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Reaction After Vote to Remove Arafat
Aired September 12, 2003 - 13:17 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: Thousands of Palestinians rally around Yasser Arafat, pledging to defend him with their lives. Crowds filled the street of the Gaza Strip in the West Bank after Israel's security cabinet voted to remove the Palestinian president, at least in principle. Didn't say how or when. As for Arafat himself, he told supporters, and we quote him now, "No one will kick me out." An editorial in "The Jerusalem Post" says death -- that's death -- not expulsion is the only alternative. And it says, we're quoting now -- "We must kill as many of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders as possible, as quickly as possible, while minimizing collateral damage, and not letting damage stop us. And we must kill Yasser Arafat, because the world leaves us no alternative." Very strong words.
Joining me now with reaction to all of this, from Jerusalem, is our Fionnuala Sweeney.
Fionnuala, "The Jerusalem Post" doesn't necessarily represent the mainstream. It's clearly right of center,but nevertheless, the fact that's being discussed in public says a little something about where the Israeli public is right now.
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, "The Jerusalem Post" is a right center newspaper. But I think it's fair to say since the start of this intifada in October 2000, the Israeli public has moved steadily to the right. And I that's reflected in the election of Ariel Sharon as prime minister. Whatever peace movement there had been before the start of the intifada has disintegrated slowly over the past three years. And those around me say that there is no real effective Labor opposition, or left wing opposition.
However, it doesn't mean that satisfaction with Ariel Sharon is necessarily high. For example, if I read to you an opinion poll that was carried out during yesterday's Israeli security cabinet meeting about the expulsion of Yasser Arafat and satisfaction with Ariel Sharon as prime minister, and some 43 percent of voters and opinion pollsters said that Ariel Sharon's performance was not pleasing to them. They weren't pleased with him, and 49 percent were undecided. And that was down from two months ago.
So while Ariel Sharon is often seen, because of his reputation, the man best to protect Israel, there are those who would say, and this opinion poll reflects this to a certain degree, that dissatisfaction with him is beginning to creep in -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Now that said, large numbers of Israelis do support the concept of expelling Arafat. SWEENEY: Yes, absolutely. In the same opinion poll -- and I'm looking at the figures here, the question asked, do you support the expulsion of Yasser Arafat from the territories? And this poll was taken during that crucial cabinet meeting that decided it would remove him at some date and time to be specified. The answer to that question, do you support the expelling of Arafat? 58 percent said yes, 30 percent said no and 12 percent were undecided.
O'BRIEN: Fionnuala Sweeney in Jerusalem, Thank you 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 September 12, 2003 - 13:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thousands of Palestinians rally around Yasser Arafat, pledging to defend him with their lives. Crowds filled the street of the Gaza Strip in the West Bank after Israel's security cabinet voted to remove the Palestinian president, at least in principle. Didn't say how or when. As for Arafat himself, he told supporters, and we quote him now, "No one will kick me out." An editorial in "The Jerusalem Post" says death -- that's death -- not expulsion is the only alternative. And it says, we're quoting now -- "We must kill as many of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders as possible, as quickly as possible, while minimizing collateral damage, and not letting damage stop us. And we must kill Yasser Arafat, because the world leaves us no alternative." Very strong words.
Joining me now with reaction to all of this, from Jerusalem, is our Fionnuala Sweeney.
Fionnuala, "The Jerusalem Post" doesn't necessarily represent the mainstream. It's clearly right of center,but nevertheless, the fact that's being discussed in public says a little something about where the Israeli public is right now.
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, "The Jerusalem Post" is a right center newspaper. But I think it's fair to say since the start of this intifada in October 2000, the Israeli public has moved steadily to the right. And I that's reflected in the election of Ariel Sharon as prime minister. Whatever peace movement there had been before the start of the intifada has disintegrated slowly over the past three years. And those around me say that there is no real effective Labor opposition, or left wing opposition.
However, it doesn't mean that satisfaction with Ariel Sharon is necessarily high. For example, if I read to you an opinion poll that was carried out during yesterday's Israeli security cabinet meeting about the expulsion of Yasser Arafat and satisfaction with Ariel Sharon as prime minister, and some 43 percent of voters and opinion pollsters said that Ariel Sharon's performance was not pleasing to them. They weren't pleased with him, and 49 percent were undecided. And that was down from two months ago.
So while Ariel Sharon is often seen, because of his reputation, the man best to protect Israel, there are those who would say, and this opinion poll reflects this to a certain degree, that dissatisfaction with him is beginning to creep in -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Now that said, large numbers of Israelis do support the concept of expelling Arafat. SWEENEY: Yes, absolutely. In the same opinion poll -- and I'm looking at the figures here, the question asked, do you support the expulsion of Yasser Arafat from the territories? And this poll was taken during that crucial cabinet meeting that decided it would remove him at some date and time to be specified. The answer to that question, do you support the expelling of Arafat? 58 percent said yes, 30 percent said no and 12 percent were undecided.
O'BRIEN: Fionnuala Sweeney in Jerusalem, Thank you 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
