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CNN Sunday Morning
Sharon Confers With Cabinet
Aired November 17, 2002 - 07:35 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: In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon confers today with his defense minister and others as Israel's military operation in Hebron continues. CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna joins us live with more on all this. Hello, Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Miles, the Israeli Cabinet meeting has just concluded. That is a regular meeting held every Sunday. Much debate about that attack in Hebron Friday night, but no firm decisions taken, according to cabinet sources. There was a degree of argument about what should happen next according to these sources, however, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) what is going to happen has already happened in Hebron.
That attack in Hebron Friday evening claimed 12 Israeli lives. Among them, border police officers, soldiers and three armed militia from the nearby settlement of Kiriat Abba (ph). Three Palestinian militants were also killed as Israeli forces responded to that attack.
The Islamic Jihad movement claimed responsibility for the attack in Hebron, and they've warned the brunt of the Israeli military response. Israeli forces have moved back into large areas of the divided West Bank city. A number of homes in Hebron have been destroyed. The Israeli Defense Force says these homes belonging to those affiliated to the Islamic Jihad movement.
Elsewhere, Israeli operations continuing in the West Bank, and particularly in the West Bank city of Nablus. However, the focus of attention, according to the Israeli military at present, is Hebron, and say the Israeli military, they will continue the operations there until they have rooted out what they call all the elements of terrorist cells operating in that divided city -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Mike, the Israeli foreign minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says the agreement he signed when he was prime minister to create a power-sharing or divided control of Hebron is now null and void. What does that mean?
HANNA: Well, it's not clear what that means. Certainly, as far as practice is concerned, it is, because Israeli forces have completely reoccupied that city. The deal that was met -- reached when Netanyahu was prime minister back in '97 clearly not in operation at all. But the Israeli government and Sharon in particular is not ready to absolutely deny that all past agreements are null and void. This very much seen by those supporting Sharon within the Likud movement as part of Benjamin Netanyahu's election campaign -- that is, towards the end of the month a very important primary (ph) held in Likud, in which Netanyahu will be coming up against Sharon for the leadership of that party, leading to Israeli elections next year.
So there have been several very hawkish statements from Netanyahu on that issue, also on the issue of expelling Yasser Arafat, which Sharon refuses to do at this stage. Netanyahu says should be done. So within the tragedy and the incidents of what happened in Hebron, very much politicking emerging out of it and in particular relating to the ongoing rivalry between Sharon and Netanyahu.
O'BRIEN: It's interesting, Mike, because what you're seeing is Sharon being pushed to the right, of all places.
HANNA: Well, there are those who are attempting to put him to the right, but Ariel Sharon has been pretty consistent in terms of what his position is with regard to the Palestinian situation and with regards to attacks against the Israelis from Palestinian militants. Sharon says that he has assured the United States, for example, that there will be no action taken against Yasser Arafat personally. He says he is not going to go back on this assurance at this stage. He has also assured the United States that Israel will maintain its present government policy that because of the shift to the right within the members of the government this is not going to influence the policy that he has outlined over recent months and through the months that he has been in power as prime minister.
So Sharon at this stage holding to his position, resisting attempts from the extreme right, some of whom are members of his new cabinet, to take stringent action, even more stringent action against Palestinians or even perhaps to take action against Arafat personally. Sharon at this stage simply refusing to budge on these issues, Miles.
O'BRIEN: This has got to be something that concerns the U.S. administration greatly as it contemplates some sort of action in Iraq. I presume that it has been stated overtly or quietly or however that it would be in the interest of the United States if Israel would come up with a way to calm things down. It seems like just the contrary is occurring.
HANNA: Well, very much so. The United States has -- privately, at least -- there have been several messages being exchanged on a consistent basis between the Sharon government and the U.S. administration. The U.S. obviously wants the situation as regards Israelis and Palestinians to be as quiet, as calm as possible, given the fact that there has been 25 months of incessant conflict, because any major outbreak of violence between Palestinians and Israelis, each of them does have an impact on whatever plans and whatever designs U.S. has in Iraq.
So very much so, there has been constant interchange between Israel and the U.S. Ariel Sharon continuing to say that he will do all that is possible to satisfy these U.S. requests. They're posed as requests rather than as demands, but there are those within the Sharon government, to the right, extreme right of Sharon, who are saying that Israeli security comes first, and whatever assurances are given to the U.S. must be counterweighed by the fact that Israelis continue to die in Palestinian attacks. So Sharon very much caught between some of his own constituents, those on the right of the Likud Party, and demands of the United States. But at this stage -- or requests of the United States -- but at this stage, as I said, he does seem to be holding a pretty consistent line, refusing to budge and refusing to meet those demands from the right to take even more stringent actions against Palestinians, which would not be advantageous, as far as United States is concerned at this stage.
O'BRIEN: Seems like he's between a rock and a hard place. Mike Hanna, in Jerusalem, thank you very much. Appreciate it.
