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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Will Church of Nativity Doors Open?; Does Ariel Sharon Have Smoking Gun?

Aired May 06, 2002 - 17:00   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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Now, on this special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, LIVE FROM JERUSALEM: When will the church doors open?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Soon to be very soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Both sides say enough is enough in Bethlehem.

Tying Arafat to terror. Has Israel's prime minister brought a smoking gun to Washington?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RA'ANAN GISSIN, SHARON ADVISER: You can look through the document. It can be independently verified and cross-checked with other intelligence services in the Middle East. This is unequivocal evidence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a forgery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A new type of terror in the American heartland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's using the mail receptacles simply as a device in order to get his message across.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And have another cup of tea. We'll tell you why.

It's just after midnight in Bethlehem. You're looking at the Church of the Nativity, considered by many to be the birthplace of Jesus. Right now, more than 100 Palestinians are holed up inside, but that's about to change perhaps as soon as today.

Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer in neighboring Jerusalem. Welcome to our special edition of "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS." In our Mideast Alert, they're haggling in the holy land.

After more than a month, the standoff at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity may be nearing an end. Sources say the final hurdle for negotiations concerns the number of so-called senior terrorists barricaded in the church. How many of them would be sent into exile?

Some other Palestinians now inside the church would be sent to Gaza. The rest would be set free. We're live in Bethlehem shortly.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has begun his talks in Washington. He's armed with documents which Israel says tie Yasser Arafat directly to terrorist activities. Palestinians call the papers forgeries. The Israeli leader wants to exclude Arafat from peace efforts. President Bush, who sees the Israeli leader tomorrow, has again called Arafat a disappointment, but the White House stresses there is no one else to negotiate with.

Also in Washington, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister. After meeting Secretary of State Colin Powell, King Saud al-Faizal (ph) said the U.S. call for a Middle East peace conference is not a bad idea, but he offered no endorsement yet, saying Israel must first complete its withdrawal from Palestinian areas in the West Bank.

Back now to our top story: the standoff in Bethlehem. For the very latest, let's go to CNN's Matthew Chance. He's on the scene just outside the Church of the Nativity -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a lot of anticipation here over the past 24 hours that there would be some kind of resolution to this standoff outside the Church of the Nativity here in Bethlehem. I can tell you, though, there has been no firm word yet on any agreement being finalized. Negotiators are still hammering away to try and find out what final arrangements are going to made for this siege to be brought to an end.

Whatever they are, though, there haven't been enough yet. Olivier Rafowicz is the spokesman for the Israeli Army here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLIVIER RAFOWICZ, ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESMAN: The negotiations are still going on. We're maybe today closer than yesterday, but we're still waiting for the final answers from the other side. As you know, there have been several points of discussion still in discussion right now. And we hope very much that a solution safe and quick will arrive in order to solve this crisis of the church.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: Well the shape of that solution, Wolf, is pretty well known to us all now. It looks like there will be some kind of deal agreed wherein about 30 or so Palestinians -- hard core militants, according to Israel -- holed up inside the Church of the Nativity will be transferred to Gaza perhaps under international guard, where they will face trial in a Palestinian court. On the other side, of course, there are about seven or eight Palestinians inside the church that may well be cast into exile in Italy. Those are the proposals on the table. The number crunching is still holding up the agreement. Both sides looking at the list of Palestinians inside that church, deciding who is going to go where -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Matthew, what's behind this last minute -- this flurry of activity coming as it does just on the eve of Prime Minister Sharon's meeting in Washington with President Bush? Is there any connection there?

CHANCE: I think that both the Israelis and the Palestinians -- particularly the Israelis, at this point -- are going to be coming under a lot of pressure from the United States to get this resolution on the table. Remember President Bush has called repeatedly for Ariel Sharon to move his forces out of the areas of the West Bank. He's done that largely in places like Ramallah, in places like Jenin, and other places where this Operation Defensive Shield had been implemented.

This is the last area here outside Bethlehem where Israeli forces are continuing those operations despite a few other incursions elsewhere in the West Bank today. So a lot of pressure on him, a lot of pressure on Yasser Arafat as well. Not least because the CIA have had a big hand in brokering these agreements to end the siege here.

BLITZER: Matthew Chance in Bethlehem, please stand by. If there are any breaking developments during the course of the next hour, we'll be getting back to you. Any movement, any activity whatsoever, we'll be back in Bethlehem -- Matthew, thank you very much.

