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Reaction Mixed in Israel, Palestine to Peace Road Map

Aired June 04, 2003 - 11:08   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: President Bush is praising both Israel and the Palestinians after their peace talks in the Middle East. The question now, will the new calculus of power in the Middle East finally push Israel and the Palestinians to lasting peace?
CNN's Mike Hanna has the latest on today's dramatic three-way summit in Aqaba, Jordan. On the surface, at least, Mike, seemed to be successful.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly very much so, Miles. There is flickering here, a faint and very rare sense of optimism.

The statements from the Palestinians, the statement from the Israelis, were welcomed warmly by each side. President George W. Bush, making his first personal foray into Middle East peace-making, has reason to feel -- well, happy, with the fact that it has got this far.

The situation now is that both sides have agreed to the implementation of the road map. This, a process designed to end the ongoing conflict and to result in the establishment of a Palestinian state and also to get Israel -- Arab recognition of the state of Israel, full recognition, that is.

So, certainly, President George W. Bush has actually produced results, but he's well aware that there are stumbling blocks ahead. And for this reason, certain measures have been put in place, with a far more muscular U.S.-led presence in the region. This is what President Bush had to say about the implementation process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My government will provide training and support for a new, restructured Palestinian security service.

We will place a mission on ground, led by ambassador John Wolf. This mission will be charged with helping the parties to move towards peace, monitoring their progress, and stating clearly who is fulfilling their responsibilities. And we expect both parties to keep their promises.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNA: In implementing this process, all parties well aware of where previous attempts to get a lasting peace here failed. And in a way, there's been created a great elasticity within the process.

If there are obstacles in the path ahead, which there will be, if there are acts of violence, which there may well be, the intent is to keep the momentum of this road map to keep going, to allow the momentum itself to deal with the obstacles as they occur. It's a very difficult, very long and a very hard road, but Israelis have committed themselves to it, the Palestinians have committed themselves to it.

President Bush has also got the backing of a number of Arab nations for the process. Hence, Miles, that little sense of optimism.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Mike Hanna, in Jordan, thank you very much, appreciate that.

There are a lot of questions, of course, nevertheless, about whether the Mideast road map will actually work.

CNN's Kelly Wallace joining us now on the West Bank.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Kelly, saying today they're not going to lay down their arm. So where does that leave the peace process?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, actually -- joining you, by the way, from Jerusalem. It shows you the tremendous challenges ahead. The biggest challenge for the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, trying to rein in these radical Palestinian groups.

We've done some interviews with members of these groups, of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, earlier in the week. And while they are saying they reject Abbas' call to end the armed intifada against Israel, they are also saying, though, they are considering a possible ceasefire. But no doubt a tremendous challenge ahead on that front for the Palestinian prime minister.

For the Israelis, one senior official telling me, no one said this is going to be easy. And if you look at what's happening on streets of Jerusalem tonight, you can see why.

You have hundreds, maybe even thousands of Jewish settlers gathering for a demonstration. They want to show their opposition to the Middle East road map and their anger at Ariel Sharon's call today that he will begin immediately dismantling what he calls unauthorized settlements.

Now, you have more than 200,000 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Many believe these lands belong to the Jewish people, as stated in the Bible. Others say they should stay there until the Palestinians absolutely put an end to what Israelis call terrorist acts against Israeli civilians.

And you are getting a sense from people, just astonished, Miles, at what they're seeing from Prime Minister Sharon. So they're hoping to send a huge message to them tonight -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: It is astonishing, isn't it? WALLACE: Well, it is, because Ariel Sharon, his nickname, in fact, is called the Bulldozer, because of his strong support of settlement-building in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. So settlers say they really are surprised at what they're seeing coming from Ariel Sharon. They're disappointed. They think the steps he's taking, in essence, is sending a message rewarding acts of terrorism. There will never be peace, they say.

So again, they're trying to send a message through the political process, through the courts. But again, lots of disappointment we're hearing on the part of Jewish settlers this evening -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Maybe it's like Nixon to China, Sharon the peacemaker.

