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CNN Live At Daybreak

Latest on British Prime Minister's Talks Israeli and Palestinian Leaders

Aired November 01, 2001 - 05:30   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 British Prime Minister Tony Blair is concerned, if not worried about waning support amongst the coalition and particularly amongst Arabs who have been lending their support to this war in Afghanistan.

Let's check in now with our Jerrold Kessel who's in Jerusalem. He's got the latest word on the talks today that Prime Minister Blair had with Israeli and Palestinian leaders as well.

Jerrold, hello.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Leon and the British Prime Minister has helicoptered in this morning, a short while ago landing from Jordan where he had had breakfast with King Abdullah this morning. (INAUDIBLE) stopped to - yesterday that took him to Damascus and to Saudi Arabia and he's begun his meetings in Israel, and later this afternoon he'll be meeting with Palestinian authority President Yasser Arafat down in Gaza.

Now Mr. Blair has said that he brings two principles to all these meetings with the Palestinian and Israeli leaders - one that Israel should be absolutely secure that it has a secure future and alongside the future Palestinian state, which Mr. Blair said must come into assistance alongside that secure Israel.

But there is a third, perhaps, unstated principle that the British prime minister is bringing to his talk both with the Israelis and Palestinians and that is the absolute need to bring calm to their conflict because he - both he and of course the United States feels that the ongoing violence between the Israelis and Palestinians is having an unsettling effect on their coalition - their global attempt to get their global coalition consolidated on the global war on terror.

And today there's been no letup - that vigorous violence continuing a pace. Two Palestinians killed and a missile attack attributed to the Israeli airforce by Palestinians. Eyewitnesses of the Israeli Army now confirming it on a car in the West Bank - two Palestinians killed, and a third man who was said to have been wounded taken - captured by Israeli troops on the ground. That after six Palestinians were killed in a variety of incidents by Israeli troops in the West Bank yesterday. And this violence continuing relentlessly, Israeli troops remain in four Palestinian towns on the West Bank despite pressure from Britain, from the United States that they should withdraw. But having said that, after the Israeli tanks withdrew from two other Palestinian towns, earlier in the week, there seem to be a gathering sense of momentum - a political momentum just down the road and there is a feeling that as the violence continues relentlessly, there is a feeling that there is a political protest just beginning to gather steam or at least that's the way it should be going and that's the message that Mr. Blair will be conveying to the Israeli leaders and also to the Palestinian leader later today.

Leon.

HARRIS: Well Jerrold, that sense that you decided there about the possibility and the feeling that perhaps there is some sort of a breakthrough here in the offing, is it thought right now that perhaps that on this trip that Prime Minister Blair is going to walk away with a substantial agreement between these two parties?

KESSEL: No, no, nothing quite like that. In fact, there was a good deal of wariness that perhaps Mr. Blair would come with his own plan, wariness among the Israelis that is, that he would come with some kind of plan to say we need to get back to the table now and these are the contours of the negotiations. But the British have been making clear in advance that he doesn't have that kind of far-reaching scope in mind during this mission. His message is you've got to find a way to get back into the political environment and so therefore, to calm down the violence, and that's the big question of what will lead in that avenue.

Is it just saying we need, as the Israelis and Palestinians have committed themselves to the Tenet Commission, the Mitchell Commission, but that requires from the Israeli point of view and from the timetable in those commissions, six weeks of absolute quiet. That doesn't look like it's liable to happen, so what there is on the table now and the search behind the scenes, a search for alternative political methods - a political program to get them back to the table even without those six weeks that are mandated by the Mitchell Commission.

Shimon Paris, Israel's foreign minister, with whom Mr. Blair is meeting right now says he's working on a detailed plan to do that. The speaker of the Palestinian Parliament said now is the time to declare a Palestinian state in principle and to work on that. So, there are all these ideas floating around now, perhaps Mr. Blair will be in contact with the Israelis and Palestinians to feel their way out, to find some kind of formula, which will get their political dividend on the table at this time, and therefore, calm down the violence. It's a long shot, but he and the United States believe it's absolutely imperative to keep that coalition together.

HARRIS: Yes, long shots seem ...

KESSEL: Leon. HARRIS: ... to be the only available to many at this particular point. Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem, thank you very much. Keep your eye on that for us, and we'll check back with you later on.

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