And with both sides trying to win the hearts and minds of people all over the world, the Israeli government is now circulating a document which it says directly links Yasser Arafat to terrorism, including suicide bombings here in Jerusalem, elsewhere in Israel.

More now from our Jerusalem Bureau Chief, Mike Hanna.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): On the 17th of January in the coastal city of Hadera (ph), a group of Israelis celebrate the batmitzvah, or coming of age, of a young girl. Then chaos, as a Palestinian gunman opens fire. Six people are killed. An Israeli investigation concludes the attack was planned and carried out by a terrorist cell based in the West Bank city of Tulkarem.

The cell, says Israel had been (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by this man, Raed al Carni (ph), a member of Yasser Arafat's fatah movement. And Israel displays the letter bearing what it says is Arafat's signature, authorizing payment to Raed al Carni (ph) and others in Tulkarem. The Israeli translation from the Arabic checked by CNN.

This is just one of many documents Israel alleges prove Arafat's involvement in transferring funds to individuals who planned or carried out terror attacks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The bottom line is that we have direct funding here of money which was requested directly to Arafat and by him with his own signature given to these people who are known terrorists.

HANNA: Raed al Carni (ph) himself was killed in an explosion near his home shortly before the attack in Hadera (ph) took place. But his name lives on in the documents Israel says were seized during its massive incursion into Palestinian-controlled areas last month, including Arafat's own compound in Ramallah.

A Palestinian official says he can't know whether Israel really has documents with Arafat's signature on it, talking about transfers of money. What he does deny is Israel's contention that the documents are evidence Arafat knowingly financed acts of terror.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is one of hundreds or maybe thousands of papers which Arafat signed to give some financial help to Palestinian individuals. It is a very, very common phenomenon that you write a letter asking him for financial aid and he will give you $600, $500. This could not be alleged that it is used for suicide attacks.

HANNA: Israel contends further the documents also implicate Arafat in illegal arms smuggling and in cooperating with certain Arab nations and plotting the destruction of Israel. All these allegations compiled in a briefing paper that Ariel Sharon will present to President Bush when the two leaders meet in Washington Tuesday. This briefing paper, say Palestinians, is part of a well planned strategy by the Sharon administration to undermine Arafat's standing and to persuade the United States that the Palestinian leader should be excluded from any future negotiations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a forgery. It is a forgery. I did not see that report, but I'm sure that all these allegations against Arafat and against the Palestinian Authority, they are only to serve the policy of Sharon.

HANNA: This in turn denied by the man who drew up the briefing paper, Dani Naveh, the Israeli Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.

DANI NAVEH, ISRAELI CABINET MINISTER: It is not a surprise for me that they would try to say that this is a fraud. And I invite everyone. I invite, you know, the CIA or the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) or whoever would like to take a look at those documents and this intelligence, to examine the facts, and to come to the same conclusion that our intelligence services came to, which is that there are crystal clear evidence that connect Arafat to terrorist activities.

HANNA: Despite the ongoing argument between Israelis and Palestinians about the documents, the critical issue ultimately is what the U.S. president thinks of them and what course of action he takes, if any at all, based on them. And it's not just the rocky U.S. relationship with Yasser Arafat that is at stake.

(on camera): The two constants of recent U.S. policy have been, firstly, that Yasser Arafat is a man with whom negotiations take place. And, secondly, that Saudi Arabia has a critical role to play in any negotiation process. But on page 67 of this briefing paper, the Israeli allegation that Saudi Arabia is financially supporting families of suicide bombers, and that it is directly funding Hamas and Islamic jihad, two extremist groups that the U.S. has labeled terrorist organizations.

In short, this document questions the very assumptions on which U.S. involvement in the Middle East is based.

Mike Hanna, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Prime Minister Sharon is already making the rounds in Washington. He's at the Pentagon right now meeting with the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He'll be meeting with President Bush tomorrow at the White House. How will these latest Israeli allegations against Yasser Arafat play during the course of the meeting?

Let's go live to our Senior White House Correspondent, John King. He's there -- John, what's the mood?

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, a mood of low expectations here at the White House. The president stressing today that this is one of many conversations. You mentioned that new report. Administration officials taking pains to note that it was widely distributed in the news media before many copies were forwarded to the administration. They view this first and foremost as an effort by the Israeli leader to build public support for his position that Mr. Arafat should be isolated.

That is one of the many factors now as the president approaches this delicate diplomacy. The message from the president directly today: don't expect any major breakthroughs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice-over): The president says his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is just one step in delicate Middle East diplomacy.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will continue to have further meetings as we begin to coalesce the world around a vision for peace.

