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American Morning

Interview with Saeb Erakat

Aired July 24, 2002 - 09:08   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to the Middle East we go for more on the fallout from Israel's missile attack at Gaza City that killed a top leader of Hamas and 14 other people. Yesterday the White House condemned the attack, calling it heavy handed and the killing of civilians deliberate. Earlier this morning, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres expressed his regrets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIMON PERES, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER: The effect is that Mr. Shehade, the Palestinian that they were looking after, is a sort of a local bin Laden. Eight times was postponed the attack up on him because we were worried that civilian life will be lost because of it. This time, unfortunately, a mistake happened, and we regret it very much. We would like to see neither grown up person, nor children, Arabs being hurt or killed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Joining us now with reaction from Ramallah, Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat.

Thank you very much for joining us, sir.

Do you accept Mr. Peres' apology?

SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: Well, indeed it's a good sign to hear Mr. Peres speaking. I think Mr. Peres is the first Israeli official to apologize for this. And I hope that as many Israeli officials will condemn this crime, which cannot be justified any -- after such a horrendous crime. I think this is -- just reflects the fact that with this battle of just killing and counter and killing is a mutual (ph) (UNINTELLIGIBLE) destruction.

And I believe what Sharon did yesterday was revenge. And I don't think Palestinians and Israelis should be seeking revenge. They should be seeking a way out of this vicious cycle. I think...

ZAHN: Let me ask you this here though.

ERAKAT: ... we need to break this vicious cycle.

ZAHN: What should the...

ERAKAT: We need to make sure...

ZAHN: Before you go any further, I'd just -- I'm curious what you think the Israelis should do with a man like Shehade? The Israeli government said it had no choice but to attack the guy who was directly responsible for the attack last week of -- on the -- on the Israeli bus. And Shehade, the senior leader of Hamas who was the target of the bombing, was suspected of masterminding hundreds of terrorist attacks.

ERAKAT: Paula, there is nothing on earth that can justify it, the killing of nine children. One of them was one month, two months, three months, two years old. Nothing whatsoever should justify this. I've said many times, nothing should justify the killing of civilians whether Palestinian or Israelis. This is an act that should be condemned. It will not produce any results other than fueling the anger, fueling the extremism and this is not a way out for Palestinians and Israelis.

ZAHN: But Mr....

ERAKAT: The only way out is a meaningful peace process that will end Israeli occupation and that will end peace between a state of Palestine and Israel. This is the only way out.

ZAHN: But let's come back to the issue of Mr. Shehade. Shimon Peres also said this morning, the foreign minister of Israel, that the Israeli government had asked the Palestinian Authority to arrest this man before and that didn't happen.

ERAKAT: Paula, I was meeting with Mr. Peres just 48 hours before the attack on Gaza. I think we had a very serious meeting. We had submitted to them a whole comprehensive plan, including the security obligations. We had urged the Israeli side to refrain from assassinations or what they call targeted killings or disclosure (ph) and besiege (ph) and their (ph) arrest, to give out (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the chance it deserves because we know that such acts will just fuel the fire,...

ZAHN: But, sir, the question remains...

ERAKAT: ... it will just complicate the complexities that already exist.

ZAHN: But why didn't...

ERAKAT: We need -- and then...

ZAHN: ... the Palestinian Authority arrest this man?

ERAKAT: And then if we're going to count everybody that...

ZAHN: But the question remains and the Israelis are asking why...

ERAKAT: Go ahead, Paula. ZAHN: ... the Palestinian Authority didn't arrest this man? I mean you have the "L.A. Times" now saying this morning that two high- ranking Israeli officials say that by killing Shehade that the army actually foiled his plans to mount another attack against Israelis and Jewish settlers.

ERAKAT: I will not accept this pretext. I don't -- I don't think that people should seek the justification of this crime that was committed against the innocent civilian. This is a residential area that was hit deliberately. The Israel knows that Palestinians are normal people. Their children, husbands and wife go to bed after midnight. They're sleeping at that time, like you, like anybody else. And I think nothing should justify this.

And as far as the security obligation of Palestinian Authority, we had offered the Israelis a comprehensive plan. And we told them let us look at it very carefully, let us see what can the Palestinians do and what cannot do in terms of the Israeli continued attacks on us because that's the only way out.

Now I think whoever perpetrated that act wanted to undermine our efforts with the Israelis to revive a meaningful peace process.

Secondly, there was a serious Palestinian dialogue going on with Hamas, with jihad, with other properties (ph) in order to have a total cessation of suicide attacks or attacks on Israelis.

And thirdly, there was serious regional effort by Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Europe, others and the United States in order to revive the peace process. I think such attacks are aimed to undermine these efforts, but we should not -- we should not budge. I think we should give the peace process every chance that deserves. And I would tell everyone that revenge will not get us anywhere. What we need as Palestinians to do is to seek justice, is to seek the end of the occupation, is to seek the resumption of a meaningful peace process.

ZAHN: Mr. Erakat, we've got 10 seconds before we lose a satellite here. Is it, in your estimation, a goodwill gesture that the Israelis say even in spite of this they still plan to pull out of Bethlehem, they plan to pull out of Hebron and they're going to unfreeze some Palestinian assets?

ERAKAT: Well I think most of their issues were discussed with our two delegations last Saturday night. And we had hoped that a comprehensive plan will be put in order for Israel to withdraw from all areas reoccupied, to have them lift the closure and the siege, to refrain from assassinations or deportations. And at that point, we can really resume a meaningful peace process, including security cooperation between the two sides.

ZAHN: We are going to have to leave it there at this hour.

Saeb Erakat, as always, thank you very much for joining us on AMERICAN MORNING. Appreciate your time.

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