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CNN Live Sunday
Giving Peace a Chance in Middle East
Aired June 29, 2003 - 18:05 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: There was movement today on the road map to peace in the Middle East, and it certainly seems like progress. Militant Palestinian groups announced a ceasefire and that has been followed by an Israeli pullout from Gaza.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel joins us now from along Israel's border with Gaza -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Marty, the events here, the dramatic events even, began soon after nightfall, when the Israeli armored brigade that had been reoccupying the northern town of Gaza, the town of Bakhanud (ph) here behind me since began to rumble out of the gate that is through the fence that Israel has thrown up around the entire Gaza Strip.
It didn't look like a major operation, but the significance could be quite something because after 33 months of bitter fighting between Israelis and Palestinians, this is the first real step down a possible peace road. It is the culmination of the last several days of talks between Israelis and Palestinians to try to get an agreement in place and this is the first stage of that agreement. It will involve Israel pulling out its forces from various parts of Gaza and eventually also from the West Bank and in their place the Palestinian Authority Security forces will take over their responsibilities under the U.S.- backed peace initiative.
This agreement between Israel and the Palestinian authority only indirectly linked to the other agreement and the other dramatic development of the day, that announcement by three of the major Palestinian militant groups, the Islamic groups, Islamic Jihad and Hamas and the mainstream Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade of the Al Fatwa movement that they are ceasing unilaterally their actions, their military attacks on Israelis. The militant Islamic groups for three months, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade say for six months. And this enables the Palestinians to begin assuming control of the areas which the Israelis vacate.
So this is perhaps not the be all and end all. It's only the very beginning. But perhaps the first first corner has been rounded on the long road away from confrontation and down towards possibly, just possibly, toward some kind of peace process -- Marty.
SAVIDGE: Well, we certainly hope so, Jerrold.
I'm curious. What was the mood in Gaza just prior to the pull out? KESSEL: Well, there's a great deal of skepticism all over on all sides whether the truce will work and whether this Israeli pullback will be serious, whether it isn't only just a small thing like the one event we saw today. But I think if you look at some of the pictures, what we saw at the scene here just outside of Gaza this afternoon, that tells the story. There were Israeli and Palestinian officers in a very congenial atmosphere, something we haven't seen for many, many long months, even a couple of years. They met together, they poured over the maps together, they even called each other by their nickname, spoke intermittently in Arabic and Hebrew. They were deadly earnest about the new reality and they're implementing that new reality with that first withdrawal.
That, I think, sums up the mood. It's realism more than real hope -- Marty.
SAVIDGE: It's a good sign. Jerrold Kessel reporting live, thank you very much.
Let's take a look ahead now to the next steps on the road map to Middle East peace.
In Washington, is Professor Samer Shehata. He's acting director of Georgetown University's Arab Studies program.
It's always good to see you. Thanks for being with us again.
PROF. SAMER SHEHATA, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: You're welcome.
SAVIDGE: We have a truce and now a pullout from the Gaza Strip. It all sounds very good. Is it?
SHEHATA: I think this is very good. Jerrold Kessel's report was right on the mark. This is positive news on all fronts.
The Israeli withdrawal really improves tangibly the quality of Palestinian life in Gaza on a daily basis. No more checkpoints, at least temporarily, or possibly forever; less friction in terms of daily interaction; and the truce is also good news for everyone, for the Israelis and for Palestinian unity. And now it seems that the ball really is in, for the moment, the court of Ariel Sharon and the Israeli government to not continue the policy of target assassinations, which would, of course, bring the truce to an end.
SAVIDGE: Well, is it possible that this could be used as a chance to rearm by the various factions that have been opposing Israel? Could they use this to perhaps launch further attacks in the future down the road?
SHEHATA: Well, I think if one was incredibly cynical and skeptical that would be the position that one would take. But if you read the truce, both of them, actually -- the one that was released by Feta (h), as well as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, they really do talk about national unity. They talk about giving the road map a chance and making improvements for all Palestinians. They mention Yasser Arafat and Hamas and Islamic Jihad didn't necessarily do that. They want to see him being released from his siege in Ramalla. So I think they're sincere in their earnest as long as the things they stipulate aren't violated, which are, of course, the target assassinations against their leaders, house demolitions and so forth.
SAVIDGE: Those are big issues.
Mahmoud Abbas has an invitation now to come to Washington, as does Ariel Sharon. Who has the pressure most upon them as they come into Washington?
SHEHATA: Well, I think there's always been more pressure on the Palestinians from the White House and from Washington than on the Israelis. We have to admit that. The U.S. has always favored Israel. It hasn't really always been an honest broker despite claims otherwise.
But nevertheless, I think it's a very positive step that Mahmoud Abbas has been invited. This is the first Palestinian leader in three years to be invited to the White House. It shows the commitment and the support of him from the white house and it also allows him potentially to make some demands to really ask the White House for some things.
And I think they will be two primarily: pressure on Sharon, not to continue the policy of target assassinations and to really commit to the dismantling of the settlements and so forth. And then I think we'll probably see him talk about Yasser Arafat a bit and to ask for the ease of the siege of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah because it really does no one know good, not the Israelis, not the Palestinians, not the Americans to marginalize him any further than he's marginalized now. We don't want to make him into a spoiler because he is the symbol of Palestinian resistance, recognized as such by all Palestinians. And to marginalize even further, I think, would do the road map and the peace process more harm than good.
SAVIDGE: Got it. It's going to be a very interesting meeting. Thank you very much.
SHEHATA: You're very welcome.
SAVIDGE: Samer Shehata is the acting director of the Georgetown University's Arab Studies program. Good to see you again.
SHEHATA: Thanks.
For more on today's developments check out our Web site, cnn.com. There's also a special report on the land in conflict as well as an explanation of the road map to peace plan.