KING: But the Sharon visit brings several critical questions to a head. Israel says this report proves direct Arafat ties to terror acts. And Mr. Sharon carries it to the White House to make his case.

RA'ANAN GISSIN, SHARON SPOKESMAN: He's going to continue to support terrorism. Ipso facto you're telling us, OK, you have to deal with a terrorist or you have to succumb to terrorism and accept, that because he can't change. Well that doesn't work.

KING: Mr. Bush, for months, has made no secret of his scorn for Mr. Arafat.

BUSH: He has disappointed me. He must lead, he must show the world that he believes in peace.

KING: Yet Arabs support his key to the long-term White House strategy. And Jordan's King Abdullah told Vice President Cheney Monday there is no way around dealing with Mr. Arafat.

SHIBLEY TELHAMI, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: This administration has reached two decisions. Number one, is that it cannot ignore Mr. Arafat. And, number two, that it would like to dilute his role. And so it is clear that they're trying to navigate in that terrain.

KING: Though top U.S. officials say the message to Mr. Sharon is that he has little choice but to deal with the recognized leader of the Palestinian people and needs to stop expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

BUSH: Part of the role of the United States is to lay out a vision for peace, which I have done. And then encourage people to assume their responsibilities necessary to achieve the peace.

KING: Every choice facing the president carries tradeoffs. Prime Minister Sharon, for example, says he wants peace, but that it might come in small steps. Not a grand leap to peace talks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera): And most senior Bush administration officials agree with Israel on that approach. But adopting such an incremental progress right now, an incremental strategy right now, would anger the Arab allies, like Saudi Arabia, like Jordan and like Egypt, who don't trust Mr. Sharon and want this president to push for an accelerated timetable for resuming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John, those lopsided resolutions in support of Israel last week in the House of Representatives as well as in the Senate, the impact obviously being, by the senators, designed to strengthen Sharon's hand going in. But how is it playing at the White House?

KING: Well, the White House says even before those resolutions passed that this president had made clear, despite perhaps some tactical strategic disagreements, that he was Ariel Sharon's best friend in the world. So this administration says it is first and foremost a friend of Israel, but administration officials tell us privately that won't stop the president from telling Mr. Sharon he has an obligation to the peace process, he has an obligation to the international community, if you will. The settlements is one issue likely to come up.

And the president's message to Mr. Sharon, most of all, we are told, look, we don't trust Mr. Arafat either. But if you want to isolate him, if you want to turn the spotlight on his conduct, whether it be not fighting terrorism in the view of the White House or the Israelis, whether it be corruption, the best way to do that is to get your troops out of the Palestinian territories and put Mr. Arafat to the test. Don't make Israel's conduct the issue.

BLITZER: John King at the White House, thank you very much.

And let's get a view now from the Israeli government. Joining me in Washington is Daniel Ayalon. He's the Chief Foreign Policy Adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon -- Mr. , thanks for joining us.

Are you ready to listen to the president and accept his appeal to you to give Yasser Arafat in effect one last chance?

DANIEL AYALON, FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER TO PRIME MINISTER SHARON: Well we always listen to the president. As you mentioned quite well, he is our best friend. And we look forward very much to the meeting tomorrow. It's going to be a meeting between friends and allies.

We share common interests and common values in the broadest sense. Also share common hopes. And we will certainly discuss the way ahead and how to make progress.

Right now, we have a problem. We deal not only with the man, Arafat, which is a terrorist, but also with the system he created. A system which is bent on terrorism, on corruption and on tyranny. And this cannot be.

There is no coexistence with terror. And the way -- the same way that...

BLITZER: Is it too late, though, for him to change? Can he change from your vantage point and still negotiate some sort of settlement with you government?

AYALON: Well he had more than three strikes, so he is definitely out. But we see even today that not only he is not abiding by the commitment to stop terror, but he himself inspires and directs and finances terror. This is not going to change, and it's not changing right now.

The problem is that before you negotiate you have to have a partner to negotiate with. It's like, you know, buying a house. Before you enter negotiations or work on the price, you have to make sure that the house is in order, that there are no cracks in the foundation and no leaks in the roof.

And right now, the P.A. is riddled with cracks. It's an authority which consists of lies and terror, as we have proved.

BLITZER: So what's the alternative, though, for Israel? Is there an alternative Palestinian leadership to Yasser Arafat?

