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Interview With Benny Elon, Israeli Minister of Tourism
Aired June 16, 2003 - 15:16 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, back to the Middle East now, a region coping with the latest cycle of violence. Israel's minister of tourism, Benny Elon, is on a mission to the United States. He's meeting with evangelical Christian leaders to try to launch a new campaign they are calling deter terrorism not tourism. Elon is with me now from New York.
Minister Elon, you're meeting with evangelical Christians while you're here. Is it your hope to turn President Bush now against the road map, his support for the road map to peace?
BENNY ELON, ISRAELI MINISTER OF TOURISM: No. In general, I'm not a negative -- don't have a negative attitude. It's just a positive.
First I've come to thank the leaders, the evangelical communities, that they saved the industry of tourism in Israel from bankruptcy. We had a very, very bad three years since Yasser Arafat started the riots in September of 2000, and those that did not give in and came to Israel were evangelicals, and I come to say thank you.
And also to ask them to continue to encourage tourism, and also to thank them for the determination that they expressed that we have to destroy and deter terrorism, that this is the obstacle to tourism, and not to give in. And to do with Hamas like President Bush did. And he is a source of inspiration for us in Afghanistan and in Iraq.
WOODRUFF: But if I can interrupt you, this is all happening at a time when there's increasing -- another increasing cycle of violence between Israel and the Palestinians. President Bush, right now, is saying it's primarily Hamas that's to blame. He's saying it's not Mr. Abbas, who is the Palestinian prime minister, it's not Mr. Sharon. Is it right for him to be saying it's Hamas that's primarily at fault now?
ELON: You know, President Bush has a philosophy against the European philosophy that says that security brings peace, and not the opposite. And, of course, this is the same in Israel.
If we want peace -- and we want peace, all of us -- we have to uproot the obstacle, the hindrance. We have to destroy the terrorism. Otherwise, if we should not uproot the infrastructure of the Muslim terrorist fundamentalist groups, no one will have peace in this area. And I think that President Bush also (UNINTELLIGIBLE); maybe he wasn't clear enough after the assassination of (UNINTELLIGIBLE). But today I heard -- yesterday he said very clear that we have to uproot the infrastructure of the terror or the Hamas groups.
WOODRUFF: But do you believe, just quickly, it was a mistake for the president to pledge himself to the creation of a Palestinian state?
ELON: I'll tell you, I understand the vision of a two-state solution. I really think that the two-state solution has to give facilities and real infrastructure for two peoples, two states. And I can't see it without regional solution in the two banks of the river. Jordan has to be upgraded, and Israel -- and together, as a two state- solution, to have some solution to the Arabs and (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
I think in this regional solution we shall have this vision of a two-state solution for two peoples in it the two banks of the Jordan River.
WOODRUFF: Well, Mr. Minister, we're sorry to have delayed getting to you, but we did have breaking news out of Texas. Tourism Minister Benny Elon visiting the United States. Thank you very much for talking with us.
ELON: Thank you, Judy. Thank you very much.
WOODRUFF: We appreciate it.
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 16, 2003 - 15:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, back to the Middle East now, a region coping with the latest cycle of violence. Israel's minister of tourism, Benny Elon, is on a mission to the United States. He's meeting with evangelical Christian leaders to try to launch a new campaign they are calling deter terrorism not tourism. Elon is with me now from New York.
Minister Elon, you're meeting with evangelical Christians while you're here. Is it your hope to turn President Bush now against the road map, his support for the road map to peace?
BENNY ELON, ISRAELI MINISTER OF TOURISM: No. In general, I'm not a negative -- don't have a negative attitude. It's just a positive.
First I've come to thank the leaders, the evangelical communities, that they saved the industry of tourism in Israel from bankruptcy. We had a very, very bad three years since Yasser Arafat started the riots in September of 2000, and those that did not give in and came to Israel were evangelicals, and I come to say thank you.
And also to ask them to continue to encourage tourism, and also to thank them for the determination that they expressed that we have to destroy and deter terrorism, that this is the obstacle to tourism, and not to give in. And to do with Hamas like President Bush did. And he is a source of inspiration for us in Afghanistan and in Iraq.
WOODRUFF: But if I can interrupt you, this is all happening at a time when there's increasing -- another increasing cycle of violence between Israel and the Palestinians. President Bush, right now, is saying it's primarily Hamas that's to blame. He's saying it's not Mr. Abbas, who is the Palestinian prime minister, it's not Mr. Sharon. Is it right for him to be saying it's Hamas that's primarily at fault now?
ELON: You know, President Bush has a philosophy against the European philosophy that says that security brings peace, and not the opposite. And, of course, this is the same in Israel.
If we want peace -- and we want peace, all of us -- we have to uproot the obstacle, the hindrance. We have to destroy the terrorism. Otherwise, if we should not uproot the infrastructure of the Muslim terrorist fundamentalist groups, no one will have peace in this area. And I think that President Bush also (UNINTELLIGIBLE); maybe he wasn't clear enough after the assassination of (UNINTELLIGIBLE). But today I heard -- yesterday he said very clear that we have to uproot the infrastructure of the terror or the Hamas groups.
WOODRUFF: But do you believe, just quickly, it was a mistake for the president to pledge himself to the creation of a Palestinian state?
ELON: I'll tell you, I understand the vision of a two-state solution. I really think that the two-state solution has to give facilities and real infrastructure for two peoples, two states. And I can't see it without regional solution in the two banks of the river. Jordan has to be upgraded, and Israel -- and together, as a two state- solution, to have some solution to the Arabs and (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
I think in this regional solution we shall have this vision of a two-state solution for two peoples in it the two banks of the Jordan River.
WOODRUFF: Well, Mr. Minister, we're sorry to have delayed getting to you, but we did have breaking news out of Texas. Tourism Minister Benny Elon visiting the United States. Thank you very much for talking with us.
ELON: Thank you, Judy. Thank you very much.
WOODRUFF: We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
