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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Andrew Baker

Aired November 11, 2001 - 08:11   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.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush White House has long said the global campaign against terrorism faces on of its toughest challenges in the Middle East. Administration officials fear that continued fighting between Israelis and Palestinians will undermine the unity that is essential to crushing the al Qaeda network.

For some perspective, we turn to our guest here in Washington. Rabbi Andrew Baker is the director of International Jewish Affairs with the American Jewish Committee.

Thanks so much for coming in today.

RABBI ANDREW BAKER, AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE: Thank you.

MESERVE: Some Palestinian leaders are quite upset by the fact that President Bush is not going to be meeting with Yasser Arafat while both of them are in New York for the U.N. General Assembly. They say that this indicates that there isn't a true U.S. commitment to the peace process. What is your take on that?

BAKER: Well, I think we're all hoping that there can be a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and, ultimately, a peaceful settlement. And I think it's hard to imagine it without the active role of the United States. At the same time, Israel's confronted the very sort of terror attacks that we've experienced in New York and Washington two months ago, so it's hard to see how something can happen any time soon.

MESERVE: You mentioned it can't happen without the active role of the U.S. The Palestinians say it can't happen without the active participation of Yasser Arafat; and yet the president is not meeting with him.

BAKER: Well I think we've seen that in the last year Yasser Arafat has certainly tolerated, if not even fostered, the use of terrorism in his battle with the state of Israel. So if he's to be a real partner with the Israelis, or any kind of ultimate peace settlement, I think one needs to see some kind of demonstration that he's changed.

MESERVE: He's speaking today at the U.N. General Assembly. Do you have certain expectations from that speech -- certain things you want to hear Yasser Arafat say? BAKER: I think most people expect -- and what most people would like, is to see action from Yasser Arafat, not words. He's been good at words, but action on the ground is something different.

MESERVE: From the entire Arab world there has been the viewpoint expressed that one of the things that has contributed to the terrorist acts against the U.S. may be the U.S. position vis-a-vis Israel. Does it worry you that the administration is hearing that, and may be listening to that?

BAKER: Well, I think we've -- we've seen, and we've heard from the administration, starting with the president and others, that there is no direction between the terrorist attacks we've experienced here and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. After all, peace negotiations were at their height, evidently, when these terrorist attacks were being planned. At the same time, I think we'd all like to see some kind of resumption of a more peaceful situation between Israelis and Palestinians, but I'm not sure that wishing will make it so.

MESERVE: Can you lay out a scenario for a resumption of those talks?

BAKER: I think it's hard to see. But I think the Israeli government has laid out expectations; namely, a control of the kind of terrorist bombings and attacks that have been going on almost daily in Israel.

MESERVE: Rabbi Andrew Baker, thanks so much for joining us today with your perspective.

BAKER: Thank you very much.

MESERVE: Appreciate it.

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