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CNN Live Today

Palestinian Militants Considering Cease-Fire

Aired June 16, 2003 - 11:03   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: Now to news overseas and the crisis in the Middle East. Palestinian militants are considering a cease-fire that would halt attacks against Israel. But so far, no deal has been reached.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer joins us now live from Jerusalem.

He's got the latest on the efforts to salvage the road map to peace -- hello, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.

It's a critical moment right now. By all accounts, the next 24 to 48 hours will determine if there is going to be this so-called cease-fire involving Hamas, the group on the Gaza that has targeted various Israelis, including that suicide bombing here in Jerusalem only within the past several days.

Now, I want to show our viewers some live pictures, what's happening in the Israeli Knesset, the Israeli parliament right now. The prime minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, is speaking. He's being hammered to a certain degree by leftist politicians, those more moderate, more dovish, who are saying he's deliberately trying to undermine the road map towards peace. He's also being hammered by the right, who say he's going too far talking about an occupation, an Israeli military occupation of the West Bank, suggesting that Israel is ready to make some serious concessions.

The prime minister, from his part, is simply saying that Israel is going to continue. Israel is going to continue to fight terrorism, to protect the security of the Israeli public at large.

We have some sound, what the prime minister said just a few minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Israel needs peace. Israel wants peace. The Israeli people will live here in peace. Israel's citizens need peace and quiet. The Israeli economy will manage to develop and flourish and a diplomatic process will take here. Tourists from all over the world will carry, will come back and walk through our streets. Then Israel will be able to develop its great resources and talents. And then the real Israel will appear, the Israel of science, of sophisticated industry, of outstanding music, theater, medicine, biotechnology, nanotechnology, agriculture, which is knocking on the doors of the future. All of this we can achieve. They are here, just around the corner, with us hidden from view by the dust of war, by the roar of the guns and the pools of blood. I have said time and time again that in order to achieve peace, we need security. It's not possible to achieve a diplomatic arrangement and certainly not a peace treaty when terrorism is rampaging. Israel insists on its right to live in peace and quiet and security and will never, never renounce this right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The prime minister of Israel speaking just a few moments ago on the floor, on the Knesset floor, the Israeli parliament, in the midst of a serious debate under way in the Israeli Knesset.

Meanwhile, the action, though, a lot of the action unfolding in Gaza right now. Within the past few minutes, the Palestinian Authority prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, has arrived. There have been talks under way involving top Egyptian intelligence officials as well as Hamas leaders and other Palestinians trying to determine if there can be a stop to the terrorism against Israel in exchange for some sort of unilateral Israeli withdrawal from at least the northern part of Gaza, as well as a stopping of Israeli so-called targeted killings or assassinations of Hamas leaders.

Those efforts still going on. No breakthrough by any means yet, although, as everyone seems to suggest, Palestinians and Israelis, the next 24 to 48 hours will be decisive.

One additional point. There's been a lot of discussion over the past few days of a possible NATO led, including U.S., force, a troop presence to come in and separate the Israelis and the Palestinians. The United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, has made such a proposal. Top senators in Washington have made such a proposal. The Israeli government is leaving no doubt they're opposed to U.S. troops coming in. They want to do the job, they say, by themselves.

Here's the vice prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI VICE PRIME MINISTER: Do I want one American person to be a victim of a suicidal attack? The answer is definitely no because I think that it's too dangerous and we never wanted Americans to die for us or to risk their lives for us. We are ready to fight, if necessary. But what we say, and I think what your government wants, is that the Palestinians will do what they have to do. If they will seriously fight terror, that will make the entire difference. If they will not fight, no NATO forces will be able to save them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: In marked contrast to this Israeli stance, the Palestinians are making it clear they very much would welcome some sort of third party presence, at least to try to get the Israelis, they say, off their back -- Leon.

HARRIS: Thanks, Wolf.

Wolf Blitzer reporting live for us from Jerusalem.

