Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Saeb Erakat

Aired December 09, 2001 - 08:10   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says his highest ambition is to make peace with the Palestinians, but he tells "Newsweek" magazine that violence must end before serious negotiations begins.

He also says, quote: "Israel will not negotiate a political solution under fire. There are problems to which there are no answers: the question of Jerusalem. I believe Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people and the capital of the state of Israel, united and undivided forever. More and more Israeli Arabs are involved in terror. Israel decided to declare the Palestinian Authority a terrorist-supporting entity. This will end" -- or this will enable us, rather -- "to hold it accountable."

In about an hour, we will get reaction to this latest attack when we talk with Israeli Foreign Minister Sharon Peres. But right now, we have the Palestinian view from the Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat. He is with us this morning from Ramallah on the West Bank.

Thank you, sir, for being with us this morning.

SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: A pleasure, Martin.

SAVIDGE: Another bomb attack in Israel; 29 Israelis wounded. When is it going to come to an end?

ERAKAT: I hope as soon as possible. Today, five Palestinians also were killed in cold blood by the Israeli army in the towns of Anept (ph) and Boreen (ph) and the north of West Bank. I think this thing must end, and the only way to end it is through the revival of the peace process and through the Israelis coming back to the negotiating table.

Now Sharon, for the last 10 months, has said he will not negotiate, he will not implement Mitchell, he will not implement Tenet, and -- until everything stops. Nothing has stopped. Maybe, and only maybe, if he joins back to the negotiating table, if we can revive the spirit of cooperation.

And we have General Zinni here. Under his auspices, maybe we can produce a timeline, the mechanisms for implementation, and monitors -- American monitors to see on the ground who is complying and who is not complying. SAVIDGE: Well, let me ask you this: Is it not the role of all governments, the Palestinian Authority included, to prevent the act of murder from being carried out? And are you doing enough to stop that? That's the question the Israelis ask.

ERAKAT: Martin, I agree with you. I think the Palestinian Authority is -- first of all, we are not an independent state. We are people under Israeli occupation. President Arafat now cannot move one officer from place to another. And what Sharon does, tie Arafat's hands, tie his legs, blindfold him, throw him to the sea, and then tell the Americans, look, he is not swimming. He is not a partner. Or he is drowning. He is no good for me. He is not a partner.

We need support systems. President Arafat represents Palestinian moderates. I represent Palestinian moderates. We recognize Israel. President Arafat became the first Palestinian leader in the last 100 years to have recognized the existence of the state of Israel on 78 percent of the land, and accepted to establish a Palestinian state on the remaining 22 percent.

And now Sharon is out there to undermine the Palestinian Authority, to destroy the peace process and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) President Arafat. And then later to say, I want to make peace, but I don't have partners.

I hope that President Bush will stand up immediately and tell Sharon enough is enough, you have no green light from me, and I want you back to the negotiating table, and I want the Israeli mission to succeed.

Those Palestinian extremists, who are carrying out the suicide bombings, they want to sabotage the peace process. They want to undermine the Palestinian Authority, and it seems to me that Sharon, when he hits back, he is responding by undermining the Palestinian Authority. We should not budge. We should not give in for those elements on both sides who want to destroy the peace process.

SAVIDGE: Just before the attacks, Yasser Arafat, quoted by the Associated Press, was saying that he would do all that he can to stop further attacks. Several hours later, there is another one. Doesn't that prove that Yasser Arafat is a man not in control?

ERAKAT: No, not necessarily. Yasser Arafat, today, is in a situation, when he sees the Israeli Cabinet coming to convene -- their Cabinet will be meeting in an unprecedented move in the heart of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. When he sees that he cannot -- you know, as I said, every town, village and refugee camp is sieged. When he sees that the headquarters of his police and his intelligence are being targeted, really, Yasser Arafat needs help. And Yasser Arafat needs the support to enable him to carry out the obligations emanating from agreements signed.

SAVIDGE: Do you think that Yasser Arafat is...

(CROSSTALK)

ERAKAT: ... Israelis to do.

SAVIDGE: Do you think that Mr. Arafat is specifically targeted here? The Israelis want to drive him from power, and then what, create infighting within the Palestinian Authority?

ERAKAT: Well, I think that is Sharon's end game. That is Netanyahu's end game. I believe these people have voted against the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty; against every agreement. They have done nothing but to sabotage peace and continue settlement activities.

And honestly, now, as I am talking to you, Martin, there is a security meeting -- a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) security meeting taking place under the auspices of General Zinni with Palestinian officers and Israeli officers. I hope that they can introduce the timeline and the mechanisms to implement Mitchell and tenet reports. Because the Israeli incitement, when they say Arafat is bin Laden, Palestinians are Taliban.

We are the elected Palestinian Authority, the moderate camp, who has recognized Israel. And now I think the end game of Sharon is to destroy the Palestinian Authority, to destroy the peace process, and then tell you, Martin, look, I want to make peace, but do you expect me to make peace with these extremists?

SAVIDGE: How can...

(CROSSTALK)

ERAKAT: Sharon now is building 23 settlements in the West Bank.

SAVIDGE: How can Israel be drawn...

(CROSSTALK)

ERAKAT: ... settlements.

SAVIDGE: How can Israel be drawn to the negotiating table when bombs explode on a regular basis by suicide attackers? And we know that these are not just hit and run, they are not just isolated incidents. They are an organized effort.

ERAKAT: Martin, I'm a father of four. And it breaks my heart to see Israeli young people and children die in the streets of Haifa and Jerusalem and Tel Aviv -- whatever. As much as it breaks my heart to see Palestinians swim in their blood and die every day.

Now, violence will breed more violence. Bullets will breed bullets. What is wrong for Mr. Sharon to come back to the negotiating table? What is wrong, under the auspices of the Americans, to sit down and say this is a problem? We want to do everything in our power in order to prevent those elements who are trying to sabotage the peace process on either side by suicide bombing or else. What does it cost to do just that?

The language of the F-16, of the F-15s, of the missiles, of suffocating 3.2 million Palestinians -- shortages of food supplies, medical supplies and petroleum supplies, this will create a desperate situation, and desperation will lead to desperate acts.

Maybe, and only maybe, if we come right away -- and we have nothing to lose by giving this peace process a chance, by giving General Zinni the chance he deserves. And I hope that President Bush will stand up and say just that.

SAVIDGE: Saeb Erakat -- he is the chief Palestinian negotiator -- thanks for joining us this morning.

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