Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
As Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Accepts Road Map to Middle East Peace, Terrorist Attack Throws up Another Speed Bump
Aired May 24, 2003 - 08:11 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: No sooner did Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon say he accepts the road map to Middle East peace than another violent incident throws up another speed bump.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel is in Jerusalem with the latest developments -- good morning, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Andrea.
And this has been a relatively quiet night, but the operative word, of course, being relative. There was an incident down in Gaza early this morning where Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man whom the Israelis say was armed and carrying rockets heading towards the fence which divides Gaza, the Gaza district from Israel and which is surrounded by Israel. No report yet from the Palestinians on this particular incident.
Also in the West Bank, Israeli troops have moved into a refugee camp, the large refugee camp near the town of Tulkarem, have arrested a number of people whom they say are wanted in connection with activities by terror organizations. The Palestinians reporting a number of people have been detained as a curfew has been slapped down on that refugee camp by the Israeli Army.
But it's not so much what the Israeli Army might or might not do in the days ahead as the Palestinian forces directed by the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. He's been having talks over the last few days down in Gaza with heads of the militant Islamic group, the biggest of the militant groups, Hamas, in an effort to get them to lay down their arms, as he's obliged to do under the terms of the road map for peace.
So far, Hamas says they may consider a ceasefire, but they certainly will not surrender their arms. Troubles ahead yet for the Palestinian prime minister -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: So what has the reaction in the local papers been there since the prime minister accepted, recognizing that he's obviously going to be submitting the road map to his cabinet on Sunday? But how has the pres reacted to it? Do they see this as a positive move?
KESSEL: Well, today, Andrea, is Saturday. It's very unusual for a democratic country, as absolutely no newspapers come out on the Jewish Sabbath. But there's, of course, a lot of television and radio comment and you can't get a sense of where the public is and where the political community is. And when Mr. Sharon brings that road map for approval of his cabinet tomorrow, he's no doubt going to head into a lot of opposition from the hard-line right-wing parties, the ultra nationalist, ultra religious parties in that cabinet of his.
At the same time, he is expected to get a majority. But it won't be plain sailing for the Israeli prime minister when he presents the road map for approval at his cabinet meeting in Jerusalem tomorrow -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Likely some more bumps ahead on the road map.
Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem, thanks very much -- Marty.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: And as Jerrold just pointed out, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is hoping to convince Hamas to stop its attacks on Israelis in an effort to get the Middle East peace process back on track. But Hamas is opposed to Israel's right to even exist.
So what are the chances it is going to work and comply?
Jim Walsh is a political scientist and researcher, fellow at Harvard University's JFK School of Government and he joins us now to offer some insights.
Good morning to you.
JIM WALSH, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Good morning, Martin.
SAVIDGE: Well, let's talk about this meeting that took place. How significant is it and is Hamas likely to comply and try to stop terrorism attacks?
WALSH: Well, it's an important meeting in a couple of respects. It certainly is a meeting that signals to President Bush that Prime Minister Abbas is going to do everything he can to follow the road map. It's also important because frankly the Palestinian Authority needs Hamas not to escalate, not to carry out a series of attacks if the road map has any chance of being successful.
So I think it's important.
As to whether he'll be, whether the Palestinian Authority will be able to stop Hamas, that's a different question entirely. You're right to point out that Hamas doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist. It doesn't recognize the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords. They are an Islamist group. They want to see clerics in charge of a greatest Palestinian state.
So I think he's got his work cut out from him.
SAVIDGE: Well, from the experience I've had in the West Bank and also in Gaza, Hamas plays a very significant role in the day to day lives of Palestinians, perhaps even more directly than the Palestinian Authority. So it is functional that they would meet like this, at least to discuss not only perhaps trying to bring an end to suicide bombings, but also trying to figure out where this road map is going to go.
WALSH: Martin, you're absolutely right that there has to be some sort of modus operandi worked out between the two. After all, Hamas really is the Palestinian Authority's biggest rival. When the Palestinian Authority has internal problems like corruption or external problems with the Israeli government, Hamas increases in popularity. And Hamas is not only a military group, it's a social service group. It provides, through its charities, health services, schools, a variety of services, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank, where low income Palestinians have affection for it.
And so the Palestinian Authority is sort of caught in the middle. It's got the Israelis and the Americans on one hand, and it's being pressed by Hamas on the other. And it has to find a middle road to try to keep both sides happy.
SAVIDGE: Hamas, as we've pointed out, doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist. How severe a road block is that? Or could they change on that subject?
WALSH: Well, I think it will be a major roadblock for the Palestinians. There are people within the Palestinian Authority who argue well, the way to handle Hamas is to bring them in, bring them into the center, make them mainstream. They are a political party, after all, and as I say, they provide these social services. So the idea is sort of to co-opt them and hope that the military side of Hamas withers over time.
They've also tried in the past a crack down. You'll remember in 1996, there were over 1,000 Hamas members that were arrested by the Palestinian Authority. But I think on average the Palestinians want to avoid that as their tactic. They don't want to have open conflict with Hamas at the same time that they're trying to deal with Israel and the U.S.
So I think their strategy is going to be try to bring them on board, co-opt them and over time make them a mainstream group. Will that work in the short-term as we enter this delicate beginning phase? I don't know.
SAVIDGE: Well, we can always have hope.
WALSH: Absolutely.
SAVIDGE: Jim Walsh, political scientist and research fellow at Harvard University's JFK School of Government.
Thanks very much for coming in and talking to us this morning.
