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Talk with Mayor of Bethlehem

Aired December 24, 2002 - 13:15   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No pause in the Middle East bloodletting. Palestinian sources say a 14-year-old Palestinian boy was killed by Israeli tank fire today in Gaza City. Israel's army says it's checking that report.
In Bethlehem, the West Bank town where Jesus was born, Israeli troops pulled back to the outskirts. Unless there's trouble, Christian pilgrims will not see the troops in or around Manger Square. But the withdrawal does not satisfy Bethlehem's mayor who is protecting the Israeli -- or protesting rather the Israelis troops presence in their town.

Kelly Wallace live in Bethlehem, with the mayor -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it is a rainy night here in Bethlehem, not a lot of Christmas spirit. As you said, many Palestinian Christians protesting against Israel, even as Israel announces it will pull its troops out from the center of the city.

Joining me now, one of the men leading that protest, the mayor of Bethlehem, Mayor Hanna Nasser.

Mr. Mayor, thank you for joining us.

First, your reaction to Israel's decision to make troops are not here in Manger Square, but on the outskirts of the city.

MYR. HANNA NASSER, BETHLEHEM: Well, it is unjustified decision taken by the military Israeli Defense Forces, because people now, as long as they feel that the city is not free, only the Manger Square and the surrounding of the church. So they are scared to move from one city to another, and this is interrupting their Christmas Eve, even their chance to come and attend midnight mass in the Manger square and the Church of Nativity, and this is a very, very disappointing really to the citizens of the city.

WALLACE: Tell me about the mood of the city, because earlier today, we saw a lot of Palestinians, some Christian, some Muslim. You are leading an official protest, no holiday decorations at all this Christmas, why?

NASSER: The mood is gloomy, unpleasant atmosphere we have today, and this is completely against the tradition of the city to have a very joyful, well-decorated city, and well-decorated Christmas tree. And, you know, Bethlehem is the capital of Christmas all over the world, and everybody is looking for Christmas, and the activities that are here that we have seen this morning, they have been mixed. Some, you know, they wanted to express their feeling toward the contribution of the city. Some they came really to contribute in the religious procession that took place at noon today and the midnight mass, which is coming. So, it's unusual.

WALLACE: Let me get your reaction, though, Israelis will say that they don't want to be here, that their forces were away from the city for months, that they only returned at the end of November after the suicide bus bombing. The bomber was from Bethlehem, 11 Israelis killed. They say they were only here to try to crackdown on terror.

NASSER: Their incursion to the city is unjustified. They didn't capture one gunman in the city. They didn't capture one gun in the city. All the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that were here. The city has been quiet since 120 days, really, and I don't see any justification for this incursion. And of course, at the end of the road, we are not really -- we are not the guards over the border of the city of Israel, although -- although, as we have been saying, always, we were condemning any attack on the civilians.

But to condemn is not enough on both sides. We have to defuse this. We have to put an end to the sufferings of the Israeli and Palestinian women (ph) once and for all. This is what we're aiming at, and this is our target.

WALLACE: When you look out here at Manger Square, midnight mass a few hours away, any hope at all that next Christmas might be better for this city.

NASSER: We can never lose hope. When we lose hope we lose everything. The hope is there, and the determination is there, our ambition is there, and the will is there.

So I am sure we will have better days on the coming Christmas, and I will send a message to the American people to wish them a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and don't forget Bethlehem and don't remind them on the 24th and on the 25th of December. Come to Bethlehem, visit Bethlehem. Visit where everything got started here before 2,000 years ago. Your roots is in Bethlehem.

WALLACE: Mr. Mayor, thank you very much for joining us.

NASSER: Thank you.

WALLACE: Kyra, you heard that there. Some notes of hope, but, again, a troubled time for many Palestinian Christians in this city of Bethlehem.

Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Kelly, I have been wanting to ask you this for a while. Now we have the chance. For years, we've seen you on the White House lawn, reporting on politics. You have been on the White House beat, talking about Middle East policy, and now you're there in Bethlehem, in the Middle East, on the streets, how has that made an impact on you? Have your views or your understanding of the Middle East changed at all? WALLACE: Well, Kyra, there is no better way to try -- try, I underline -- to understand these issues than to try to see it with your own eyes. It is such a complicated issue, we all know. But when you can go out as a reporter on the street and talk to people, talk to people in Jerusalem, talk to people in the West Bank and in Gaza, talk to people here in Bethlehem, and try to get a sense of really what is going on on both sides of this conflict, it certainly helps your understanding, and what you see, Kyra, it is such a complicated issue, a difficult circumstance for both sides -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We look forward to more of your reports. Kelly Wallace live from Bethlehem. Thanks, Kelly.

