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CNN Sunday Morning
Israeli Cabinet Agrees to Road Map
Aired May 25, 2003 - 10:00 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR: Let's begin this hour in Jerusalem, where history has been made and possibly a new path charted in the quest for Middle East peace.
Less than two hours ago, the Israeli cabinet approved a road map for one of the most contentious issues in the region, an independent Palestinian state. CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief, Mike Hanna, joins now with more -- Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, it was a stormy six-hour meeting, it's reported, of the Israeli cabinet, which met throughout Sunday to discuss one issue and that is whether or not to accept the road map to peace as suggested by U.S. President George W. Bush.
At the end of debate and argument, the vote came in. Twelve members of the cabinet voted in favor. Seven members voted against and four abstained.
Now the significance of this vote is that in this 23-member cabinet including Ariel Sharon, there is now a majority for the implementation of the road map.
Another significant issue, too, is that this is the first time an Israeli government has formally accepted, in principle, the establishment of a Palestinian state. The road map suggesting that this state be established within a three-year period.
Well, among those who was the first to react to the Israeli cabinet decision was a man who'd been deeply involved in attempts to get a peace deal together in the past, and that is former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and this is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EHUD BARAK, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: For a government led by Sharon and the right wing, it's very meaningful and in a way, promising, but we should calibrate our expectation. It still has to be proven that the Palestinian side is ready beyond the opening gestures and ceremonies, move forward with the actual demands of President Bush in his last June speech, namely to elevate Arafat to some totally symbolic level with no -- not even a drop of executive authority to correct on Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Brigade and put an end, eventually, to terror against Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HANNA: While there are demands on the Palestinians, there are demands on the Israelis, too, including movement to withdraw from Palestinian towns and villages and cities, as well as a freezing of all settlement activity.
Now the Israeli cabinet in the course of the day passed a separate resolution, rejecting the Palestinian right to return. This just one of the many hurdles and obstacles that are going to come in the days and weeks ahead as this road map goes through the process of implementation.
But at this stage, both parties now have accepted the road map in principle and now looking for an implementation of this road map on the ground -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Mike, how soon before the implementation, then?
HANNA: Well, it would be virtually immediately. There's talk of meeting between Ariel Sharon and Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, within the next 24 hours. The possibility, too, in the days ahead of a meeting of these two leaders, as well as U.S. President George W. Bush.
So certainly this is going to be a very quick process in terms of beginning the implementation. Although, as we've seen in attempts to get a peace process in place before, very, very difficult to do it in terms of what is happening on the ground. And this is going to be the key issue, whether there is a cessation of violence, creating the condition in which the implementation of the road map can proceed as smoothly as possible, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Mike Hanna from Jerusalem, thank you very much. And we hope to get a response from the White House on this agreement momentarily.
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 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR: Let's begin this hour in Jerusalem, where history has been made and possibly a new path charted in the quest for Middle East peace.
Less than two hours ago, the Israeli cabinet approved a road map for one of the most contentious issues in the region, an independent Palestinian state. CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief, Mike Hanna, joins now with more -- Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, it was a stormy six-hour meeting, it's reported, of the Israeli cabinet, which met throughout Sunday to discuss one issue and that is whether or not to accept the road map to peace as suggested by U.S. President George W. Bush.
At the end of debate and argument, the vote came in. Twelve members of the cabinet voted in favor. Seven members voted against and four abstained.
Now the significance of this vote is that in this 23-member cabinet including Ariel Sharon, there is now a majority for the implementation of the road map.
Another significant issue, too, is that this is the first time an Israeli government has formally accepted, in principle, the establishment of a Palestinian state. The road map suggesting that this state be established within a three-year period.
Well, among those who was the first to react to the Israeli cabinet decision was a man who'd been deeply involved in attempts to get a peace deal together in the past, and that is former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and this is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EHUD BARAK, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: For a government led by Sharon and the right wing, it's very meaningful and in a way, promising, but we should calibrate our expectation. It still has to be proven that the Palestinian side is ready beyond the opening gestures and ceremonies, move forward with the actual demands of President Bush in his last June speech, namely to elevate Arafat to some totally symbolic level with no -- not even a drop of executive authority to correct on Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Brigade and put an end, eventually, to terror against Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HANNA: While there are demands on the Palestinians, there are demands on the Israelis, too, including movement to withdraw from Palestinian towns and villages and cities, as well as a freezing of all settlement activity.
Now the Israeli cabinet in the course of the day passed a separate resolution, rejecting the Palestinian right to return. This just one of the many hurdles and obstacles that are going to come in the days and weeks ahead as this road map goes through the process of implementation.
But at this stage, both parties now have accepted the road map in principle and now looking for an implementation of this road map on the ground -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Mike, how soon before the implementation, then?
HANNA: Well, it would be virtually immediately. There's talk of meeting between Ariel Sharon and Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, within the next 24 hours. The possibility, too, in the days ahead of a meeting of these two leaders, as well as U.S. President George W. Bush.
So certainly this is going to be a very quick process in terms of beginning the implementation. Although, as we've seen in attempts to get a peace process in place before, very, very difficult to do it in terms of what is happening on the ground. And this is going to be the key issue, whether there is a cessation of violence, creating the condition in which the implementation of the road map can proceed as smoothly as possible, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Mike Hanna from Jerusalem, thank you very much. And we hope to get a response from the White House on this agreement momentarily.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
