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CNN Live At Daybreak

Conflict In The Middle East

Aired October 01, 2001 - 07:20   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Time to focus on the Middle East now. Police said a car bomb packed with bullets exploded today in southern Jerusalem, but no one was hurt. There are reports the Islamic Jihad is claiming responsibility. It is the first such attack since a shaky cease fire became effective last month.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told CNN yesterday, "The new U.S. war on terrorism means the antagonists of the Middle East must now make choices."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIMON PERES, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER: Arafat himself understands that he has to make a choice. So do we. And the new negotiations are of value. President Bush and Secretary Colin Powell have asked us to do whatever we can to reduce tension in a very demanding situation and we do it gladly. Whatever we can do to help, we shall do it full heartedly.

We have to have the Muslims not to identify Islam with terror. They have to help themselves. You can be a religious Muslim without really identifying with any sort of terror and this is an ongoing struggle. We cannot ignore it. We cannot postpone it. We cannot close our eyes to it. And the United States, hopefully, will again provide the rest of the world with a sense of freedom and security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Joining us now from Jerusalem is Saeb Erakat, chief negotiator for the Palestinians in talks with Israel. Good to have you with us, sir. Welcome.

SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: Thank you.

ZAHN: So we cited reports that the Islamic Jihad is now claiming responsibility for this car bombing. Can you confirm that this morning?

ERAKAT: No I cannot. We don't have any information. We don't condone any attempts to kill Israeli or Palestinians civilians. For that matter, we have been engaged with Mr. Shimon Peres. I think the choice is made by the Palestinian Authority to have for a cessation of a cease fire, to restore confidence, credibility, to get the peace process back on track. I think Mr. Peres made the choice, as did Mr. Arafat. But we have a problem with Mr. Sharon and the majority of the Israeli government. Ever since the last meeting between President Arafat and Mr. Peres last Wednesday, we have 19 Palestinians killed, 1-9, 283 Palestinians injured, 37 homes demolished and tens of families became homeless, 360 acres of cultivated land was destroyed. The tactic of the closure and the siege has never been matched before.

So we really need to get the Israeli government to go with the agreement that Mr. Peres made with President Arafat. We just cannot go listening to my hometown, Jericho, being eased and opened. And, as a matter of fact, the only thing that was able to leave Jericho was myself.

ZAHN: All right, but Mr. Erakat, before you go any further, let's talk about the choice that the Palestinians made and the Islamic Jihad and Hamas have made it quite clear they're not going to listen to the Palestinian Authority. Is that your understanding?

ERAKAT: Well, there is only one Palestinian Authority. We're a society of political pluralism. People can oppose the decisions of the Palestinian Authority but at the end of the day we are one Authority and whatever part outlined will be respected by all Palestinians. I'm not saying we have a remote control to tell Palestinians what to do. I don't think they see through Arafat's eyes or listen through his ears or speak through his tongues. We are a democratic society.

But at the end of the day, every possible effort is being exerted to honor President Arafat's commitment to peace, to reviving hope, to putting the peace process back on track. As a matter of fact, Mr. Peres informed us yesterday that there have been a 90 percent reduction in the last 96 hours of activities emanating from Palestinian areas. But as a matter of fact, what we need now, we need a third party. We need the American administration to dispatch immediately an emissary to follow up the implementation with us. We need to see some monitors on the ground to tell the world who's complying and who's not complying because at the end game, I believe it's Mr. Sharon's aim is to sabotage the American efforts to have a coalition of Arab countries and Muslim countries to fight international terror. And we cannot allow this to happen.

We must see an American emissary come and help us and follow up the implementation with us and we need to see some monitors given in, Americans or others, Europeans, to see who is complying with the agreement reached and wino's not complying.

ZAHN: OK...

ERAKAT: The Palestinian Authority have made the choice...

ZAHN: Mr. Erakat...

ERAKAT: Our choice is peace.

ZAHN: ... would you concede this morning that the only reason that the two sides even attempted to enter into some sort of cease- fire agreement was because of the pressure of the United States?

ERAKAT: I'm not going to undermine the tragic, horrific events of New York and Washington September 11. But Paula, believe me, nobody on this earth needs peace more than Palestinians and Israelis. Nobody on this earth needs to revive hope that this is possible more than Palestinians and Israelis. We need to exert and continue exerting every possible effort in order to revive hope for peace in the minds of Palestinians and Israelis and at the end of the day, the shortest way to peace, security and stability for everyone in the region is to end the Israeli occupation.

We are not against Israel. We have recognized Israel's existence. We are against Israel continuing its occupation against us and that's what needs to happen through the peace process.

ZAHN: All right, but Mr. Erakat -- I only have time for one last question. I think what is so abundantly clear is neither side trusts each other at this point and what could Mr. Arafat say this morning to convince the Israelis that he will, in fact, be able to have any control over the Islamic Jihad and Hamas?

ERAKAT: Well, you're right, Paula. I think the trust level between the two sides have diminished a lot. That's why we need the third party. That's why we need the United States to send a special envoy immediately to follow up the implementation. I don't think neither Israelis nor Palestinians can afford to have this last opportunity of agreement between Arafat and Peres collapse. And what we tell the Israelis is that we are continuing to exert maximum efforts. We don't have a magic stick.

Ninety percent of the violence has been reduced. But we hope that Sharon will stop his war of aggression against the Palestinian people. As I said, 19 funerals in Palestinians towns in the last 19, in the last 26 hours, 238 wounded, 37 homes demolished. That's too much and this must stop and I believe Mr. Peres is doing every possible effort against the majority in his government who are against this endeavor.

ZAHN: All right, Mr. Erakat, unfortunately we've got to leave it there because we have run out of time. But we appreciate your joining us this morning.

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