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Israeli Security Cabinet Votes in Principle to Expel Arafat
Aired September 11, 2003 - 13:33 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, CNN ANCHOR: As we've been telling you, there are reports coming out of Israel from an Israeli television station that the Israeli security cabinet has voted, in principle at least, to expel the Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Once again this is attributed to Channel 2 in Israel. Not immediately confirmed by other sources just yet. But according to that television station, Israel's security cabinet is -- has voted, in principle, to expel Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, but voted to put off action.
Here to help us sort this out is CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Jerrold Kessel.
Jerrold, read the tea leaves for us on this one, will you?
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, I think we're into a really potentially explosive situation here, because of two developments. One is this report. It is yet, still a report, we understand from our sources, that the -- a statement is going to be -- is being drafted at this very time, and is expected out within the next 15 minutes from the -- of the Israeli cabinet's decision and exactly what the Israeli cabinet's position will be.
But what we understand, and that is from that Israeli television report and other sources, is that in fact, the cabinet approved in principle the idea of expelling Yasser Arafat. The wording, we understand, would probably be couched a little bit to say Yasser Arafat is considered an obstacle to peace and Israel will try to remove that obstacle. That will not, therefore, directly refer to an expulsion.
But the cabinet is apparently asking the military to come up with a practical solution of how to effect this principle decision, and that, according to cabinet sources, may take some days.
But we should wait, I'm suggesting, for another short while to see exactly what the wording will be.
But why I think this is a really explosive situation, Miles, is because of another development over the last few hours on the Palestinian side. There had been, as you'll recall over the last two days, a dramatic move by Yasser Arafat, indeed, to appoint a new prime minister following the resignation of his prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, at the weekend. Abu Ala'a, or Ahmed Qorei, the Palestinian parliamentary speaker, was nominated. He accepted.
But Mr. Qorei went with a plan to set up an emergency cabinet, it was called, an eight-member cabinet, to go into force right away and to deal with -- to offer a diplomatic option out of this -- this escalating confrontation between Israel and the militant Islamic group Hamas.
Mr. Abbas -- beg pardon, Abu Ala'a, Mr. Ahmed Qorei, went to Yasser Arafat. There were day-long meetings in Ramallah. Yasser Arafat has rejected this proposal of the emergency cabinet. As a result of which, with an idea to go back to a general cabinet, taking five weeks to form, as one Western diplomat told me minutes ago, the diplomatic option for ending this current crisis situation is off the table.
In effect, Abu Allah, Ahmed Qorei, has thrown in the towel. That's the assessment being given of what's happening in the Palestinian leadership situation.
Now, given that, with neither Mahmoud Abbas, the previous prime minister in position, or new prime minister in place, as one other source put it to me, the shield around Yasser Arafat has been removed. And, therefore, we do have this opening perhaps for Israeli action. So a really explosive situation with regard to how Israel relates to Yasser Arafat and where the Palestinians might go with their leadership crisis -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Arafat>
Aired September 11, 2003 - 13:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: As we've been telling you, there are reports coming out of Israel from an Israeli television station that the Israeli security cabinet has voted, in principle at least, to expel the Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Once again this is attributed to Channel 2 in Israel. Not immediately confirmed by other sources just yet. But according to that television station, Israel's security cabinet is -- has voted, in principle, to expel Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, but voted to put off action.
Here to help us sort this out is CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Jerrold Kessel.
Jerrold, read the tea leaves for us on this one, will you?
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, I think we're into a really potentially explosive situation here, because of two developments. One is this report. It is yet, still a report, we understand from our sources, that the -- a statement is going to be -- is being drafted at this very time, and is expected out within the next 15 minutes from the -- of the Israeli cabinet's decision and exactly what the Israeli cabinet's position will be.
But what we understand, and that is from that Israeli television report and other sources, is that in fact, the cabinet approved in principle the idea of expelling Yasser Arafat. The wording, we understand, would probably be couched a little bit to say Yasser Arafat is considered an obstacle to peace and Israel will try to remove that obstacle. That will not, therefore, directly refer to an expulsion.
But the cabinet is apparently asking the military to come up with a practical solution of how to effect this principle decision, and that, according to cabinet sources, may take some days.
But we should wait, I'm suggesting, for another short while to see exactly what the wording will be.
But why I think this is a really explosive situation, Miles, is because of another development over the last few hours on the Palestinian side. There had been, as you'll recall over the last two days, a dramatic move by Yasser Arafat, indeed, to appoint a new prime minister following the resignation of his prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, at the weekend. Abu Ala'a, or Ahmed Qorei, the Palestinian parliamentary speaker, was nominated. He accepted.
But Mr. Qorei went with a plan to set up an emergency cabinet, it was called, an eight-member cabinet, to go into force right away and to deal with -- to offer a diplomatic option out of this -- this escalating confrontation between Israel and the militant Islamic group Hamas.
Mr. Abbas -- beg pardon, Abu Ala'a, Mr. Ahmed Qorei, went to Yasser Arafat. There were day-long meetings in Ramallah. Yasser Arafat has rejected this proposal of the emergency cabinet. As a result of which, with an idea to go back to a general cabinet, taking five weeks to form, as one Western diplomat told me minutes ago, the diplomatic option for ending this current crisis situation is off the table.
In effect, Abu Allah, Ahmed Qorei, has thrown in the towel. That's the assessment being given of what's happening in the Palestinian leadership situation.
Now, given that, with neither Mahmoud Abbas, the previous prime minister in position, or new prime minister in place, as one other source put it to me, the shield around Yasser Arafat has been removed. And, therefore, we do have this opening perhaps for Israeli action. So a really explosive situation with regard to how Israel relates to Yasser Arafat and where the Palestinians might go with their leadership crisis -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Arafat>
