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CNN Sunday Morning

Israeli Cabinet Slightly Eases Restrictions on Arafat

Aired February 24, 2002 - 10:07   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go to the Middle East now. The Israeli Cabinet has eased some of the restrictions imposed on Yasser Arafat three months ago, but it's a very small gesture, and CNN's Jerrold Kessel explains what is behind the Cabinet's decision.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Israeli tanks around Yasser Arafat's office likely to be redeployed, but for now unlikely to move very far. After intense discussion Ariel Sharon's Security Cabinet eased a little the long siege, which has kept the Palestinian leader pinned up in his West Bank headquarters, but all he's allowed is to leave the compound. Even leaving Ramallah would require Mr. Sharon's personal permission.

For Ariel Sharon, Yasser Arafat seems still to be on trial. He told his full Cabinet that the Palestinian leader must go further than his arrest of three militant Palestinian nationalists, who are suspected of assassinating an Israeli Cabinet minister last November.

"We will be following closely," say Mr. Sharon, "whether the arrest of all those involved in that assassination are real."

The arrest also, he added, of those involved in the Karine A armed boat smuggling affair.

There had been unity within Mr. Sharon's broad national coalition so long as Mr. Arafat was hemmed in. With the possibility of the siege being lifted, old division were resurfacing. Mr. Sharon is clearly intend, above all, on preserving his unity coalition. Palestinian leaders say the Israeli decision is mere humiliation.

SAEB ERAKAT, PALESTINIAN CABINET MINISTER: This is unacceptable and shameless decision by the Israeli government today, and it's a clear-cut message to all of us that this government has no political program and the only program they have is to continue on the path of war and destruction.

KESSEL (voice-over): Palestinians had hoped Israel would let Mr. Arafat out of his virtual house arrest after the two sides had moved to put a week of bloody violence behind them and have promised each other to try to contain fighting during the holiday period for Muslims and Jews alike. (on camera): Despite the hopes for a temporary cease-fire tension is still palpable everywhere, like what's happening here on one of the so-called bypass roads in the West Bank.

(voice-over): Roads built to enable secure driving for Jewish setters and where settler cars pass freely while Palestinians are held up by the army. Here the soldiers told us there were special precautions because there was a warning of an imminent Palestinian attack in their sector.

A pregnant Palestinian woman on her way to give birth was seriously hurt at another checkpoint when troops opened fire. Israel maintains her car did not stop at the checkpoint, an incident, however, that undermines the declared attempts to get a limited cease- fire in place.

(on camera): A big question mark over whether this tentative understanding will hold even during the next few days of the holiday period. But of course the bigger question mark, what will happen once the holiday period is over.

(voice-over): A question even more acute now that while the tanks may yet move, Israel is not relinquishing its grip on Yasser Arafat's movements.

Jerrold Kessel, CNN, near Ramallah on the West Bank.

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