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American Morning
Interview with Martin Indyk
Aired September 05, 2002 - 07:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We are just hours before the start of the Jewish New Year, and Israeli forces detonated this huge car bomb before it hit its intended target on the road between Tel Aviv and Haifa.
It looks as if there is a new effort under way to stop the violence. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is now saying that Israel is ready to give peace a chance. Sharon says a political settlement seems possible, because the Palestinians have grown tired of the violence -- his words.
Sharon has maintained that Israel would not negotiate until the terror attacks against Israelis stop. But is this an olive branch, or a declaration of victory?
From Washington, Martin Indyk, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, is our guest today.
Good to see you again, Mr. Ambassador -- good morning to you.
MARTIN INDYK, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR: Delighted to be here.
HEMMER: How do you size this up, then, from Sharon?
INDYK: Well, I think it is a quiet, careful declaration of victory. I say that because, as you have shown this morning, there are still terrorists out there. They appear to be planning for some kind of mega terrorist attack, and he certainly doesn't want to expose himself to the charge that he entered negotiations with the Palestinians while the violence and terror were still going on.
He's got a primary coming up with his rivaling opponent, Benjamin Netanyahu, challenging him, so he's going to be very gingerly about how he proceeds.
But he also senses that there is a moment here. The Palestinians are exhausted. They are debating amongst themselves as to whether they should stop the violence; a lot of public criticism of Arafat from Palestinians for not leading them in the right direction for the disaster that they have brought upon themselves.
And so, I think there is a moment in which he would like to say, OK, now, we can move on to the political trek. There are some Palestinian leaders who are showing some interest in engaging with him directly in discussing that. And he wants to give the Israeli people, especially on this eve of the New Year, some hope of a political horizon. HEMMER: Given that response, and you said a whole lot in your answer there, do you think Ariel Sharon is on target with that?
INDYK: Yes. I think that the exhaustion factor is very important here. There are still a lot of bad guys out there in the Islamic militants -- Hamas, Islamic jihad -- who are not reconciled to the idea of giving up this violence and terrorism.
But the mood is swinging in the Palestinian street against this. It's not there yet, but it's moving. And there are responsible Palestinians who are coming out and saying, let's stop this. It's only led us to disaster.
HEMMER: I want to shift our focus to Yasser Arafat in a moment. Let's give our viewers a bit better perspective on the words of the prime minister. Listen to part of what Ariel Sharon had to say lately.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Now, for the first time, I see the possibility for a breakthrough, for a political arrangement. It won't be a simple thing or an easy thing, but there is a possibility.
With a home to negotiate, my home with Palestinians, who have reached a conclusion that with terror, they can't achieve anything, and that the road Arafat has led them for years, terror and murder hasn't brought them anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Mr. Ambassador, if you're Yasser Arafat, if you're a member of the Palestinian Authority, you take those comments to mean what, then? And how do you react and respond?
INDYK: Well, he's certainly not holding out a door to open for Yasser Arafat. He's making it very clear that he won't deal with Yasser Arafat.
But Sharon, in another interview, which he gave on the eve of the Jewish New Year, also indicated that he has been contacted by a senior Palestinian leader, who wants to start to engage in talks. And I think that Palestinian leader is probably Abu Mazen, the No, 2, probably has Arafat's approval for that.
But it's another indication if, in fact, it's true that the Palestinians are looking for a political way out, and Yasser Arafat would see this as kind of a first step towards what he hopes will be his political salvation. But Sharon doesn't have that in mind for him.
HEMMER: If that all comes to pass, it will certainly make history in the Middle East. We shall all see in time.
Martin Indyk, thank you for your time this morning in Washington. INDYK: My pleasure.
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