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CNN Saturday Morning News
Can a Truce be Found in Israel?
Aired June 28, 2003 - 07:30 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: This could be a significant weekend for peace in the Middle East. Most developments involve Israeli and Palestinian leaders, including a meeting with a top White House adviser and the promised Israeli transfer of security in Gaza. But one equally important involves the unofficial role of militant Islamic groups and their proposed truce with Israel.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel is in Jerusalem now.
And we are wondering, Jerrold, what is the most development today?
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Heidi.
And I think you could say all, all those developments you mentioned. It was just over three weeks ago that President Bush launched, with a good deal of fanfare, this so-called road map, the peace initiative that was meant to get Palestinians and Israelis moving away from their bitter conflict of the last three and a half years and on to a peace road.
But over the last couple of weeks, it seemed that it would all collapse in a welter of blood as the two sides continued to battle each other out. And it seemed to be coming apart. But now, this weekend it seems to be all coming together with those two key agreements, internal agreement between the Palestinians of the militant groups agreeing that they'll engage in at least a three month truce in their battles and their attacks against Israelis.
But alongside that -- and I don't think the one could have happened without the other, even though the Israelis say there is no direct link -- that agreement that's in the making and is likely to come together finally tomorrow between Israel and the Palestinian Authority whereby the Israelis will withdraw from parts of Gaza and the West Bank, in the first instance, Bethlehem on the West Bank; the northern part of Gaza; then central Gaza; in return for which the Palestinian security forces will begin to move in there.
You could say, it may be an exaggeration, but after 33 months of bitter fighting, this could be the weekend when the corner has turned and the two sides begin to move onto a peace road.
Still a lot of skepticism, but it may be they're making those first steps down that peace road -- Heidi.
COLLINS: And, Jerrold, when you look back at sort of the push and pull that has been going on for such a long time now between these two countries, in your estimation, what would it be exactly, the most significant moment, perhaps, that would have gotten the situation to the point that it's at now?
KESSEL: Perhaps not a moment, but a new process. And the process, you could say, is active U.S. involvement, active determination by the United States. Spelt out by President Bush at that Aqaba summit and since then when he sent his top State Department man, John Wolf, who's been negotiating between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the U.S. has been pressing all the time on the militant groups through Syria, where the militant Palestinian groups have some of their headquarters, on the Palestinian Authority to make sure that they get this truce in place.
That U.S. pressure is telling and I think it will be consolidated by U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, who comes in in the next few hours, begins meeting with the Palestinians later today, then with the Israeli leadership tomorrow. That will consolidate the fact that the U.S. means to get this peace road, peace initiative going despite the violence. It seems like they are succeeding -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Jerrold Kessel, we know you'll be keeping your eye on all of those developments for us.
Thanks so much, live from Jerusalem this morning.
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 June 28, 2003 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: This could be a significant weekend for peace in the Middle East. Most developments involve Israeli and Palestinian leaders, including a meeting with a top White House adviser and the promised Israeli transfer of security in Gaza. But one equally important involves the unofficial role of militant Islamic groups and their proposed truce with Israel.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel is in Jerusalem now.
And we are wondering, Jerrold, what is the most development today?
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Heidi.
And I think you could say all, all those developments you mentioned. It was just over three weeks ago that President Bush launched, with a good deal of fanfare, this so-called road map, the peace initiative that was meant to get Palestinians and Israelis moving away from their bitter conflict of the last three and a half years and on to a peace road.
But over the last couple of weeks, it seemed that it would all collapse in a welter of blood as the two sides continued to battle each other out. And it seemed to be coming apart. But now, this weekend it seems to be all coming together with those two key agreements, internal agreement between the Palestinians of the militant groups agreeing that they'll engage in at least a three month truce in their battles and their attacks against Israelis.
But alongside that -- and I don't think the one could have happened without the other, even though the Israelis say there is no direct link -- that agreement that's in the making and is likely to come together finally tomorrow between Israel and the Palestinian Authority whereby the Israelis will withdraw from parts of Gaza and the West Bank, in the first instance, Bethlehem on the West Bank; the northern part of Gaza; then central Gaza; in return for which the Palestinian security forces will begin to move in there.
You could say, it may be an exaggeration, but after 33 months of bitter fighting, this could be the weekend when the corner has turned and the two sides begin to move onto a peace road.
Still a lot of skepticism, but it may be they're making those first steps down that peace road -- Heidi.
COLLINS: And, Jerrold, when you look back at sort of the push and pull that has been going on for such a long time now between these two countries, in your estimation, what would it be exactly, the most significant moment, perhaps, that would have gotten the situation to the point that it's at now?
KESSEL: Perhaps not a moment, but a new process. And the process, you could say, is active U.S. involvement, active determination by the United States. Spelt out by President Bush at that Aqaba summit and since then when he sent his top State Department man, John Wolf, who's been negotiating between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the U.S. has been pressing all the time on the militant groups through Syria, where the militant Palestinian groups have some of their headquarters, on the Palestinian Authority to make sure that they get this truce in place.
That U.S. pressure is telling and I think it will be consolidated by U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, who comes in in the next few hours, begins meeting with the Palestinians later today, then with the Israeli leadership tomorrow. That will consolidate the fact that the U.S. means to get this peace road, peace initiative going despite the violence. It seems like they are succeeding -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Jerrold Kessel, we know you'll be keeping your eye on all of those developments for us.
Thanks so much, live from Jerusalem this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