AYALON: We certainly hope so, Wolf. And we really look forward for an institutional reform within the Palestinians. I think this is the only way we can make any headway. I think this would be beneficial not only to us and to the region, but first and foremost for the Palestinians themselves. There has to be a separation of power, of authority. It has to be transparent, democratic human rights and effective -- really effective regime that we can coexist and negotiate with. Right now, you wouldn't expect to negotiate with the Taliban or with bin Laden. The same way you cannot negotiate with Arafat.

BLITZER: While I have you, your position is roughly equivalent to that of Condoleeza Rice, as far as President Bush is concerned. You're the top national security adviser to the prime minister. What's the latest in the negotiations, the standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem?

AYALON: Well right now, unfortunately, we see a stalling tactics from the Palestinians. We were very much willing to conclude this issue. Right now we're talking about people that are terrorists, murders with blood on their hands. And the very fact that they are there and not at large is evident in the fact that there are no terrorist activities coming from Bethlehem; no suicide bombings that they are dispatching.

So we very much insist on them either standing in trial in Israel or going abroad. And right now we had already consent from the Palestinians. An agreement was reached, but then again they reneged at the last minute. We still hope with a good and very constructive American involvement that this issue will be resolved soon.

BLITZER: Daniel Ayalon, he's in Washington preparing for the big meeting tomorrow between President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon. Thanks for joining us, appreciate it very much.

Let's get the Palestinian perspective as well. Earlier today, I spoke with Michael Tarazi. He's a senior legal adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL TARAZI, PLO LEGAL ADVISER: I've looked at a few of the documents. I know, for example, the 100-page report only has about five documents in it. The rest of it is all Israeli rhetoric. But I have looked at some of the documents that are very similar to the documents that Israel released a few weeks back, and there's nothing new here, Wolf.

There is no link to terrorism. This is simply Yasser Arafat approving funds to go to members of his political party. And it could very well be sustenance payments because of the destroyed economy or salary payments. We're not talking about large numbers here, $300, $600, something to that effect.

The bottom line is Israel doesn't really have any legal case here. But they're not fighting this in the court of law, they're fighting this in the court of public opinion. And Israel, throughout its history, has learned that to win in the court of public opinion you don't need to actually have any evidence, you just need to act as if you do. We haven't had a chance to sit down and investigate all of these things. You have to remember Israel never likes it when independent third parties come in and actually investigate. You saw that with respect to the Jenin refugee camp and the atrocities committed there.

And you have the same situation here with these alleged documents. We have no idea where these documents came from, how they were discovered. They could very well be forgeries.

But frankly, Wolf, even if they're not, they don't prove anything. So Israel loses on both counts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Michael Tarazi, he's the senior legal adviser to the PLO.

And our Web question of the day is this: Do you believe Israel's claim that these documents link Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to terrorism? You can vote. Go to my Web page, cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, let me know what you're thinking. Send me your comments. I'll read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

Homegrown terror hits the Midwest. Who's behind the mailbox pipe bombings? Within the last few hours, new clues in the investigation.

Plus, learn what a court is forcing Boston's Cardinal Law to do.

And good for the mind and body. A good excuse to drink tea. But first, with more on our top story, here is our "News Quiz."

Which church has custody of the Church of the Nativity: The Armenian church, the Roman Catholic church, the Greek Orthodox church, all of the above? We'll have the answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer live from Jerusalem. Let's check our latest "News Alert."

The Bush administration says Libya, Syria and Cuba are trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction. The allegation came in a speech by Undersecretary of State John Bolton titled, quote, "Beyond the Axis of Evil." Bolton warns that the United States will take action against any country that provides arms to terrorists.

The leader of the anti-immigration party has been killed in the Netherlands. Pim Fortuyn was gunned down just nine days before a general election. He had just completed a radio interview and was leaving a media complex when he was attacked. Government officials call the killing an assassination. It would be the first political murder in modern Dutch history.

Kuwait says it's received permission to send a team of investigators to the U.S. Naval base in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. They'll check on the status of Kuwaiti detainees there. About 10 Kuwaitis are said to be among the 330 Taliban and al Qaeda suspects held at Guantanamo.

The U.S. Postal Service is currently investigating a series of mail bombings in Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa. CNN's Rusty Dornin reports that many postal customers are being asked to keep their mailboxes open.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you've got mail or want it, and you live in Iowa or Nebraska, you best show your mail carrier you've got nothing deadly inside. How long will people have to keep their mailboxes open?

LINDA JENSEN, POSTAL INSPECTOR: As long as it takes. Again, primary concern is the safety of the postal customer, safety of our postal employees. It's got to be number one in our mind right now.