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 29, 2003 - 18:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: There was movement today on the road map to peace in the Middle East, and it certainly seems like progress. Militant Palestinian groups announced a ceasefire and that has been followed by an Israeli pullout from Gaza.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel joins us now from along Israel's border with Gaza -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Marty, the events here, the dramatic events even, began soon after nightfall, when the Israeli armored brigade that had been reoccupying the northern town of Gaza, the town of Bakhanud (ph) here behind me since began to rumble out of the gate that is through the fence that Israel has thrown up around the entire Gaza Strip.
It didn't look like a major operation, but the significance could be quite something because after 33 months of bitter fighting between Israelis and Palestinians, this is the first real step down a possible peace road. It is the culmination of the last several days of talks between Israelis and Palestinians to try to get an agreement in place and this is the first stage of that agreement. It will involve Israel pulling out its forces from various parts of Gaza and eventually also from the West Bank and in their place the Palestinian Authority Security forces will take over their responsibilities under the U.S.- backed peace initiative.
This agreement between Israel and the Palestinian authority only indirectly linked to the other agreement and the other dramatic development of the day, that announcement by three of the major Palestinian militant groups, the Islamic groups, Islamic Jihad and Hamas and the mainstream Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade of the Al Fatwa movement that they are ceasing unilaterally their actions, their military attacks on Israelis. The militant Islamic groups for three months, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade say for six months. And this enables the Palestinians to begin assuming control of the areas which the Israelis vacate.
So this is perhaps not the be all and end all. It's only the very beginning. But perhaps the first first corner has been rounded on the long road away from confrontation and down towards possibly, just possibly, toward some kind of peace process -- Marty.
SAVIDGE: Well, we certainly hope so, Jerrold.
I'm curious. What was the mood in Gaza just prior to the pull out? KESSEL: Well, there's a great deal of skepticism all over on all sides whether the truce will work and whether this Israeli pullback will be serious, whether it isn't only just a small thing like the one event we saw today. But I think if you look at some of the pictures, what we saw at the scene here just outside of Gaza this afternoon, that tells the story. There were Israeli and Palestinian officers in a very congenial atmosphere, something we haven't seen for many, many long months, even a couple of years. They met together, they poured over the maps together, they even called each other by their nickname, spoke intermittently in Arabic and Hebrew. They were deadly earnest about the new reality and they're implementing that new reality with that first withdrawal.
That, I think, sums up the mood. It's realism more than real hope -- Marty.
SAVIDGE: It's a good sign. Jerrold Kessel reporting live, thank you very much.
Let's take a look ahead now to the next steps on the road map to Middle East peace.
In Washington, is Professor Samer Shehata. He's acting director of Georgetown University's Arab Studies program.
It's always good to see you. Thanks for being with us again.
PROF. SAMER SHEHATA, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: You're welcome.
SAVIDGE: We have a truce and now a pullout from the Gaza Strip. It all sounds very good. Is it?
SHEHATA: I think this is very good. Jerrold Kessel's report was right on the mark. This is positive news on all fronts.
The Israeli withdrawal really improves tangibly the quality of Palestinian life in Gaza on a daily basis. No more checkpoints, at least temporarily, or possibly forever; less friction in terms of daily interaction; and the truce is also good news for everyone, for the Israelis and for Palestinian unity. And now it seems that the ball really is in, for the moment, the court of Ariel Sharon and the Israeli government to not continue the policy of target assassinations, which would, of course, bring the truce to an end.
SAVIDGE: Well, is it possible that this could be used as a chance to rearm by the various factions that have been opposing Israel? Could they use this to perhaps launch further attacks in the future down the road?
SHEHATA: Well, I think if one was incredibly cynical and skeptical that would be the position that one would take. But if you read the truce, both of them, actually -- the one that was released by Feta (h), as well as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, they really do talk about national unity. They talk about giving the road map a chance and making improvements for all Palestinians. They mention Yasser Arafat and Hamas and Islamic Jihad didn't necessarily do that. They want to see him being released from his siege in Ramalla. So I think they're sincere in their earnest as long as the things they stipulate aren't violated, which are, of course, the target assassinations against their leaders, house demolitions and so forth.
SAVIDGE: Those are big issues.
Mahmoud Abbas has an invitation now to come to Washington, as does Ariel Sharon. Who has the pressure most upon them as they come into Washington?
SHEHATA: Well, I think there's always been more pressure on the Palestinians from the White House and from Washington than on the Israelis. We have to admit that. The U.S. has always favored Israel. It hasn't really always been an honest broker despite claims otherwise.
But nevertheless, I think it's a very positive step that Mahmoud Abbas has been invited. This is the first Palestinian leader in three years to be invited to the White House. It shows the commitment and the support of him from the white house and it also allows him potentially to make some demands to really ask the White House for some things.
And I think they will be two primarily: pressure on Sharon, not to continue the policy of target assassinations and to really commit to the dismantling of the settlements and so forth. And then I think we'll probably see him talk about Yasser Arafat a bit and to ask for the ease of the siege of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah because it really does no one know good, not the Israelis, not the Palestinians, not the Americans to marginalize him any further than he's marginalized now. We don't want to make him into a spoiler because he is the symbol of Palestinian resistance, recognized as such by all Palestinians. And to marginalize even further, I think, would do the road map and the peace process more harm than good.
SAVIDGE: Got it. It's going to be a very interesting meeting. Thank you very much.
SHEHATA: You're very welcome.
SAVIDGE: Samer Shehata is the acting director of the Georgetown University's Arab Studies program. Good to see you again.
SHEHATA: Thanks.
For more on today's developments check out our Web site, cnn.com. There's also a special report on the land in conflict as well as an explanation of the road map to peace plan.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
