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CNN Live Sunday
Saudi Crown Prince May Formally Recognize Israel
Aired February 24, 2002 - 18:15 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, President Bush is using some faith and diplomatic arm-twisting to get the Mid East peace talks back on track. There's evidence of progress being made on some fronts, however. CNN White House Correspondent Major Garrett has more now from Washington on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At church, a sermon about violence in the Middle East, how it has tested leaders since the Biblical days of Pontius Pilate. The president left with prayers for success.
The administration increased efforts this weekend to quell violence and restart peace talks. Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and President Bush spoke with French President Jacques Chirac about European concern of a full-scale Israeli-Palestinian war.
In hopes of avoiding that kind of confrontation, the Saudi crown prince has proposed giving full Arab recognition to Israel, if Israel pulls back to its 1967 borders. Currently, only Egypt recognizes Israel's right to exist.
ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI ARABIA FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER: We need to break the cycle of violence. We need to move beyond it. We can't let extremists on both sides hold the process hostage.
GARRETT: The administration has praised the Saudi plan, even though it has yet to be formerly introduced.
RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We think these are significant and positive steps that have been endorsed now publicly by other governments in the region, including Egypt, and they do highlight the importance of not giving up the goal of a just and lasting peace, and the need to do all we can to help end the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.
GARRETT: And other small signs of progress are visible, and the White House is treading lightly. For example, there was no White House comment to Mr. Sharon's move on Sunday to loosen travel restrictions on Mr. Arafat, who has been under virtual house arrest since December. White House officials said any comment pro or con would not help matters at all.
The White House has also pressured Israel to treat average Palestinians more humanely, and it has been cool to Mr. Sharon's recent proposal to build security buffer zones between Israelis and Palestinians.
BOUCHER: We'll be discussing these kind of matters with Israelis and others and if there's something to say that's more specific, we'll say it. But at this point, no, there's nothing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GARRETT: The administration no longer blames Mr. Arafat alone for the regions problems. It now says Mr. Sharon must do more to ease the plight of average Palestinians. This more nuanced approach is the strongest signal yet that the White House still believes it can work with Mr. Arafat, and that peace, though difficult, is not impossible to achieve. Catherine.
CALLAWAY: So, Major, we have this gesture from the Saudi Prince, the crown prince, what now. What's the next step in the peace talk process?
GARRETT: Well, the administration has dispatched one of its diplomats, Richard Haas (ph) who is the State Department's director for policy and planning to the region. He'll be conducting some key meetings this week. And now there is even more vigorous debate within the White House, more vigorous that there's been for a couple weeks, on whether or not to send the President's personal envoy, Retired Marine General Anthony Zinni back to the region for more intense conversations on security measures and other matters with the Israelis and the Palestinians.
But right now the administration's position is more wait-and-see. They see some very small glimmers of hope, but they want to see some more concrete steps taken by the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves before they intervene more directly on the diplomatic front -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: Major, thank you for joining us once again this half hour.
GARRETT: Sure.
CALLAWAY: Good to see you.
GARRETT: My pleasure.
CALLAWAY: And as Major just reported, Saudi Arabia's crown prince has made a proposal to help break the impasse. With me now is Saudi Foreign Policy Adviser Adel Al-Jubeir, who we just heard in Major's report. It's nice to have you with us for some more insight on this. Thank you for being with us.
AL-JUBEIR: Thank you. It's good to be here.
CALLAWAY: Why is the crown prince making this proposal now?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, technically the crown prince was planning on making the proposal at the Arab Summit, but he put the idea on hold because of the increase in violence and oppression by Prime Minister Sharon. But the proposal still remains on hold.
CALLAWAY: Has it be formally introduced yet?
AL-JUBEIR: No.
CALLAWAY: Do you think that's going to happen soon?
AL-JUBEIR: We shall see. It depends on what happens on the ground, and it depends on how much flexibility there is on the Israeli side. The idea of tabling it or freezing it was the result of the actions of Sharon.
CALLAWAY: Just for our viewers, let me reiterate here what we're talking about is the crown prince has proposed giving full Arab recognition of Israel if Israel pulls back to its 1967 borders. Sir, that's a tall order for Israel has certainly been reluctant to do so in the past.
AL-JUBEIR: We don't believe so, because the territories that Israel occupied in 1967, including Jerusalem, were territories that the United Nations resolution stipulate Israel should hand back. That's been the framework around which all peace negotiations have revolved.
CALLAWAY: Do you think -- what do you think, I should say, Israel really has to gain by receiving or gaining Arab recognition?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, the Israelis have a choice and a substantial choice. They can choose to be a part of the neighborhood and live in peace with all of the countries in the region, or they can choose to be in a permanent state of war. We are now at a crossroads. We have to make decisions and we have to shift the region away from violence and tension towards peace and economic development.
CALLAWAY: Currently, Egypt is the only Arab country to recognize Israel right now. Is the crown prince hoping to set some sort of precedent?
AL-JUBEIR: Actually, technically that's not quite correct. Jordan recognizes Israel and has normal relations with Israel, as does the Palestinian Authority.
CALLAWAY: Do you think the crown prince will set a precedent with his offer?
AL-JUBEIR: I believe -- we believe the offer is very dramatic, and it is up to the Israelis to see whether they will take us up on it or not.
CALLAWAY: All right, Saudi Foreign Police Adviser Adel Al-Jubeir thank you so much for being with us today. AL-JUBEIR: Thank you.
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