WALSH: Thank you, Martin.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Middle East Peace, Terrorist Attack Throws up Another Speed Bump>
Aired May 24, 2003 - 08:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: No sooner did Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon say he accepts the road map to Middle East peace than another violent incident throws up another speed bump.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel is in Jerusalem with the latest developments -- good morning, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Andrea.
And this has been a relatively quiet night, but the operative word, of course, being relative. There was an incident down in Gaza early this morning where Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man whom the Israelis say was armed and carrying rockets heading towards the fence which divides Gaza, the Gaza district from Israel and which is surrounded by Israel. No report yet from the Palestinians on this particular incident.
Also in the West Bank, Israeli troops have moved into a refugee camp, the large refugee camp near the town of Tulkarem, have arrested a number of people whom they say are wanted in connection with activities by terror organizations. The Palestinians reporting a number of people have been detained as a curfew has been slapped down on that refugee camp by the Israeli Army.
But it's not so much what the Israeli Army might or might not do in the days ahead as the Palestinian forces directed by the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. He's been having talks over the last few days down in Gaza with heads of the militant Islamic group, the biggest of the militant groups, Hamas, in an effort to get them to lay down their arms, as he's obliged to do under the terms of the road map for peace.
So far, Hamas says they may consider a ceasefire, but they certainly will not surrender their arms. Troubles ahead yet for the Palestinian prime minister -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: So what has the reaction in the local papers been there since the prime minister accepted, recognizing that he's obviously going to be submitting the road map to his cabinet on Sunday? But how has the pres reacted to it? Do they see this as a positive move?
KESSEL: Well, today, Andrea, is Saturday. It's very unusual for a democratic country, as absolutely no newspapers come out on the Jewish Sabbath. But there's, of course, a lot of television and radio comment and you can't get a sense of where the public is and where the political community is. And when Mr. Sharon brings that road map for approval of his cabinet tomorrow, he's no doubt going to head into a lot of opposition from the hard-line right-wing parties, the ultra nationalist, ultra religious parties in that cabinet of his.
At the same time, he is expected to get a majority. But it won't be plain sailing for the Israeli prime minister when he presents the road map for approval at his cabinet meeting in Jerusalem tomorrow -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Likely some more bumps ahead on the road map.
Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem, thanks very much -- Marty.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: And as Jerrold just pointed out, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is hoping to convince Hamas to stop its attacks on Israelis in an effort to get the Middle East peace process back on track. But Hamas is opposed to Israel's right to even exist.
So what are the chances it is going to work and comply?
Jim Walsh is a political scientist and researcher, fellow at Harvard University's JFK School of Government and he joins us now to offer some insights.
Good morning to you.
JIM WALSH, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Good morning, Martin.
SAVIDGE: Well, let's talk about this meeting that took place. How significant is it and is Hamas likely to comply and try to stop terrorism attacks?
WALSH: Well, it's an important meeting in a couple of respects. It certainly is a meeting that signals to President Bush that Prime Minister Abbas is going to do everything he can to follow the road map. It's also important because frankly the Palestinian Authority needs Hamas not to escalate, not to carry out a series of attacks if the road map has any chance of being successful.
So I think it's important.
As to whether he'll be, whether the Palestinian Authority will be able to stop Hamas, that's a different question entirely. You're right to point out that Hamas doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist. It doesn't recognize the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords. They are an Islamist group. They want to see clerics in charge of a greatest Palestinian state.
So I think he's got his work cut out from him.
SAVIDGE: Well, from the experience I've had in the West Bank and also in Gaza, Hamas plays a very significant role in the day to day lives of Palestinians, perhaps even more directly than the Palestinian Authority. So it is functional that they would meet like this, at least to discuss not only perhaps trying to bring an end to suicide bombings, but also trying to figure out where this road map is going to go.
WALSH: Martin, you're absolutely right that there has to be some sort of modus operandi worked out between the two. After all, Hamas really is the Palestinian Authority's biggest rival. When the Palestinian Authority has internal problems like corruption or external problems with the Israeli government, Hamas increases in popularity. And Hamas is not only a military group, it's a social service group. It provides, through its charities, health services, schools, a variety of services, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank, where low income Palestinians have affection for it.
And so the Palestinian Authority is sort of caught in the middle. It's got the Israelis and the Americans on one hand, and it's being pressed by Hamas on the other. And it has to find a middle road to try to keep both sides happy.
SAVIDGE: Hamas, as we've pointed out, doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist. How severe a road block is that? Or could they change on that subject?
WALSH: Well, I think it will be a major roadblock for the Palestinians. There are people within the Palestinian Authority who argue well, the way to handle Hamas is to bring them in, bring them into the center, make them mainstream. They are a political party, after all, and as I say, they provide these social services. So the idea is sort of to co-opt them and hope that the military side of Hamas withers over time.
They've also tried in the past a crack down. You'll remember in 1996, there were over 1,000 Hamas members that were arrested by the Palestinian Authority. But I think on average the Palestinians want to avoid that as their tactic. They don't want to have open conflict with Hamas at the same time that they're trying to deal with Israel and the U.S.
So I think their strategy is going to be try to bring them on board, co-opt them and over time make them a mainstream group. Will that work in the short-term as we enter this delicate beginning phase? I don't know.
SAVIDGE: Well, we can always have hope.
WALSH: Absolutely.
SAVIDGE: Jim Walsh, political scientist and research fellow at Harvard University's JFK School of Government.
Thanks very much for coming in and talking to us this morning.
WALSH: Thank you, Martin.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Middle East Peace, Terrorist Attack Throws up Another Speed Bump>
