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CNN Live Saturday
Interview With Henry Siegman
Aired June 07, 2003 - 14:26 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: For more insight we turn to Henry Siegman with the Council on Foreign Relations, and he directs the council's U.S. Middle East Project and joins us now from New York. Good to see you.
HENRY SIEGMAN, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, so Hamas says thanks, but no thanks for continued talks with the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Is Abbas powerless?
SIEGMAN: Well, he's not powerless if he's not left alone, so to speak. He needs help from Israel, and the forum of changes on the ground that will make life easier, more bearable for Palestinians who have lived now for several years under the most terrible conditions.
WHITFIELD: And you're talking about changes such as the settlements, but already Ariel Sharon has said that they certainly want people to leave these settlements, but he's been criticized as not actually having done anything as of yet.
SIEGMAN: Settlements are a separate issue, and we'll get to that in a moment, but the changes I'm referring to is the ability of Palestinians in towns and villages and cities throughout the West Bank to resume normal life. They haven't been able to go send their children to schools. They haven't been able in many cases even to go out to buy food, to get to medical clinics, because they are physically isolated. The roads have been cut. So that's the first major improvement that has to happen if there's to be support, Palestinian support for a peace process. And so far, it hasn't happened.
WHITFIELD: So what specifically would Sharon have to do to convince Palestinians that he is trying to be proactive and meet some of the demands that you just described?
SIEGMAN: Well, he has to do two things. First, what he has to do is remove the closures, to open the roads, to enable some economic life to resume, and for people to earn a living, however modest. And he must also give some sign that he is serious about removing the outposts to which he pledged himself. He said he would do that. And the road map requires them also to stop all further activity in the settlements.
So far, he has given -- what he has said that he would remove the outposts, nothing has happened, and nothing has happened with respect to the settlements.
WHITFIELD: Now, these plans, or these proposed plans are expected to involve U.S. monitors. How involved should the U.S. be in monitoring or supervising these actions when and if they do take place?
SIEGMAN: Well, the monitors' role is critical, it is very important, because in the past, as you know there have been so many initiatives in the past that failed. Each party accused the other of not abiding by the terms of whatever that initiative happened to be.
And this will happen again, unless there is a neutral body on the ground, one that both sides trust, and one that says who is responsible for violating agreements, who is keeping their promises, which enables the United States then and the international community to demand and to impose sanctions if these violations occur.
WHITFIELD: Henry Siegman, thank you very much for joining us with the Council on Foreign Relations.
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 7, 2003 - 14:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: For more insight we turn to Henry Siegman with the Council on Foreign Relations, and he directs the council's U.S. Middle East Project and joins us now from New York. Good to see you.
HENRY SIEGMAN, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, so Hamas says thanks, but no thanks for continued talks with the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Is Abbas powerless?
SIEGMAN: Well, he's not powerless if he's not left alone, so to speak. He needs help from Israel, and the forum of changes on the ground that will make life easier, more bearable for Palestinians who have lived now for several years under the most terrible conditions.
WHITFIELD: And you're talking about changes such as the settlements, but already Ariel Sharon has said that they certainly want people to leave these settlements, but he's been criticized as not actually having done anything as of yet.
SIEGMAN: Settlements are a separate issue, and we'll get to that in a moment, but the changes I'm referring to is the ability of Palestinians in towns and villages and cities throughout the West Bank to resume normal life. They haven't been able to go send their children to schools. They haven't been able in many cases even to go out to buy food, to get to medical clinics, because they are physically isolated. The roads have been cut. So that's the first major improvement that has to happen if there's to be support, Palestinian support for a peace process. And so far, it hasn't happened.
WHITFIELD: So what specifically would Sharon have to do to convince Palestinians that he is trying to be proactive and meet some of the demands that you just described?
SIEGMAN: Well, he has to do two things. First, what he has to do is remove the closures, to open the roads, to enable some economic life to resume, and for people to earn a living, however modest. And he must also give some sign that he is serious about removing the outposts to which he pledged himself. He said he would do that. And the road map requires them also to stop all further activity in the settlements.
So far, he has given -- what he has said that he would remove the outposts, nothing has happened, and nothing has happened with respect to the settlements.
WHITFIELD: Now, these plans, or these proposed plans are expected to involve U.S. monitors. How involved should the U.S. be in monitoring or supervising these actions when and if they do take place?
SIEGMAN: Well, the monitors' role is critical, it is very important, because in the past, as you know there have been so many initiatives in the past that failed. Each party accused the other of not abiding by the terms of whatever that initiative happened to be.
And this will happen again, unless there is a neutral body on the ground, one that both sides trust, and one that says who is responsible for violating agreements, who is keeping their promises, which enables the United States then and the international community to demand and to impose sanctions if these violations occur.
WHITFIELD: Henry Siegman, thank you very much for joining us with the Council on Foreign Relations.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
