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CNN Live At Daybreak
Israeli, Palestinian Representatives Discuss the Conflict in the Middle East
Aired June 26, 2001 - 07:35 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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Secretary of State Colin Powell leaves tonight for the Middle East. It is part of the Bush administration's efforts to bring stability to that region.
So let's get more on today's meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Bush.
Ra'anan Gissin, a spokesman for the prime minister, joins us this morning from New York.
Good morning, Mr. Gissin.
RA'ANAN GISSIN, SPOKESMAN FOR ARIEL SHARON: Good morning, Carol.
LIN: So what is it that the prime minister hopes to get out of his meeting today with President Bush? And I think he also meets with Colin Powell as well before Colin Powell leaves for the Middle East.
GISSIN: Well, I think it's not just the prime minister; it's the people of Israel and the people of -- in the Middle East at large to bring about a cessation of hostility, a cease-fire, which will enable us to move along in the Mitchell report, in the Mitchell Commission report -- which we have adopted and we have accepted -- and to implement Tenet's proposal for a cease-fire. That's what we want. That's what the Palestinian people need.
I think what's -- that's what the region needs. And I think that will be the focal point of the discussion.
LIN: Well, the focal point seems to be that there is a somewhat of a fragile cease-fire in place. And the question is: How to move forward to build confidence between the both sides? Does the prime minister have specific ideas in that direction?
GISSIN: Well, first of all, let's define it in more accurate terms. There's a cease-fire. We cease and they fire. That's what happens. There's been over 15 attacks, terrorist attacks. Just yesterday, 10 people were wounded. That's the daily count.
I mean, we go to funerals, bury our dead. And on the other side, what we see is a celebration around Arafat for accepting the cease- fire. But he did not accept. He has to be tested by deeds. He has to stop the incitement. He has to arrest those who are ticking-bombs, who are actually preparing right this minute terrorist attacks inside Israel.
He has to break up that terrorist coalition that he built around him, including his own forces, Force 17, Hezbollah, the -- and other terrorist organizations which are now operating inside Israel. That's not a way to do a cease-fire. I mean, the Tenet report prescribes exactly what has to be done. And Arafat has not complied yet.
LIN: Mr. Gissin, would it be helpful, then, to keep the dialog open on all sides? Would it be helpful for President Bush to invite Yasser Arafat to the White House as well?
GISSIN: On the contrary. On the contrary. I think the only time that this person will be willing to accept peace, to accept negotiations is by default.
In other words, when all the other options will be closed to him, when he has no terrorist option, when he sees that the cost of that is too high, then perhaps, maybe, there will be a chance to move back to the negotiation table without hostilities, without violence, without incitement. But he will do that only under pressure. So, therefore, the most important thing right now is to exert maximum pressure, and particularly pressure from the United States, because that is very important for him, to cease hostilities completely, not a reduction of hostilities, but a cessation of hostilities, violence and incitement.
LIN: Israeli and American intelligence now indicates that Osama bin Laden is trying to gain a foothold in and around Israel. Do you think that this is a common threat that Israel holds with the Palestinians? And is this something that the two sides can work together in terms of security cooperation?
GISSIN: There's no doubt that today the most immediate threat facing the Middle East, facing Israel and facing the interests of the United States, is the threat of international, regional and local terrorism, which now gets a boost because the Palestinian Authority is harboring and assisting these organizations to operate...
LIN: Do you feel that they're harboring and assisting Osama bin Laden?
GISSIN: We have an indication in the past that Osama bin Laden tried to operate in Israel. And we have also captured someone involved in that. And there are clear indications today from both intelligence services that, indeed, that is the case.
That network has to be broken if we are to ensure that there will be stability in the Middle East and that the area does not deteriorate and there will be no escalation. Therefore, there is a joint interest between Israel and the United States. As a matter of fact, I would even add to that all the free world and including the European countries, to present a united front and a concerted effort to fight this terrorist wave and to break it up.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much. I wish we had more time. Mr. Ra'anan Gissin...
GISSIN: Thank you.
LIN: ... spokesperson for Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon.
Right now we are joined by the other side. We are joined by Hasan Abdel Rahman. He is a PLO representative to the United States.
Good morning, Mr. Rahman.
HASAN ABDEL RAHMAN, PLO REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED STATES: Good morning.
LIN: Well, let me begin with the last question that I asked Mr. Gissin.
