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CNN Saturday Morning News

Israel Reacts to Bombing in Tel Aviv

Aired June 02, 2001 - 07:00   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin in Israel this morning, where Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his cabinet are in emergency meetings. They're discussing a response to a suicide bombing at a beachfront disco that killed 18 people and injured 115.

Israel's first response was to seal off Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza. But there is widespread expectation Israel will respond to the attack much more forcefully. Just moments ago, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said he was, quoting now, "ready to do everything necessary for an immediate and unconditional cease- fire," end of quote.

Meanwhile, CNN's Jerrold Kessel says Tel Aviv hospitals are jammed with relatives and loved ones of those killed and injured in the suicide bombing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Anguish in Tel Aviv, anguish in hospital corridors of relatives as they await word of the condition of the wounded. Doctors say some of the injuries were especially severe because, along with the explosives, the bomb sprayed nails and screws into the crowd.

By late morning, all the 17 young people killed along with the suicide bomber had been identified. They were among those lining up to enter the Dolfi (ph), a discotheque much frequented by young Russian immigrants among many such night spots on the bustling Tel Aviv waterfront.

An angry crowd gathered outside where the Israeli leadership was convening in extraordinary session to decide how to respond. The demand here was for vehement action against the Palestinian Authority of Yasser Arafat directly. Arguments over what measures Israel should take continued among people who'd gathered at the site of the bombing.

No fresh information released by the Israeli authorities on the identity of the suicide bomber. After late into the night, police experts had scoured the scene for forensic evidence.

RAANAN GISSIN, SHARON SPOKESMAN: No doubt, the tempers are very heightened and the blood is boiling for this -- because of this senseless killing. But in order to make really a change in the basic situation, we have to take a very cold, calculated decision. And taking a cold, calculated decision, looking at all the other aspects (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of the broader picture, looking at how we can affect, really bring about an end, to violence, and not just revenge for an event that happened.

KESSEL: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had already been under pressure from families of people killed in previous attacks, from large sections of the Israeli public, and from the right flank of his unity government to end the self-declared restraint policy.

CHEMI SHALEV, ISRAELI POLITICAL ANALYST: First objectives of the government is to try to get some sort of massive international pressure on Arafat to perhaps do something which might avert the need for Israel to respond in force. But 12 hours have gone by since the attack happened, and we haven't seen anything of the sort.

So this kind of option, I think, is running out. And even though Israel may wait a few more hours or even a day or two, I think the end result is probably well known already now, and Israel will have to respond.

KESSEL: Germany's foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, in the area to meet regional leaders, was staying overnight in a hotel opposite the scene and laid a wreath before traveling to Ramallah on the West Bank to meet with Yasser Arafat.

Palestinian leaders have called the 10-day-old Israeli-declared unilateral cease-fire a ploy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That report from CNN's Jerrold Kessel. We'll be hearing from him live in just a little bit.

The suicide bombing has drawn strong condemnation from the United States, and new calls for action to stop the violence.

We get more on that from CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House this morning. Good morning, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

Well, in perhaps the most strongly worded statement from the Bush administration on the Middle East, President Bush deplored the attack, calling it "a heinous terrorist attack." In a statement, the president continued, saying, quote, "There is no justification for senseless attacks against innocent civilians. This illustrates the urgent need for immediate, unconditional cessation of violence. I call upon Chairman Yasser Arafat to condemn this act and to call for an immediate cease-fire."

Former president Bill Clinton, who, while in office, labored hard but unsuccessfully to achieve a Middle East peace agreement, also condemned the attack. Speaking i New York, Mr. Clinton said, quote, "They have to find a way to go forward without violence. Killing children surely is not the only way to do business. It is wrong, and it has to be stopped." Obviously, attacks like this will make it increasingly difficult for the Bush administration to continue to pursue its largely hands- off approach of letting the two sides in the Middle East work out their differences on their own. Secretary of State Colin Powell is scheduled to meet Monday with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres in Costa Rica, where the two will be attending a meeting of the Organization of American States.

Powell, too, reacted to the Tel Aviv attack, calling it, quote, "a horrible act that ended many innocent lives for no conceivable earthly purpose." Over the last few months, Powell has spoken by phone with both Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Sharon has repeatedly in the past urged the U.S. to do more to stop the violence in the Middle East, and this -- of course, this terrible attack will likely lead to more such calls -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House.

Now on to Jerusalem, where CNN's Jerrold Kessel has been standing by following this story as it has unfolded.

Jerrold, what is the latest, first of all, from the hospitals? Is it likely the toll will rise?

KESSEL: Well, there are four people described as being in very serious, critical condition, another seven in serious condition. But really the latest developments concern the diplomatic efforts to stop the violence from spiraling even further. And just after that meeting we were referring to between Yasser Arafat, Palestinian Authority leader, and the visiting German foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, together with the special U.N. envoy in the area, Terje Larsen, and Mr. Arafat, the Palestinian leader, came out and read a statement and a very strong statement and very interesting development in the level to try to get a cease-fire.

Yasser Arafat for the first time in his own voice saying this, "I repeat my condemnation, which we issued last night, of this tragic operation in Tel Aviv against civilians and all operations that result in the killing of civilians, Israelis or Palestinians." And then Mr. Arafat went on to say the critical statement, "We exert and we will now exert our utmost efforts to stop the bloodshed of our people and the Israeli people and to do all that is needed to achieve an immediate and unconditional, real and effective cease-fire through joint effort."

That Yasser Arafat statement, we understand from sources close in that meeting indeed, that this was a result of a very tough meeting between the Europeans, the U.N. envoy, and the Palestinians, internal Palestinian discussion, pressure on Yasser Arafat, each word considered very seriously before that statement came out. And according to one of the foreign delegates saying that they hoped that this will lead to the -- stop the Israelis reacting in a military measure.

We've just heard a statement from Prime Minister Sharon's spokesman saying what Israel is expecting is action from Yasser Arafat to get a cease-fire, not just declarations -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Do you think this will satisfy the Israelis? That's the big question, obviously, Jerrold.

KESSEL: That is the big question, and as I say, one of those foreign envoys who was involved in the drafting of that statement, together with the Palestinians, you know, saying, "I do hope this is enough to convince the Israelis."

Well, Prime Minister Sharon is under enormous pressure from various sources to act against Yasser Arafat, but there are counterweights in this situation with the Israelis, hoping that there will be international pressure, further international pressure on Yasser Arafat to indeed embark on and get a cease-fire in place in a way that satisfies the Israelis, which means tackling the radicals in the Palestinian movement, who may or may not have undertaken the kind of bombing action last night.

The Israelis will be expecting action. Perhaps the kind of statements we've been hearing from the Israeli side ever since the suicide bombing last night was saying they wanted that international pressure on Arafat. It might satisfy them, maybe this isn't enough. We shall see as this diplomatic efforts unfold at the same time as the Israeli government, the Israeli security cabinet, remains in session in Tel Aviv and see what response they have officially to that statement from Yasser Arafat -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem. We will be checking in with him later, obviously, as this story unfolds. Thank you very much.

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