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CNN Sunday Morning
Israeli Cabinet Approves Road Map to Peace
Aired May 25, 2003 - 09:04 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.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Now, to Jerusalem, where the Israeli cabinet has taken a big step on the road to peace, within the hour, it approved the U.S.-backed road map. Twelve ministers voted for the peace proposal and seven were against it. CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna joins us now with the very latest. Mike, this was expected, but I'm sure relief for Prime Minister Sharon?
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, indeed, it was. Most observers had believed that he, Sharon, would get agreement for this road map within his cabinet, but what was not expecting and is very significant is the size of that vote. Effectively, he got the majority of the 23 member cabinet on his side. 12 members voted in favor of implementing the road map, seven against, with four abstentions.
Now, it's understood too that the cabinet has passed a separate resolution, rejecting a Palestinian right to return. This just an indication of the many hurdles that are going to be coming up the days and weeks ahead as the implementation of the road map is put into process. But a very significant thing about this, as well, it is the first time that an Israeli government has formally accepted the principle of the creation of a Palestinian state. The road map makes very clear that it provides for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state within a three-year period.
So this a very, very significant development, indeed, and a political victory, of sorts, for Ariel Sharon, managing to get this measure through his cabinet and maintaining the unity of his coalition government. He did receive a lot of opposition, it is reported, during the cabinet meeting that lasted some six hours before the decision was taken, but at the end result, Ariel Sharon has got his way. He has persuaded his cabinet to accept the implementation of the road map to peace -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Mike Hanna in Jerusalem, thank you very much.
Well, the Bush administration sees the road map as the best chance to end the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Let us get the latest on the mood in the White House this Sunday morning from CNN's Chris Burns, who is near the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas.
Chris, does this mean that the three-way summit that we were hearing about with the Palestinian prime ministers and President Bush is more likely now?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it does obviously appear to be, now that this road map is apparently saved by this action today, by the Israeli cabinet. Now, the next step, yes, is a possible summit -- three-way summit between President Bush; Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister; and Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister. When and where is not exact -- where and when, but there is talk about it being in Egypt, in the Red Sea Resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, possibly as President Bush is on his way back from the G8 summit in the next ten days. So, that is left as an open possibility. The president even talking about it last Friday, making reference to that, saying that he is exploring the possibilities.
Now, when you talk to senior administration officials, they say that what they'd like to see before there is agreement to this summit is initial steps on this road map by both sides; by the Palestinians to begin reining in the militants, for Mahmoud Abbas to begin reconstituting his security forces and talking with the militants, trying to stop those militant attacks that almost derailed this road map. And on the Israeli side, to start lifting those restrictions -- economic restrictions and other crushing restrictions that the Palestinians live under everyday. So they want -- he wants to see initial steps in that direction before he would accept and agree to that summit, but that summit, obviously, being very, very important, an important message that everybody on all sides is very serious about carrying on with this road map -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Chris Burns from Crawford, Texas, thanks very much.
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 May 25, 2003 - 09:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Now, to Jerusalem, where the Israeli cabinet has taken a big step on the road to peace, within the hour, it approved the U.S.-backed road map. Twelve ministers voted for the peace proposal and seven were against it. CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna joins us now with the very latest. Mike, this was expected, but I'm sure relief for Prime Minister Sharon?
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, indeed, it was. Most observers had believed that he, Sharon, would get agreement for this road map within his cabinet, but what was not expecting and is very significant is the size of that vote. Effectively, he got the majority of the 23 member cabinet on his side. 12 members voted in favor of implementing the road map, seven against, with four abstentions.
Now, it's understood too that the cabinet has passed a separate resolution, rejecting a Palestinian right to return. This just an indication of the many hurdles that are going to be coming up the days and weeks ahead as the implementation of the road map is put into process. But a very significant thing about this, as well, it is the first time that an Israeli government has formally accepted the principle of the creation of a Palestinian state. The road map makes very clear that it provides for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state within a three-year period.
So this a very, very significant development, indeed, and a political victory, of sorts, for Ariel Sharon, managing to get this measure through his cabinet and maintaining the unity of his coalition government. He did receive a lot of opposition, it is reported, during the cabinet meeting that lasted some six hours before the decision was taken, but at the end result, Ariel Sharon has got his way. He has persuaded his cabinet to accept the implementation of the road map to peace -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Mike Hanna in Jerusalem, thank you very much.
Well, the Bush administration sees the road map as the best chance to end the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Let us get the latest on the mood in the White House this Sunday morning from CNN's Chris Burns, who is near the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas.
Chris, does this mean that the three-way summit that we were hearing about with the Palestinian prime ministers and President Bush is more likely now?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it does obviously appear to be, now that this road map is apparently saved by this action today, by the Israeli cabinet. Now, the next step, yes, is a possible summit -- three-way summit between President Bush; Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister; and Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister. When and where is not exact -- where and when, but there is talk about it being in Egypt, in the Red Sea Resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, possibly as President Bush is on his way back from the G8 summit in the next ten days. So, that is left as an open possibility. The president even talking about it last Friday, making reference to that, saying that he is exploring the possibilities.
Now, when you talk to senior administration officials, they say that what they'd like to see before there is agreement to this summit is initial steps on this road map by both sides; by the Palestinians to begin reining in the militants, for Mahmoud Abbas to begin reconstituting his security forces and talking with the militants, trying to stop those militant attacks that almost derailed this road map. And on the Israeli side, to start lifting those restrictions -- economic restrictions and other crushing restrictions that the Palestinians live under everyday. So they want -- he wants to see initial steps in that direction before he would accept and agree to that summit, but that summit, obviously, being very, very important, an important message that everybody on all sides is very serious about carrying on with this road map -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Chris Burns from Crawford, Texas, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
