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CNN Sunday Morning
Abbas, Sharon Scheduled to Meet Today
Aired July 20, 2003 - 07:04 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.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: The Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers are to meet this morning to talk about pushing along the so- called road map for peace. Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas may also talk about each leaders upcoming visit to Washington. CNN's Matthew Chance is in Jerusalem, he joins us with the very latest from there -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Thomas.
And it will be the first time in almost three weeks that the two leaders, the Israeli and the Palestinian prime ministers, are meeting here in Jerusalem to try and discuss ways of moving forward the U.S. backed road map peace process.
The Palestinian cabinet has said in a statement that after the meeting it expects Israel to announce its decisions regarding the further releases of Palestinian prisoners -- and on further possible military withdrawals from Palestinian territory by the Israeli army.
The progress on the road map, which has seen a cease-fire, of course, from the main militant Palestinian groups, and Israeli withdrawals from parts of Gaza and the West Bank town of Bethlehem, has stalled in recent weeks.
Israel says it wants to see the Palestinian Authority act on the ground to physically dismantle the main Palestinian groups, as it has agreed to do under the U.S. backed road map.
Palestinians, in response, say they want to see Israel, as well, go ahead with its obligations under the road map, namely dismantling settlement outposts, freezing all other settlements activity in the occupied territories; as well as withdrawing from Palestinian areas in the occupied territories.
But it is, perhaps, the issue of Palestinian prisoners that is the biggest obstacle between the two sides at the moment. Israel has said it will release only a few 100 of the more than 7,500 -- according to the Red Cross -- more than the 7,500 Palestinian prisoners that it has in it's custody.
Palestinian negotiators have been saying they need a much wider scale release of that to keep the Palestinian militant groups from -- to adhere to their cease-fire; and to show ordinary Palestinians that there is a benefit at this stage, for making peace with the Israelis -- Thomas.
ROBERTS: Matthew Chance, live for us in Jerusalem this morning. Matthew, thanks so 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 July 20, 2003 - 07:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: The Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers are to meet this morning to talk about pushing along the so- called road map for peace. Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas may also talk about each leaders upcoming visit to Washington. CNN's Matthew Chance is in Jerusalem, he joins us with the very latest from there -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Thomas.
And it will be the first time in almost three weeks that the two leaders, the Israeli and the Palestinian prime ministers, are meeting here in Jerusalem to try and discuss ways of moving forward the U.S. backed road map peace process.
The Palestinian cabinet has said in a statement that after the meeting it expects Israel to announce its decisions regarding the further releases of Palestinian prisoners -- and on further possible military withdrawals from Palestinian territory by the Israeli army.
The progress on the road map, which has seen a cease-fire, of course, from the main militant Palestinian groups, and Israeli withdrawals from parts of Gaza and the West Bank town of Bethlehem, has stalled in recent weeks.
Israel says it wants to see the Palestinian Authority act on the ground to physically dismantle the main Palestinian groups, as it has agreed to do under the U.S. backed road map.
Palestinians, in response, say they want to see Israel, as well, go ahead with its obligations under the road map, namely dismantling settlement outposts, freezing all other settlements activity in the occupied territories; as well as withdrawing from Palestinian areas in the occupied territories.
But it is, perhaps, the issue of Palestinian prisoners that is the biggest obstacle between the two sides at the moment. Israel has said it will release only a few 100 of the more than 7,500 -- according to the Red Cross -- more than the 7,500 Palestinian prisoners that it has in it's custody.
Palestinian negotiators have been saying they need a much wider scale release of that to keep the Palestinian militant groups from -- to adhere to their cease-fire; and to show ordinary Palestinians that there is a benefit at this stage, for making peace with the Israelis -- Thomas.
ROBERTS: Matthew Chance, live for us in Jerusalem this morning. Matthew, thanks so 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
