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American Morning

Yet Another Attack Against Israelis in Middle East

Aired May 19, 2003 - 08:02   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back again to yet another attack against Israelis in the Middle East. Nine Israelis have died since Saturday this weekend in suicide bombings. Israel has imposed a significant crackdown on the West Bank, blocking Palestinians from entering Israel.
Kelly Wallace at her post now in Jerusalem to take us through what's happening today -- good afternoon there, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill. well, this the fourth suicide bombing in just 36 hours. This one taking place near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. And the suicide bomber using a method we really haven't seen before. The Israeli Army saying a young Palestinian was riding a bicycle and then blew himself up as he approached an Israeli military patrol. Three Israeli soldiers lightly injured in that. Only the bomber was killed.

Now, this coming just a day after the deadliest of the suicide attacks. That's when a man early Sunday morning dressed up as an Orthodox Jew, boarded a bus in a Jerusalem neighborhood and then blew himself up, killing six Israelis and one Palestinian man all on their way to their jobs. This, the first suicide bombing inside Jerusalem in some six months.

All of this is why Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened an emergency cabinet meeting Sunday night. One decision coming out of that, reinstating a total closure of the West Bank and keeping in effect the current closure of the Gaza Strip. What this means, tens of thousands of Palestinians who have jobs inside Israel will not be allowed inside the country until the closure is lifted.

Palestinians call these closures a form of collective punishment.

Something else that came out of that cabinet meeting Sunday night, a new policy. From now on any foreign dignitary who meets with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat will not get a meeting with Prime Minister Sharon or the foreign minister. Excluded from this, five foreign ministers who currently have scheduled a meeting with President Arafat and Israeli officials. Israeli officials say they're doing this because they believe Yasser Arafat is undermining the new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and undermining his ability to try and reign in these radical Palestinian groups responsible for these attacks against Israelis -- Bill.

HEMMER: Kelly, there's another twist today. About three weeks ago there was a bombing at a cafe in Tel Aviv, the bar located there, right along the Mediterranean Sea. Two of the bombers carrying British passports. One got away, but apparently there's a report today that indicates that suicide bomber's body was found in Tel Aviv.

What happened here?

WALLACE: That is correct, Bill. There had been a massive search under way for this second suicide bomber because Israeli police believed this man was also planning to carry out an attack that night, but that his explosive device failed and then he fled. And there has been a search.

A body was found a few days ago and we have just learned from the Forensic Institute here in Israel it is the body of 27-year-old Omar Han Sharif. He is a British citizen and he was believed to be part of this suicide bombing three weeks ago that left three Israelis dead. He is 27 years old, a British citizen. The cause of death apparently drowning. Israeli officials very relieved, Bill. But they're also quite concerned because in this case they are saying it's the first time two foreign citizens tried to take part in a suicide bombing inside Israel -- Bill.

HEMMER: Kelly, thanks for the update there in Jerusalem.

As Kelly mentioned, Mahmoud Abbas and Ariel Sharon sitting down for about three hours on Saturday evening. How much damage, though, will the latest suicide attacks have on the Middle East peace effort?

A man who knows it all too well, former U.S. Senator, Middle East Envoy George Mitchell is my guest now here in New York.

Good morning to you, Senator.

Good to see you.

GEORGE MITCHELL, FORMER MIDDLE EAST ENVOY: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: A part of me says at least they're talking. Is that good enough for now?

MITCHELL: It's not good enough, but it's a start, and there's no alternative but to pursue negotiations because this latest round of violence just proves again that there is no solution through violence.

HEMMER: How do you, then, how do you negotiate in this atmosphere right now? How is that possible to even try to take your steps toward a negotiated cease-fire and moving forward there?

MITCHELL: Well, it's a chicken and egg situation, of course. The Palestinians can't crack down on violence until they know that something's going to follow that and the Israelis can't take any steps until they know that the violence -- there's going to be a crackdown on violence. And it's going to be up to the U.S. to work them through that.

