and that absolutely delights them. That's what they want to be on the sidelines of this war. It's obviously where the United States wants Israel to be.

But having said that, to say that they're disconnected from this war couldn't be further from the truth. The Israelis are absolutely transfixed by it as if it was their war as well. And you see this in a -- in a -- in a practical way, you see it in the sense of the coverage on television, the involvement with that. But you also see it in what Israelis are doing.

And now for a week as they whiz (ph) or went on a high alert at the possibility that Saddam Hussein would launch a counter attack, if you like, against -- after the U.S. launched its actions, the Israelis have been told to maintain routine. Now they're trying to strike that balance between high alert and routine and that's why you get a degree is dissidence in the behavior of the Israeli people. They are told to keep their gas masks with them at all times, yet more and more people are not taking their gas masks with them. And at the same time, even if they don't do, so there remains that nagging doubt that they could yet come under attack.

So while you feel that Israelis have felt gratified and impressed by the fact that the United States and other special forces have gone into western Iraq, taken over a major airfield there, the belief is that hasn't eradicated completely the threat from western Iraq against Israel as this war continues -- Anderson.

COOPER: It's always -- it's always interesting to know what people throughout the world in different parts of the world with different ideologies are thinking as they see these imagines. It would be fascinating to know what is going through the mind of Yasser Arafat at this point as he watches what is going on in Iraq.

Jerrold Kessel, live from Jerusalem, thanks very much.

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 March 26, 2003 - 05:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We are going next to Jerusalem because a lot of our focus over the last couple of hours has been how this war in Iraq is playing, if one can use that term, in a larger Arab context throughout the Arab world, particularly throughout the Muslim world.
We want to check in with Jerrold Kessel who is in Jerusalem for a look at how the Palestinians are reacting to what has been going on in Iraq -- Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Anderson.

And you could say that there are two key words in that, solidarity and linkage. You certainly do see a good deal of solidarity on the Palestinian street, ordinary Palestinians, just like the rest of the Arab world, perhaps even more so, feeling solidarity with, not so much with Saddam Hussein, although there is with the -- with Saddam Hussein himself personally as well, people wearing key shirts but waving Iraqi flags at regular demonstrations, but certainly solidarity with the Iraqi people.

Now the question of the leadership of the Palestinian Authority is another matter. What they've done is they've taken the general position that this war is a wrong war, that it should have been solved by peaceful means and have been against the United States invasion, the United States war on Iraq, as they put it. But they stop short of going beyond that because they are hoping for the issue of linkage to come to the fore, that there will be a linkage between -- or the war in Iraq and the later attempt to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

And Palestinian leadership has been buoyed (ph) by the fact that not only British Prime Minister Tony Blair brought that up yesterday but that Secretary of State Colin Powell made the point that when the -- that so-called roadmap to peace, Middle East roadmap to peace will be issued, it will be in the form that it was first designed back in December. And that that will come to the fore once the Palestinians have a new prime minister and a full -- a fully approved cabinet in place. That's what the Palestinian leadership is hoping for.

And it's precisely what the Israelis are not hoping for a linkage between the ongoing war in Iraq and the resolution of the Palestinian- Israeli question. But it already indeed, even if you do find the solidarity on the Palestinian side, you see both sides looking to the day after -- Anderson.

COOPER: Well, Jerrold, how closely is this story -- I mean, obviously this story is being followed extraordinarily closely both by Palestinians and Israelis. Just give us a sense, you know, in the Israeli media. I mean has this captivated Israelis? Are they watching this thing 24 hours a day on television like everyone else?

KESSEL: Well Israelis have been on the sidelines and that absolutely delights them. That's what they want to be on the sidelines of this war. It's obviously where the United States wants Israel to be.

But having said that, to say that they're disconnected from this war couldn't be further from the truth. The Israelis are absolutely transfixed by it as if it was their war as well. And you see this in a -- in a -- in a practical way, you see it in the sense of the coverage on television, the involvement with that. But you also see it in what Israelis are doing.

And now for a week as they whiz (ph) or went on a high alert at the possibility that Saddam Hussein would launch a counter attack, if you like, against -- after the U.S. launched its actions, the Israelis have been told to maintain routine. Now they're trying to strike that balance between high alert and routine and that's why you get a degree is dissidence in the behavior of the Israeli people. They are told to keep their gas masks with them at all times, yet more and more people are not taking their gas masks with them. And at the same time, even if they don't do, so there remains that nagging doubt that they could yet come under attack.

So while you feel that Israelis have felt gratified and impressed by the fact that the United States and other special forces have gone into western Iraq, taken over a major airfield there, the belief is that hasn't eradicated completely the threat from western Iraq against Israel as this war continues -- Anderson.

COOPER: It's always -- it's always interesting to know what people throughout the world in different parts of the world with different ideologies are thinking as they see these imagines. It would be fascinating to know what is going through the mind of Yasser Arafat at this point as he watches what is going on in Iraq.

Jerrold Kessel, live from Jerusalem, thanks very much.

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