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CNN Live At Daybreak
More Steps on Road to Peace in Middle East
Aired May 29, 2003 - 05:31 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: More steps are being taken on the road to peace in the Middle East. Today the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers are meeting and next week they will meet with President Bush.
Jerrold Kessel live in Jerusalem to bring us up to date -- good morning, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
More steps on the road to peace, but more violence on the ground. Three initiated Israeli military actions, two in Gaza, one in the West Bank. Two Palestinian extremists shot and killed by the Israelis forces in those actions. Down in Gaza, also, Israel in the search for terror infrastructure demolishing a number of Palestinian buildings.
But while this is ominous before the meeting later today, the second meeting between the two prime ministers, something more positive, and that's conciliatory talk and at least a declaration of positive intent, if not a major breakthrough. And that coming from Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister. In his second interview with an Israeli newspaper in successive days, the Palestinian prime minister says he hopes, he plans, he might be able to get the most extreme Palestinian group, or one of the most extreme Islamic groups, Hamas, to sign onto a cease-fire to stop attacks on Israeli civilians. That, Mr. Abbas says, will be his objective next week.
But Hamas may have something to go with, to say on that, Carol. And it's not clear whether they will be as equally conciliatory with the Palestinian prime minister. But the Israeli prime minister has also been talking recently in conciliatory tones. When they go into this meeting, however, they still are with their present positions, which are not really conciliatory. The Israelis saying the Palestinians must move forcefully against the militant groups, only then can Israel make its message. The Palestinians say the Israelis must stop their actions, then they can get that cease-fire.
Perhaps it'll all need to wait for President Bush next week -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We'll see.
Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem this morning.
For more on the Middle East peace effort, just click onto our Web site. The address, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN. 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 May 29, 2003 - 05:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: More steps are being taken on the road to peace in the Middle East. Today the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers are meeting and next week they will meet with President Bush.
Jerrold Kessel live in Jerusalem to bring us up to date -- good morning, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
More steps on the road to peace, but more violence on the ground. Three initiated Israeli military actions, two in Gaza, one in the West Bank. Two Palestinian extremists shot and killed by the Israelis forces in those actions. Down in Gaza, also, Israel in the search for terror infrastructure demolishing a number of Palestinian buildings.
But while this is ominous before the meeting later today, the second meeting between the two prime ministers, something more positive, and that's conciliatory talk and at least a declaration of positive intent, if not a major breakthrough. And that coming from Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister. In his second interview with an Israeli newspaper in successive days, the Palestinian prime minister says he hopes, he plans, he might be able to get the most extreme Palestinian group, or one of the most extreme Islamic groups, Hamas, to sign onto a cease-fire to stop attacks on Israeli civilians. That, Mr. Abbas says, will be his objective next week.
But Hamas may have something to go with, to say on that, Carol. And it's not clear whether they will be as equally conciliatory with the Palestinian prime minister. But the Israeli prime minister has also been talking recently in conciliatory tones. When they go into this meeting, however, they still are with their present positions, which are not really conciliatory. The Israelis saying the Palestinians must move forcefully against the militant groups, only then can Israel make its message. The Palestinians say the Israelis must stop their actions, then they can get that cease-fire.
Perhaps it'll all need to wait for President Bush next week -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We'll see.
Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem this morning.
For more on the Middle East peace effort, just click onto our Web site. The address, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