HEMMER: So if Ariel Sharon withdraws from his visit to the United States, if perhaps Israel withdraws from these negotiations right now and these meetings with Abbas, is that essentially conceding to the bombers who bring their violence this past weekend? MITCHELL: That's, of course, what the bombers hope. But I don't think either of those will occur. It's quite clear that Prime Minister Sharon is not going to permanently cancel a visit with the president, that is, that he's never going to see the president. This is just a postponement, obviously necessary because of circumstances there. And both Israelis and Palestinians have said that they will continue the meetings between Abbas and Sharon. So I think they are going to continue.

HEMMER: Still in the background, though, you have the echo of Yasser Arafat and calls again on Sunday by the top Israeli leadership to put him into exile, to take him out of Ramallah and send him somewhere.

What good would that do?

MITCHELL: Well, it wouldn't end the violence, of course, because the principal perpetrators of the violence, Hamas and Jihad, are opponents of Arafat. Now, the Israelis have said there's some evidence that he's implicated in at least some of these violent activities. But the reality is that there's an internal struggle going on among the Palestinians. Just as there's a political struggle in democratic societies in a more open, democratic way, there is a political struggle going on there.

I think what has to happen is that there has to be a road map, either this one or something like it, that enables the parties to take steps in the knowledge that they will be followed by a gesture from the other side, reciprocal steps to rebuild the confidence that's been lost.

HEMMER: Take me back about two years when you essentially put a negotiated treaty out on the table there to stop, to get a cease-fire, begin negotiations. Now, 24 months later you have about 750 Israelis dead, well over 2,000 Palestinians. I don't know if it's fair to say this, but is it harder now or is it easier now, 24 months later, to put this proposal out there yet again?

MITCHELL: Every death makes it more difficult because it raises emotions, increases the demand for revenge. But I have said all along that the Palestinians will never get a state until the Israelis have security. And the Israelis aren't going to get security until there is some resolution that results in a Palestinian state.

So, in effect, they have to accommodate at least some part of the other's concern. The real question is how to get there, how to get out of this violent spiral that they're now caught in.

HEMMER: Good to see you again.

MITCHELL: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Senator, we'll talk again.

Thank you.

MITCHELL: Right.

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 May 19, 2003 - 08:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back again to yet another attack against Israelis in the Middle East. Nine Israelis have died since Saturday this weekend in suicide bombings. Israel has imposed a significant crackdown on the West Bank, blocking Palestinians from entering Israel.
Kelly Wallace at her post now in Jerusalem to take us through what's happening today -- good afternoon there, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill. well, this the fourth suicide bombing in just 36 hours. This one taking place near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. And the suicide bomber using a method we really haven't seen before. The Israeli Army saying a young Palestinian was riding a bicycle and then blew himself up as he approached an Israeli military patrol. Three Israeli soldiers lightly injured in that. Only the bomber was killed.

Now, this coming just a day after the deadliest of the suicide attacks. That's when a man early Sunday morning dressed up as an Orthodox Jew, boarded a bus in a Jerusalem neighborhood and then blew himself up, killing six Israelis and one Palestinian man all on their way to their jobs. This, the first suicide bombing inside Jerusalem in some six months.

All of this is why Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened an emergency cabinet meeting Sunday night. One decision coming out of that, reinstating a total closure of the West Bank and keeping in effect the current closure of the Gaza Strip. What this means, tens of thousands of Palestinians who have jobs inside Israel will not be allowed inside the country until the closure is lifted.

Palestinians call these closures a form of collective punishment.

Something else that came out of that cabinet meeting Sunday night, a new policy. From now on any foreign dignitary who meets with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat will not get a meeting with Prime Minister Sharon or the foreign minister. Excluded from this, five foreign ministers who currently have scheduled a meeting with President Arafat and Israeli officials. Israeli officials say they're doing this because they believe Yasser Arafat is undermining the new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and undermining his ability to try and reign in these radical Palestinian groups responsible for these attacks against Israelis -- Bill.

HEMMER: Kelly, there's another twist today. About three weeks ago there was a bombing at a cafe in Tel Aviv, the bar located there, right along the Mediterranean Sea. Two of the bombers carrying British passports. One got away, but apparently there's a report today that indicates that suicide bomber's body was found in Tel Aviv.