We'll see you again, Wolf, in about 50 minutes.

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 June 16, 2003 - 11:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to news overseas and the crisis in the Middle East. Palestinian militants are considering a cease-fire that would halt attacks against Israel. But so far, no deal has been reached.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer joins us now live from Jerusalem.

He's got the latest on the efforts to salvage the road map to peace -- hello, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.

It's a critical moment right now. By all accounts, the next 24 to 48 hours will determine if there is going to be this so-called cease-fire involving Hamas, the group on the Gaza that has targeted various Israelis, including that suicide bombing here in Jerusalem only within the past several days.

Now, I want to show our viewers some live pictures, what's happening in the Israeli Knesset, the Israeli parliament right now. The prime minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, is speaking. He's being hammered to a certain degree by leftist politicians, those more moderate, more dovish, who are saying he's deliberately trying to undermine the road map towards peace. He's also being hammered by the right, who say he's going too far talking about an occupation, an Israeli military occupation of the West Bank, suggesting that Israel is ready to make some serious concessions.

The prime minister, from his part, is simply saying that Israel is going to continue. Israel is going to continue to fight terrorism, to protect the security of the Israeli public at large.

We have some sound, what the prime minister said just a few minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Israel needs peace. Israel wants peace. The Israeli people will live here in peace. Israel's citizens need peace and quiet. The Israeli economy will manage to develop and flourish and a diplomatic process will take here. Tourists from all over the world will carry, will come back and walk through our streets. Then Israel will be able to develop its great resources and talents. And then the real Israel will appear, the Israel of science, of sophisticated industry, of outstanding music, theater, medicine, biotechnology, nanotechnology, agriculture, which is knocking on the doors of the future. All of this we can achieve. They are here, just around the corner, with us hidden from view by the dust of war, by the roar of the guns and the pools of blood. I have said time and time again that in order to achieve peace, we need security. It's not possible to achieve a diplomatic arrangement and certainly not a peace treaty when terrorism is rampaging. Israel insists on its right to live in peace and quiet and security and will never, never renounce this right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The prime minister of Israel speaking just a few moments ago on the floor, on the Knesset floor, the Israeli parliament, in the midst of a serious debate under way in the Israeli Knesset.

Meanwhile, the action, though, a lot of the action unfolding in Gaza right now. Within the past few minutes, the Palestinian Authority prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, has arrived. There have been talks under way involving top Egyptian intelligence officials as well as Hamas leaders and other Palestinians trying to determine if there can be a stop to the terrorism against Israel in exchange for some sort of unilateral Israeli withdrawal from at least the northern part of Gaza, as well as a stopping of Israeli so-called targeted killings or assassinations of Hamas leaders.

Those efforts still going on. No breakthrough by any means yet, although, as everyone seems to suggest, Palestinians and Israelis, the next 24 to 48 hours will be decisive.

One additional point. There's been a lot of discussion over the past few days of a possible NATO led, including U.S., force, a troop presence to come in and separate the Israelis and the Palestinians. The United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, has made such a proposal. Top senators in Washington have made such a proposal. The Israeli government is leaving no doubt they're opposed to U.S. troops coming in. They want to do the job, they say, by themselves.

Here's the vice prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI VICE PRIME MINISTER: Do I want one American person to be a victim of a suicidal attack? The answer is definitely no because I think that it's too dangerous and we never wanted Americans to die for us or to risk their lives for us. We are ready to fight, if necessary. But what we say, and I think what your government wants, is that the Palestinians will do what they have to do. If they will seriously fight terror, that will make the entire difference. If they will not fight, no NATO forces will be able to save them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: In marked contrast to this Israeli stance, the Palestinians are making it clear they very much would welcome some sort of third party presence, at least to try to get the Israelis, they say, off their back -- Leon.

HARRIS: Thanks, Wolf.

Wolf Blitzer reporting live for us from Jerusalem.

We'll see you again, Wolf, in about 50 minutes.

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