As you know, Israel and American intelligence sources are saying that Osama bin Laden is trying to gain a foothold in and around Israel and may strike against interests sometime in the next two weeks.
Mr. Gissin seems to feel that the Palestinians might have information that could be helpful to the Israelis in preventing such an attack. Do you see this as a common threat. And is this an area in which the Palestinians can work with the Israelis?
RAHMAN: I feel the threat that we are facing at this point is as a result of the state-sponsored terrorism conducted by the Israeli government against the Palestinian population. Remember that the Palestinian people have been suffering under the longest military occupation in modern history.
For 34 years, the Palestinian people are denied their basic rights because they live under Israeli military occupation. There are 200,000 Jewish zealots living in the West Bank...
LIN: So Mr. Rahman...
(CROSSTALK)
RAHMAN: Armed and protected by the Israeli government. They are engaged in a rampage of violence against the Palestinians, which, under international law is considered to be war crimes.
LIN: So I'm assuming...
RAHMAN: Now, as far as...
(CROSSTALK)
RAHMAN: As far as Mr. Osama bin Laden is concerned, I have no information. I am sure that the Israelis are engaged in a war of propaganda against the Palestinians. And they want to delegitimize the struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom and for independence by accusing the Palestinians of associations with the so- called terrorist organizations.
You know that we can not have control over everybody. Not even the United States could control the people of Osama bin Laden here in the United States. So this is absolutely ridiculous what Mr. Gissin is talking about.
LIN: What he is also talking about is that the Palestinians are indeed in control -- the PLO, the Palestinian Authority is and are in control of actions on the ground. What guarantees do the Palestinians have to bring to the table to try to meet a term that the Israelis are now calling zero violence on the part of the Palestinians?
RAHMAN: First of all, how could we have total control if we only have control over 18 percent of the West Bank in Gaza? And 82 percent of the West Bank in Gaza are under Israeli military control. This is absolutely turning the truth upside down.
The Israeli really have total control over all of Palestine because the Palestinian territories is under siege by the Israelis. They are closed off by the Israeli military from Jordan and from Egypt. Every city is -- we're cut off from other cities. Villages are under siege. So what is he talking about? Is he trying to fool the world? The world is not blind to what Israel is doing in the Palestinian territories.
We are trying our utmost to control our people. But Israel is not trying its utmost to control its settlers and its army violence against the Palestinians.
(CROSSTALK)
RAHMAN: We have to have -- we have to have -- here, there is no possibility of zero violence anywhere. There can be 100 percent effort, which we will be exerting. But Israel, who is engaged in mafia-like-style assassination of Palestinian leaders, who control the lives of the Palestinians, who are depriving the Palestinians of their basic freedom...
LIN: Mr. Rahman...
RAHMAN: ... should create the environment to...
LIN: Let's be clear on this.
RAHMAN: Yes.
LIN: Let's be -- excuse me for interrupting here. Let's be clear on this day, as it appears that all sides are trying to move the peace process forward, are the Palestinians willing to walk away from this peace process? Are the Palestinians still talking about declaring an independence day?
RAHMAN: No. We are engaged, in fact, in a diplomatic process with the United States, with the international community. We are trying to persuade Mr. Sharon to come back to the negotiating table. He looks at the situation as a security situation and not as a situation where political solutions are needed.
LIN: So, Mr. Rahman...
RAHMAN: Mr. Sharon -- Mr. Sharon refuses totally to accept the cessation of Jewish settlement in Palestinian territories.
LIN: But, Mr. Rahman, how important is it, then, to the Palestinian people that Yasser Arafat be invited to the White House, as Ariel Sharon has been...
RAHMAN: Well, listen, it is important, if the United States wanted to be fair, to -- if it is listening to one side, it should listen to the other. I mean, that's what being fair and evenhanded is all about.
But we are talking about something else now. We are talking about the responsibility of Israel and the international law not to use state-sponsored terrorism to attack Palestinians and impose collective punishment on the Palestinians. No Palestinian can move from his house to his work or to his school freely. You have 200,000 armed Jewish zealots in the West Bank and Gaza who are rampaging the Palestinian villages and towns, uprooting the trees, attacking property.
Israel must stop its onslaught on the Palestinians so we can create a climate that will allow us to move forward on the political process.
LIN: Something they're working on in Washington today. Hasan Abdel Rahman, there is never enough time to talk about this situation. Thank you very much for joining us this morning.
RAHMAN: Thank you. Thank you.
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