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Israel's Response to Bombings Limited
Aired January 08, 2003 - 14:38 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 ANCHOR: Israel acts with restraint. Following Sunday's suicide bombings in Tel Aviv, Israel slapped new restrictions on Palestinians, but overall, Israel's response has been limited. More now from CNN's Kelly Wallace in Ramallah.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There was little evidence in Ramallah of Israel's promised new Palestinian restrictions after the Tel Aviv suicide bombings on Sunday. It was like any other day here.
Nura, on her way to nearby Ber Ziet University, said immediately after the bombings, she wondered how the Israelis would respond.
NURA TREISIT, FRESHMAN, BER ZIET UNIVERSITY: Frankly, first thing I thought about was like what's going to happen here, you know? What's going to be their reaction? How are they going to deal with it? And then you just start to think about how this will hurt us.
WALLACE: With Israeli forces already occupying Ramallah, there appears to be not that much more Israel can do. In its latest move, Israel announced plans to place even tighter restrictions on Palestinian travel, and to consider closing three West Bank universities, accusing the schools of inciting terror. But no schools have been shut down so far. It is business as usual at Ber Ziet, the West Bank's most prominent university. On campus, students debate whether the suicide bombings are helping or hurting the Palestinian cause.
RASHA HUSARY, FRESHMAN, BER ZIET UNIVERSITY: They are hurting, in every way. But at least they are killing from the other side. It is not only killing us, it is killing them too.
WALLACE: Nura disagreed.
TREISIT: Because the idea of going to a city, killing civilians is same as when you hear that an Israeli tank just got into one of the Palestinian cities and shot a few people, shot a few kids. It's all the same. I mean, it's hurting our cause.
WALLACE (on camera): After major suicide bombings in the past, there has been a heavy Israeli military presence here outside what's left of Yasser Arafat's compound. This time, the Israelis have taken a different approach, preventing a key political meeting from taking place here on Thursday and restricting the travel of Palestinian political leaders. (voice-over): The most dramatic step, preventing a Palestinian delegation from traveling to London later this month to meet with the British prime minister. Overall, a limited Israeli response motivated in part, Israeli officials say, by a desire not to further inflame Arab-Israeli tensions as the U.S. considers whether to go to war with Iraq.
As another day comes to an end here, lingering questions for both sides. Are the suicide bombings making things better or worse for the Palestinians? Does an Israeli response, however muted, help prevent attacks or simply provoke more?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: British Prime Minister Tony Blair sent a letter to Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, urging Israel to allow that Palestinian delegation to travel to England, but Israel is unlikely to reverse its decision. One official telling me, this decision was made to send the message that it can't be business as usual after suicide bombings like the ones we saw on Sunday -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kelly Wallace, thank you.
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 January 8, 2003 - 14:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Israel acts with restraint. Following Sunday's suicide bombings in Tel Aviv, Israel slapped new restrictions on Palestinians, but overall, Israel's response has been limited. More now from CNN's Kelly Wallace in Ramallah.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There was little evidence in Ramallah of Israel's promised new Palestinian restrictions after the Tel Aviv suicide bombings on Sunday. It was like any other day here.
Nura, on her way to nearby Ber Ziet University, said immediately after the bombings, she wondered how the Israelis would respond.
NURA TREISIT, FRESHMAN, BER ZIET UNIVERSITY: Frankly, first thing I thought about was like what's going to happen here, you know? What's going to be their reaction? How are they going to deal with it? And then you just start to think about how this will hurt us.
WALLACE: With Israeli forces already occupying Ramallah, there appears to be not that much more Israel can do. In its latest move, Israel announced plans to place even tighter restrictions on Palestinian travel, and to consider closing three West Bank universities, accusing the schools of inciting terror. But no schools have been shut down so far. It is business as usual at Ber Ziet, the West Bank's most prominent university. On campus, students debate whether the suicide bombings are helping or hurting the Palestinian cause.
RASHA HUSARY, FRESHMAN, BER ZIET UNIVERSITY: They are hurting, in every way. But at least they are killing from the other side. It is not only killing us, it is killing them too.
WALLACE: Nura disagreed.
TREISIT: Because the idea of going to a city, killing civilians is same as when you hear that an Israeli tank just got into one of the Palestinian cities and shot a few people, shot a few kids. It's all the same. I mean, it's hurting our cause.
WALLACE (on camera): After major suicide bombings in the past, there has been a heavy Israeli military presence here outside what's left of Yasser Arafat's compound. This time, the Israelis have taken a different approach, preventing a key political meeting from taking place here on Thursday and restricting the travel of Palestinian political leaders. (voice-over): The most dramatic step, preventing a Palestinian delegation from traveling to London later this month to meet with the British prime minister. Overall, a limited Israeli response motivated in part, Israeli officials say, by a desire not to further inflame Arab-Israeli tensions as the U.S. considers whether to go to war with Iraq.
As another day comes to an end here, lingering questions for both sides. Are the suicide bombings making things better or worse for the Palestinians? Does an Israeli response, however muted, help prevent attacks or simply provoke more?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: British Prime Minister Tony Blair sent a letter to Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, urging Israel to allow that Palestinian delegation to travel to England, but Israel is unlikely to reverse its decision. One official telling me, this decision was made to send the message that it can't be business as usual after suicide bombings like the ones we saw on Sunday -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kelly Wallace, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