What happened here?

WALLACE: That is correct, Bill. There had been a massive search under way for this second suicide bomber because Israeli police believed this man was also planning to carry out an attack that night, but that his explosive device failed and then he fled. And there has been a search.

A body was found a few days ago and we have just learned from the Forensic Institute here in Israel it is the body of 27-year-old Omar Han Sharif. He is a British citizen and he was believed to be part of this suicide bombing three weeks ago that left three Israelis dead. He is 27 years old, a British citizen. The cause of death apparently drowning. Israeli officials very relieved, Bill. But they're also quite concerned because in this case they are saying it's the first time two foreign citizens tried to take part in a suicide bombing inside Israel -- Bill.

HEMMER: Kelly, thanks for the update there in Jerusalem.

As Kelly mentioned, Mahmoud Abbas and Ariel Sharon sitting down for about three hours on Saturday evening. How much damage, though, will the latest suicide attacks have on the Middle East peace effort?

A man who knows it all too well, former U.S. Senator, Middle East Envoy George Mitchell is my guest now here in New York.

Good morning to you, Senator.

Good to see you.

GEORGE MITCHELL, FORMER MIDDLE EAST ENVOY: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: A part of me says at least they're talking. Is that good enough for now?

MITCHELL: It's not good enough, but it's a start, and there's no alternative but to pursue negotiations because this latest round of violence just proves again that there is no solution through violence.

HEMMER: How do you, then, how do you negotiate in this atmosphere right now? How is that possible to even try to take your steps toward a negotiated cease-fire and moving forward there?

MITCHELL: Well, it's a chicken and egg situation, of course. The Palestinians can't crack down on violence until they know that something's going to follow that and the Israelis can't take any steps until they know that the violence -- there's going to be a crackdown on violence. And it's going to be up to the U.S. to work them through that.

HEMMER: So if Ariel Sharon withdraws from his visit to the United States, if perhaps Israel withdraws from these negotiations right now and these meetings with Abbas, is that essentially conceding to the bombers who bring their violence this past weekend? MITCHELL: That's, of course, what the bombers hope. But I don't think either of those will occur. It's quite clear that Prime Minister Sharon is not going to permanently cancel a visit with the president, that is, that he's never going to see the president. This is just a postponement, obviously necessary because of circumstances there. And both Israelis and Palestinians have said that they will continue the meetings between Abbas and Sharon. So I think they are going to continue.

HEMMER: Still in the background, though, you have the echo of Yasser Arafat and calls again on Sunday by the top Israeli leadership to put him into exile, to take him out of Ramallah and send him somewhere.

What good would that do?

MITCHELL: Well, it wouldn't end the violence, of course, because the principal perpetrators of the violence, Hamas and Jihad, are opponents of Arafat. Now, the Israelis have said there's some evidence that he's implicated in at least some of these violent activities. But the reality is that there's an internal struggle going on among the Palestinians. Just as there's a political struggle in democratic societies in a more open, democratic way, there is a political struggle going on there.

I think what has to happen is that there has to be a road map, either this one or something like it, that enables the parties to take steps in the knowledge that they will be followed by a gesture from the other side, reciprocal steps to rebuild the confidence that's been lost.

HEMMER: Take me back about two years when you essentially put a negotiated treaty out on the table there to stop, to get a cease-fire, begin negotiations. Now, 24 months later you have about 750 Israelis dead, well over 2,000 Palestinians. I don't know if it's fair to say this, but is it harder now or is it easier now, 24 months later, to put this proposal out there yet again?

MITCHELL: Every death makes it more difficult because it raises emotions, increases the demand for revenge. But I have said all along that the Palestinians will never get a state until the Israelis have security. And the Israelis aren't going to get security until there is some resolution that results in a Palestinian state.

So, in effect, they have to accommodate at least some part of the other's concern. The real question is how to get there, how to get out of this violent spiral that they're now caught in.

HEMMER: Good to see you again.

MITCHELL: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Senator, we'll talk again.

Thank you.

MITCHELL: Right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com