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 December 24, 2002 - 13:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No pause in the Middle East bloodletting. Palestinian sources say a 14-year-old Palestinian boy was killed by Israeli tank fire today in Gaza City. Israel's army says it's checking that report.
In Bethlehem, the West Bank town where Jesus was born, Israeli troops pulled back to the outskirts. Unless there's trouble, Christian pilgrims will not see the troops in or around Manger Square. But the withdrawal does not satisfy Bethlehem's mayor who is protecting the Israeli -- or protesting rather the Israelis troops presence in their town.

Kelly Wallace live in Bethlehem, with the mayor -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it is a rainy night here in Bethlehem, not a lot of Christmas spirit. As you said, many Palestinian Christians protesting against Israel, even as Israel announces it will pull its troops out from the center of the city.

Joining me now, one of the men leading that protest, the mayor of Bethlehem, Mayor Hanna Nasser.

Mr. Mayor, thank you for joining us.

First, your reaction to Israel's decision to make troops are not here in Manger Square, but on the outskirts of the city.

MYR. HANNA NASSER, BETHLEHEM: Well, it is unjustified decision taken by the military Israeli Defense Forces, because people now, as long as they feel that the city is not free, only the Manger Square and the surrounding of the church. So they are scared to move from one city to another, and this is interrupting their Christmas Eve, even their chance to come and attend midnight mass in the Manger square and the Church of Nativity, and this is a very, very disappointing really to the citizens of the city.

WALLACE: Tell me about the mood of the city, because earlier today, we saw a lot of Palestinians, some Christian, some Muslim. You are leading an official protest, no holiday decorations at all this Christmas, why?

NASSER: The mood is gloomy, unpleasant atmosphere we have today, and this is completely against the tradition of the city to have a very joyful, well-decorated city, and well-decorated Christmas tree. And, you know, Bethlehem is the capital of Christmas all over the world, and everybody is looking for Christmas, and the activities that are here that we have seen this morning, they have been mixed. Some, you know, they wanted to express their feeling toward the contribution of the city. Some they came really to contribute in the religious procession that took place at noon today and the midnight mass, which is coming. So, it's unusual.

WALLACE: Let me get your reaction, though, Israelis will say that they don't want to be here, that their forces were away from the city for months, that they only returned at the end of November after the suicide bus bombing. The bomber was from Bethlehem, 11 Israelis killed. They say they were only here to try to crackdown on terror.

NASSER: Their incursion to the city is unjustified. They didn't capture one gunman in the city. They didn't capture one gun in the city. All the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that were here. The city has been quiet since 120 days, really, and I don't see any justification for this incursion. And of course, at the end of the road, we are not really -- we are not the guards over the border of the city of Israel, although -- although, as we have been saying, always, we were condemning any attack on the civilians.

But to condemn is not enough on both sides. We have to defuse this. We have to put an end to the sufferings of the Israeli and Palestinian women (ph) once and for all. This is what we're aiming at, and this is our target.

WALLACE: When you look out here at Manger Square, midnight mass a few hours away, any hope at all that next Christmas might be better for this city.

NASSER: We can never lose hope. When we lose hope we lose everything. The hope is there, and the determination is there, our ambition is there, and the will is there.

So I am sure we will have better days on the coming Christmas, and I will send a message to the American people to wish them a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and don't forget Bethlehem and don't remind them on the 24th and on the 25th of December. Come to Bethlehem, visit Bethlehem. Visit where everything got started here before 2,000 years ago. Your roots is in Bethlehem.

WALLACE: Mr. Mayor, thank you very much for joining us.

NASSER: Thank you.

WALLACE: Kyra, you heard that there. Some notes of hope, but, again, a troubled time for many Palestinian Christians in this city of Bethlehem.

Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Kelly, I have been wanting to ask you this for a while. Now we have the chance. For years, we've seen you on the White House lawn, reporting on politics. You have been on the White House beat, talking about Middle East policy, and now you're there in Bethlehem, in the Middle East, on the streets, how has that made an impact on you? Have your views or your understanding of the Middle East changed at all? WALLACE: Well, Kyra, there is no better way to try -- try, I underline -- to understand these issues than to try to see it with your own eyes. It is such a complicated issue, we all know. But when you can go out as a reporter on the street and talk to people, talk to people in Jerusalem, talk to people in the West Bank and in Gaza, talk to people here in Bethlehem, and try to get a sense of really what is going on on both sides of this conflict, it certainly helps your understanding, and what you see, Kyra, it is such a complicated issue, a difficult circumstance for both sides -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We look forward to more of your reports. Kelly Wallace live from Bethlehem. Thanks, Kelly.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com