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CNN Live At Daybreak

Israelis, Palestinians React to Weekend of Suicide Bombings

Aired December 03, 2001 - 05:20   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We are just starting our day here, but Israelis and Palestinians are 12 hours into theirs, and so far it has been a day filled with reactions to the series of suicide bombings this weekend that left 28 dead and hundreds of other injured.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon spoke briefly with President Bush yesterday and then immediately flew home, there to meet with his top security advisers this morning. Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat has declared a state of emergency, as his security forces began rounding up suspects.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBASSADOR. ALON PINKAS, CONSUL GENERAL OF ISRAEL: This, indeed, was an action condoned by the Palestinian Authority in order to subvert and disrupt the mission of General Zinni and Assistant Secretary of State Burns. And that is why the administration and, indeed, the America public is so angry at the Palestinians.

Number two, I think they are just frightened of the repercussions. They have condoned terrorism for a year. This is a culture that manufactures suicide bombers. This is the same culture of anti-Israeli and anti-American sentiments. This is the same political culture that bred Osama bin Laden, and their bluff should be called.

HASSAN ABDEL RAHMAN, PALESTINIAN REPRESENTATIVE TO THE U.S.: If Israel continues its assassination policy of community and political leaders, if it continues its settlement activities in the territories, if it continues the siege of the Palestinian towns and villages, making the life of the Palestinian people impossible, this is not going to be conducive towards the kind of environment that is needed for us to succeed in our effort.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And many who are close to this issue are saying the prospect for peace now has been greatly diminished.

But the real issue this morning is just how will Israel react. A major cabinet meeting scheduled for tonight, as we said.

And CNN's Jerrold Kessel is standing by in Jerusalem. He's got the latest for us from there -- hello, Jerrold. JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.

And three foci of interest really this morning as Israel buries its dead from those two horrendous attacks of the three suicide bombers who killed at least 25 people, not only burying the dead, trying to identify the dead, because some of those in that very dramatic bus bombing yesterday in Haifa have still not been identified, so blown apart was the bus and the people aboard it.

There are also some real terrible stories because among those who are the fatalities on that bus were a number of elderly immigrants from the former Soviet Union and also some guest workers or foreign workers, as they're called, from the Philippines. And among the casualties, a brother and sister who were from the Philippines and working here.

And those, the task of identifying, the task of dealing with the wounded, and, indeed, many are still in critical condition from the two attacks, one on Saturday night here in Jerusalem and the other up in Haifa. And while that continues, the focus, indeed, on what precisely Ariel Sharon and his government will choose to do.

Well, Mr. Sharon landed back at Ben Gurion Airport just about two hours ago outside Tel Aviv and went straight away to a nearby military base to begin a series of consultations with top leaders, first with the security chiefs. And we're told laying out a series of options on the military level which the prime minister may choose to implement. And Mr. Sharon will be addressing the nation in a national nationwide televised address before convening his full cabinet, when those options for action will be on the table and decisions possibly made then or decision possibly shelved then.

And one of the -- the other element that the Israelis are looking to, as much of the international community, with the pressure on Yasser Arafat of just what action and how serious the action of the Palestinian Authority in living up to its commitments to curb the militants is and is going to be.

Well, Palestinian Authority police during the night and late yesterday made a series of sweeps on known militants in the West Bank and Gaza. And according to figures that were given, at least 90 -- but we heard from one top Palestinian security official the number was 120 -- people who were detained in those series of arrests both in the West Bank and Gaza.

And the top security official on the West Bank, Colonel Rejuve (ph), told CNN last night that they this time really mean business and that anyone who steps out of line to the degree of flouting the intention of Yasser Arafat to try to get a real cease-fire in place will be dealt with with the full severity of the law, which, as you reported, in terms of the emergency regulations introduced by Mr. Arafat, means that they will be arrested right away and put behind bars.

The Palestinians say they mean business. They are undertaking those arrests. Israeli spokesmen still expressing great skepticism, saying that these kind of arrests are no more than sham. But the focus will switch this evening back to Mr. Sharon and the possibility that he will act irrespective of whether Yasser Arafat is seen to be acting -- Leon.

HARRIS: Jerrold Kessel reporting live for us from Jerusalem.

Thanks very much, Jerrold. We'll see you later on.

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