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CNN Sunday Morning

Israel Gets Ready for War

Aired March 02, 2003 - 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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: If there is a war in Iraq, Israelis and Palestinians could be in a danger zone. You might remember Iraq attacked Israel with scud missiles during the Gulf War. If there's a Gulf War II, Israelis say they're ready. But it's a different story for Palestinians. CNN's Kelly Wallace has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Outside on the streets of Gaza, rallies showing solidarity with Saddam Hussein have become almost a weekly ritual. But inside Palestinian households, like the apartment of Sarab Alawnah, concerns are much closer to home, like making sure her portable television is working to follow news reports in case the electricity goes out and crashing a plan to keep track of her eight daughters and one son.

"In case anyone gets lost during any war, we agree that we will meet at Shefa (ph) Hospital," she told us. Thirteen-year-old Hanan she's already learned at school what to do in case of an attack. "We talk about how we will put a cloth over our mouths." "We don't have gas masks," she said. More than 90 percent of Israeli citizens have government-issued gas masks, but few of the 3.5 million Palestinians in Gaza or in the West Bank do.

(on camera): A human rights group in Israel petitions the country's high court, charging that Israel, as an occupying force, should be responsible for providing gas masks to all its people here and in the West Bank. But the court rejected the petition, arguing it is the Palestinian Authority who should be responsible for providing gas masks to all its people.

(voice-over): Many here don't believe Saddam Hussein, who has given up to $25,000 to families of Palestinian suicide bombers, will attack Gaza.

"If there is an Iraqi missile, it will fall in Israel," said this boy. But this mother of one, with another child on the way, is not so sure. "There is no safety in Gaza." "We have no shelter," she says.

Back at Sarab's home, 20-year-old Hiba (ph) says she's more worried about Israel than Iraq. "If there is a war, Israel might exploit the media's attention on Iraq to start with us in Gaza," she told us. Mirvant (ph), who's 25, remembers the days before the 1991 Gulf War. Her family was in Amman then.

MIRVANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to buy the supplies and buy the gas masks.

WALLACE: No such preparations this time.

MIRVANT: On that day, to think of it here, very close to us, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

WALLACE: Hoping a place that has seen its share of conflict will be on the sidelines, not the front lines, if war breaks out. Kelly Wallace, CNN, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 March 2, 2003 - 08:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: If there is a war in Iraq, Israelis and Palestinians could be in a danger zone. You might remember Iraq attacked Israel with scud missiles during the Gulf War. If there's a Gulf War II, Israelis say they're ready. But it's a different story for Palestinians. CNN's Kelly Wallace has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Outside on the streets of Gaza, rallies showing solidarity with Saddam Hussein have become almost a weekly ritual. But inside Palestinian households, like the apartment of Sarab Alawnah, concerns are much closer to home, like making sure her portable television is working to follow news reports in case the electricity goes out and crashing a plan to keep track of her eight daughters and one son.

"In case anyone gets lost during any war, we agree that we will meet at Shefa (ph) Hospital," she told us. Thirteen-year-old Hanan she's already learned at school what to do in case of an attack. "We talk about how we will put a cloth over our mouths." "We don't have gas masks," she said. More than 90 percent of Israeli citizens have government-issued gas masks, but few of the 3.5 million Palestinians in Gaza or in the West Bank do.

(on camera): A human rights group in Israel petitions the country's high court, charging that Israel, as an occupying force, should be responsible for providing gas masks to all its people here and in the West Bank. But the court rejected the petition, arguing it is the Palestinian Authority who should be responsible for providing gas masks to all its people.

(voice-over): Many here don't believe Saddam Hussein, who has given up to $25,000 to families of Palestinian suicide bombers, will attack Gaza.

"If there is an Iraqi missile, it will fall in Israel," said this boy. But this mother of one, with another child on the way, is not so sure. "There is no safety in Gaza." "We have no shelter," she says.

Back at Sarab's home, 20-year-old Hiba (ph) says she's more worried about Israel than Iraq. "If there is a war, Israel might exploit the media's attention on Iraq to start with us in Gaza," she told us. Mirvant (ph), who's 25, remembers the days before the 1991 Gulf War. Her family was in Amman then.

MIRVANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to buy the supplies and buy the gas masks.

WALLACE: No such preparations this time.

MIRVANT: On that day, to think of it here, very close to us, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

WALLACE: Hoping a place that has seen its share of conflict will be on the sidelines, not the front lines, if war breaks out. Kelly Wallace, CNN, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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