Kelly Wallace in Jerusalem, we knew where you were, thanks very much.

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 June 4, 2003 - 11:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: President Bush is praising both Israel and the Palestinians after their peace talks in the Middle East. The question now, will the new calculus of power in the Middle East finally push Israel and the Palestinians to lasting peace?
CNN's Mike Hanna has the latest on today's dramatic three-way summit in Aqaba, Jordan. On the surface, at least, Mike, seemed to be successful.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly very much so, Miles. There is flickering here, a faint and very rare sense of optimism.

The statements from the Palestinians, the statement from the Israelis, were welcomed warmly by each side. President George W. Bush, making his first personal foray into Middle East peace-making, has reason to feel -- well, happy, with the fact that it has got this far.

The situation now is that both sides have agreed to the implementation of the road map. This, a process designed to end the ongoing conflict and to result in the establishment of a Palestinian state and also to get Israel -- Arab recognition of the state of Israel, full recognition, that is.

So, certainly, President George W. Bush has actually produced results, but he's well aware that there are stumbling blocks ahead. And for this reason, certain measures have been put in place, with a far more muscular U.S.-led presence in the region. This is what President Bush had to say about the implementation process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My government will provide training and support for a new, restructured Palestinian security service.

We will place a mission on ground, led by ambassador John Wolf. This mission will be charged with helping the parties to move towards peace, monitoring their progress, and stating clearly who is fulfilling their responsibilities. And we expect both parties to keep their promises.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNA: In implementing this process, all parties well aware of where previous attempts to get a lasting peace here failed. And in a way, there's been created a great elasticity within the process.

If there are obstacles in the path ahead, which there will be, if there are acts of violence, which there may well be, the intent is to keep the momentum of this road map to keep going, to allow the momentum itself to deal with the obstacles as they occur. It's a very difficult, very long and a very hard road, but Israelis have committed themselves to it, the Palestinians have committed themselves to it.

President Bush has also got the backing of a number of Arab nations for the process. Hence, Miles, that little sense of optimism.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Mike Hanna, in Jordan, thank you very much, appreciate that.

There are a lot of questions, of course, nevertheless, about whether the Mideast road map will actually work.

CNN's Kelly Wallace joining us now on the West Bank.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Kelly, saying today they're not going to lay down their arm. So where does that leave the peace process?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, actually -- joining you, by the way, from Jerusalem. It shows you the tremendous challenges ahead. The biggest challenge for the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, trying to rein in these radical Palestinian groups.

We've done some interviews with members of these groups, of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, earlier in the week. And while they are saying they reject Abbas' call to end the armed intifada against Israel, they are also saying, though, they are considering a possible ceasefire. But no doubt a tremendous challenge ahead on that front for the Palestinian prime minister.

For the Israelis, one senior official telling me, no one said this is going to be easy. And if you look at what's happening on streets of Jerusalem tonight, you can see why.

You have hundreds, maybe even thousands of Jewish settlers gathering for a demonstration. They want to show their opposition to the Middle East road map and their anger at Ariel Sharon's call today that he will begin immediately dismantling what he calls unauthorized settlements.

Now, you have more than 200,000 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Many believe these lands belong to the Jewish people, as stated in the Bible. Others say they should stay there until the Palestinians absolutely put an end to what Israelis call terrorist acts against Israeli civilians.

And you are getting a sense from people, just astonished, Miles, at what they're seeing from Prime Minister Sharon. So they're hoping to send a huge message to them tonight -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: It is astonishing, isn't it? WALLACE: Well, it is, because Ariel Sharon, his nickname, in fact, is called the Bulldozer, because of his strong support of settlement-building in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. So settlers say they really are surprised at what they're seeing coming from Ariel Sharon. They're disappointed. They think the steps he's taking, in essence, is sending a message rewarding acts of terrorism. There will never be peace, they say.

So again, they're trying to send a message through the political process, through the courts. But again, lots of disappointment we're hearing on the part of Jewish settlers this evening -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Maybe it's like Nixon to China, Sharon the peacemaker.

Kelly Wallace in Jerusalem, we knew where you were, thanks very much.

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