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CNN Sunday Morning
Abbas, Sharon Meet
Aired July 20, 2003 - 11:12 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.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Turning to the crisis in the Middle East, now. The Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers try to push forward on the so-called road map to peace. The leaders holding a meeting today about that plan. CNN's Matthew Chance joins us live from Jerusalem with more on this.
Matthew, bring us up to date.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sean, thank you. This was the first meeting between the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers in almost three weeks to try and find ways of pushing ahead, moving forward, on that U.S.-backed road map peace plan, which is not only the best, but the only hope, at this stage, for peace between the two sides in this region.
Israeli officials talking to CNN have said, though, that there's been no breakthrough, no further developments on the very contentious issue of Palestinian prisoners. Israel holds more than 7,500 Palestinians inside its jails, many of whom, the vast majority of whom, have been taken into custody over the course of the last 33 months of Israeli/Palestinian violence.
This is a very contentious issue for the Palestinians. They say they want these people released in order for the peace process to move forward. Israel, for its part, though, is saying that it will only release at this stage between 200 and 300 Palestinian prisoners, and wants to see more action on the ground by the Palestinian authority to actually dismantle the main Palestinian militant groups who have declared a cease-fire before it's prepared to go any further.
So, this has emerged as the main obstacle between the two sides at this stage, and there is a lot of discussion that has to be taken, a lot to be made between the two sides if this process is to move forward.
Just as a footnote, both the Palestinian and Israeli prime ministers will be moving separately to Washington, D.C. later on this month, where they'll be meeting with, of course, President Bush and U.S. officials in the hope of achieving something on that front. There is a possibility, too, of a three-way meeting, although that has not been confirmed as yet. They're waiting to see what progress can be made, Sean.
CALLEBS: Matthew Chance, joining us from Jerusalem.
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 - 11:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Turning to the crisis in the Middle East, now. The Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers try to push forward on the so-called road map to peace. The leaders holding a meeting today about that plan. CNN's Matthew Chance joins us live from Jerusalem with more on this.
Matthew, bring us up to date.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sean, thank you. This was the first meeting between the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers in almost three weeks to try and find ways of pushing ahead, moving forward, on that U.S.-backed road map peace plan, which is not only the best, but the only hope, at this stage, for peace between the two sides in this region.
Israeli officials talking to CNN have said, though, that there's been no breakthrough, no further developments on the very contentious issue of Palestinian prisoners. Israel holds more than 7,500 Palestinians inside its jails, many of whom, the vast majority of whom, have been taken into custody over the course of the last 33 months of Israeli/Palestinian violence.
This is a very contentious issue for the Palestinians. They say they want these people released in order for the peace process to move forward. Israel, for its part, though, is saying that it will only release at this stage between 200 and 300 Palestinian prisoners, and wants to see more action on the ground by the Palestinian authority to actually dismantle the main Palestinian militant groups who have declared a cease-fire before it's prepared to go any further.
So, this has emerged as the main obstacle between the two sides at this stage, and there is a lot of discussion that has to be taken, a lot to be made between the two sides if this process is to move forward.
Just as a footnote, both the Palestinian and Israeli prime ministers will be moving separately to Washington, D.C. later on this month, where they'll be meeting with, of course, President Bush and U.S. officials in the hope of achieving something on that front. There is a possibility, too, of a three-way meeting, although that has not been confirmed as yet. They're waiting to see what progress can be made, Sean.
CALLEBS: Matthew Chance, joining us from Jerusalem.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
