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American Morning
Road to Peace
Aired May 27, 2003 - 09:14 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: There are some promising signals coming from Israel days after it approved the U.S.-backed road map to peace. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon late Monday said that the Palestinians were living under Israeli occupation, and he called that a terrible thing that must end, rather remarkable words coming from an Israeli leader.
More from now from Jerusalem and our bureau chief there Mike Hannah -- Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, that word occupation is a word used by Palestinians, by left wing Israelis to describe the Israeli presence in Palestinian territories, never before publicly passed the lips of an Israel prime minister; in particular, that's the lips of Ariel Sharon.
Let's listen exactly to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I want to say to you very clearly, I will make every effort to reach a political solution, because I think it's important to Israel to reach a political solution. I also think the idea to keep 3.5 million people under occupation is a bad thing for us and them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNA: ... from the Israeli right wing, and Ariel Sharon's office has been quick to put that statement, the use of the word "occupation" into a context, saying the prime minister was not referring to land which his office says remains titled disputed territories is the official Israeli term. He was, in fact, referring to 3.5 million Palestinians who have come under control of Israeli forces in recent months, following the Israeli deployment into Palestinian towns and cities in the West Bank.
So, they are attempting to put this into a context. But the word has been said, and certainly Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has taken note of it. Ariel Sharon repeated the word "occupation" a number of times, sending a tone of moderation to the Palestinians, and also of course to the U.S., who are sitting and waiting for that meeting to happen between the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers due to take place a couple of days' time.
And of course the most important meeting, a summit involving President George W. Bush, which should take place within the next 10 days, intended to give a momentum to that U.S.-backed road map, which has in its end the achievement of piece and the establishment of the Palestinian state -- Leon.
HARRIS: Mike, it's so remarkable to hear Ariel Sharon use these words considering just how hawkish he has been. I want to know what your thoughts are about the response coming from the Palestinians. That is the charge they've been making for decades about what is happening over there, and now to hear this coming out of Ariel Sharon's mouth, I would think the Palestinians would be out dancing in the streets practically after hearing him say this.
HANNA: Well, I think there is a degree of skepticism about anything that the Israeli prime minister says from the Palestinian point of view.
But make no mistake, there was a great degree of confusion and surprise in Palestinian circles as well as in Israeli when that word was used. It was not only the fact he used it, it was that he repeated it so many times, and it does appear that he was attempting to shock his supporters into the realization of the fact that things have changed, that things have to be done. And despite the thing that his office has clarified what he meant by the term "occupation," it has been used, never been used before, and certainly Israelis and Palestinians are now aware that things have changed -- Leon.
HARRIS: Perhaps we won't be seeing the same old same old happen this time around with this round of negotiations.
Thanks, Mike. Mike Hanna reporting for us live from 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
Aired May 27, 2003 - 09:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: There are some promising signals coming from Israel days after it approved the U.S.-backed road map to peace. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon late Monday said that the Palestinians were living under Israeli occupation, and he called that a terrible thing that must end, rather remarkable words coming from an Israeli leader.
More from now from Jerusalem and our bureau chief there Mike Hannah -- Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, that word occupation is a word used by Palestinians, by left wing Israelis to describe the Israeli presence in Palestinian territories, never before publicly passed the lips of an Israel prime minister; in particular, that's the lips of Ariel Sharon.
Let's listen exactly to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I want to say to you very clearly, I will make every effort to reach a political solution, because I think it's important to Israel to reach a political solution. I also think the idea to keep 3.5 million people under occupation is a bad thing for us and them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNA: ... from the Israeli right wing, and Ariel Sharon's office has been quick to put that statement, the use of the word "occupation" into a context, saying the prime minister was not referring to land which his office says remains titled disputed territories is the official Israeli term. He was, in fact, referring to 3.5 million Palestinians who have come under control of Israeli forces in recent months, following the Israeli deployment into Palestinian towns and cities in the West Bank.
So, they are attempting to put this into a context. But the word has been said, and certainly Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has taken note of it. Ariel Sharon repeated the word "occupation" a number of times, sending a tone of moderation to the Palestinians, and also of course to the U.S., who are sitting and waiting for that meeting to happen between the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers due to take place a couple of days' time.
And of course the most important meeting, a summit involving President George W. Bush, which should take place within the next 10 days, intended to give a momentum to that U.S.-backed road map, which has in its end the achievement of piece and the establishment of the Palestinian state -- Leon.
HARRIS: Mike, it's so remarkable to hear Ariel Sharon use these words considering just how hawkish he has been. I want to know what your thoughts are about the response coming from the Palestinians. That is the charge they've been making for decades about what is happening over there, and now to hear this coming out of Ariel Sharon's mouth, I would think the Palestinians would be out dancing in the streets practically after hearing him say this.
HANNA: Well, I think there is a degree of skepticism about anything that the Israeli prime minister says from the Palestinian point of view.
But make no mistake, there was a great degree of confusion and surprise in Palestinian circles as well as in Israeli when that word was used. It was not only the fact he used it, it was that he repeated it so many times, and it does appear that he was attempting to shock his supporters into the realization of the fact that things have changed, that things have to be done. And despite the thing that his office has clarified what he meant by the term "occupation," it has been used, never been used before, and certainly Israelis and Palestinians are now aware that things have changed -- Leon.
HARRIS: Perhaps we won't be seeing the same old same old happen this time around with this round of negotiations.
Thanks, Mike. Mike Hanna reporting for us live from 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