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 November 17, 2002 - 07:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon confers today with his defense minister and others as Israel's military operation in Hebron continues. CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna joins us live with more on all this. Hello, Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Miles, the Israeli Cabinet meeting has just concluded. That is a regular meeting held every Sunday. Much debate about that attack in Hebron Friday night, but no firm decisions taken, according to cabinet sources. There was a degree of argument about what should happen next according to these sources, however, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) what is going to happen has already happened in Hebron.
That attack in Hebron Friday evening claimed 12 Israeli lives. Among them, border police officers, soldiers and three armed militia from the nearby settlement of Kiriat Abba (ph). Three Palestinian militants were also killed as Israeli forces responded to that attack.
The Islamic Jihad movement claimed responsibility for the attack in Hebron, and they've warned the brunt of the Israeli military response. Israeli forces have moved back into large areas of the divided West Bank city. A number of homes in Hebron have been destroyed. The Israeli Defense Force says these homes belonging to those affiliated to the Islamic Jihad movement.
Elsewhere, Israeli operations continuing in the West Bank, and particularly in the West Bank city of Nablus. However, the focus of attention, according to the Israeli military at present, is Hebron, and say the Israeli military, they will continue the operations there until they have rooted out what they call all the elements of terrorist cells operating in that divided city -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Mike, the Israeli foreign minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says the agreement he signed when he was prime minister to create a power-sharing or divided control of Hebron is now null and void. What does that mean?
HANNA: Well, it's not clear what that means. Certainly, as far as practice is concerned, it is, because Israeli forces have completely reoccupied that city. The deal that was met -- reached when Netanyahu was prime minister back in '97 clearly not in operation at all. But the Israeli government and Sharon in particular is not ready to absolutely deny that all past agreements are null and void. This very much seen by those supporting Sharon within the Likud movement as part of Benjamin Netanyahu's election campaign -- that is, towards the end of the month a very important primary (ph) held in Likud, in which Netanyahu will be coming up against Sharon for the leadership of that party, leading to Israeli elections next year.
So there have been several very hawkish statements from Netanyahu on that issue, also on the issue of expelling Yasser Arafat, which Sharon refuses to do at this stage. Netanyahu says should be done. So within the tragedy and the incidents of what happened in Hebron, very much politicking emerging out of it and in particular relating to the ongoing rivalry between Sharon and Netanyahu.
O'BRIEN: It's interesting, Mike, because what you're seeing is Sharon being pushed to the right, of all places.
HANNA: Well, there are those who are attempting to put him to the right, but Ariel Sharon has been pretty consistent in terms of what his position is with regard to the Palestinian situation and with regards to attacks against the Israelis from Palestinian militants. Sharon says that he has assured the United States, for example, that there will be no action taken against Yasser Arafat personally. He says he is not going to go back on this assurance at this stage. He has also assured the United States that Israel will maintain its present government policy that because of the shift to the right within the members of the government this is not going to influence the policy that he has outlined over recent months and through the months that he has been in power as prime minister.
So Sharon at this stage holding to his position, resisting attempts from the extreme right, some of whom are members of his new cabinet, to take stringent action, even more stringent action against Palestinians or even perhaps to take action against Arafat personally. Sharon at this stage simply refusing to budge on these issues, Miles.
O'BRIEN: This has got to be something that concerns the U.S. administration greatly as it contemplates some sort of action in Iraq. I presume that it has been stated overtly or quietly or however that it would be in the interest of the United States if Israel would come up with a way to calm things down. It seems like just the contrary is occurring.
HANNA: Well, very much so. The United States has -- privately, at least -- there have been several messages being exchanged on a consistent basis between the Sharon government and the U.S. administration. The U.S. obviously wants the situation as regards Israelis and Palestinians to be as quiet, as calm as possible, given the fact that there has been 25 months of incessant conflict, because any major outbreak of violence between Palestinians and Israelis, each of them does have an impact on whatever plans and whatever designs U.S. has in Iraq.
So very much so, there has been constant interchange between Israel and the U.S. Ariel Sharon continuing to say that he will do all that is possible to satisfy these U.S. requests. They're posed as requests rather than as demands, but there are those within the Sharon government, to the right, extreme right of Sharon, who are saying that Israeli security comes first, and whatever assurances are given to the U.S. must be counterweighed by the fact that Israelis continue to die in Palestinian attacks. So Sharon very much caught between some of his own constituents, those on the right of the Likud Party, and demands of the United States. But at this stage -- or requests of the United States -- but at this stage, as I said, he does seem to be holding a pretty consistent line, refusing to budge and refusing to meet those demands from the right to take even more stringent actions against Palestinians, which would not be advantageous, as far as United States is concerned at this stage.
O'BRIEN: Seems like he's between a rock and a hard place. Mike Hanna, in Jerusalem, thank you very much. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