DORNIN: Eight small pipe bombs popped up in mailboxes in Illinois and Iowa last Friday.

GORCYN NUNN, FOUND BOMB IN MAILBOX: It was in a clear Ziploc bag. And it was a pipe about six inches long with caps on both ends, and there was a nine-volt battery with it.

DORNIN: Six people, including four postal carriers, were wounded when they either opened the mailbox or touched the device and it exploded. At least seven more bombs were found over the weekend in Nebraska.

(on camera): But the ones found here in Nebraska were different. They were not designed to explode when the box was opened or the bomb was moved. Investigators say maybe, just maybe, the bomber is de- escalating.

(voice-over): Despite the difference in bomb design, the FBI believes all the bombs are coming from the same source. All were accompanied by letters declaring hate for the U.S. government.

DAN LEVITAS, HATE GROUP EXPERT: It's someone who as an ax to grind with the federal government, anti-government sentiment. And, of course, taken in the context of what right-wing hate groups were saying after September 11th, it's only reasonable to believe that possibly someone associated with a right-wing group or a racist or anti-Semitic organization might be involved.

DORNIN: The letters were posted on the FBI's Web site, as well as in newspapers. The ramblings just might be one of the best clues. Someone out there might recognize the words or the beliefs expressed and step forward.

It happened with the Unabomber when his brother recognized his writings. It could happen again. But unlike the Unabomber, no one is being targeted by name.

Whatever the message, it's making people like Corrine Murphy (ph) angry.

CORRINE MURPHY (ph): I think it's terrible what's going on. I mean first it was the Anthrax thing with the mail, and now it's the bombs. I mean it's ridiculous, and there's something that's got to be done. There are quacks out there, total nuts, and they need to be caught and punished.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got to put a stop to it, though. I think we can if everybody keeps their eyes open.

DORNIN: Something the FBI is hoping for too.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Omaha, Nebraska.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Torn apart by war and death. Not much hope here. We'll speak with people who've lost loved ones when we come back.

Also, President Nixon's true colors revealed. A look at how he says he really felt about the Arab world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer live in Jerusalem. Let's check our latest "News Alert."

Negotiations continue to end the standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Sources familiar with the talks say the major stumbling block remains how many of the dozens of Palestinians inside will be sent into exile. Israel has asked that 13 "senior terrorists" be sent to Europe. But Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is said to be vehemently opposed to exiling more than six of them. The church has been under siege for almost five weeks.

Newly released papers from the Nixon administration show the former president worried about perceptions that U.S. Middle East policy was biased against Arabs. They also revealed Richard Nixon denied any pro-Israeli tilt. In one conversation, he assured Arab leaders that while his secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, is Jewish, his goal was the same as Nixon's, a fair and just settlement to all.

Middle East violence has claimed many lives, especially over these many months. We're going to get two stories right now from two individuals who suffered deep, deep losses. Shortly, we'll speak to a Palestinian, but first, an Israeli.

Joining me now, Frimet Roth -- thank you very much, Frimet. You lost your daughter in that pizzeria bombing here in Jerusalem last August at the Sbarro (ph) pizza. Tell us a little bit what happened.

FRIMET ROTH, MOTHER OF BOMBING VICTIM: Well, that day she went off with her close friend, Michael (ph), to attend a meeting of counselors planning their summer camp for next week. She went through the city, she had to catch a bus there. And apparently she decided on the spur of the moment to stop off; they both stopped off for a pizza. I didn't know they were going to be there. And that was it. I heard from her an hour before. She called me just to tell me what she was planning to do, and I never spoke to her again.

BLITZER: And our deepest condolences, obviously. I know you have a picture that you brought of your beautiful daughter.

ROTH: Yeah, it's her last photo. It's the last photo of the two of them together. It was taken about two weeks before they were killed. They are buried side by side.

And what can I say? I'm in constant pain every minute of every day. It's been nine months, but I feel as if it just happened. And I can't seem to accept the permanence of it. It's very difficult.

But another pain on top of that is the fact that I see the world media glossing over the suffering of the Israelis, the over 460 Israelis who have lost loved ones. And our pain is so extreme, so deep. For example, in this bombing, another woman -- a 31-year-old woman -- was killed. She was the only child of an American couple living in L.A., with whom I am in touch.

And they have nothing now, no children. Their pain is indescribable.

BLITZER: It's your feeling that the news media doesn't get the story right? Is that what you're suggesting?

ROTH: Doesn't seem interested in covering our pain. We suffer quietly. We don't perform for the cameras, we don't cry, we refused access to the media at the funeral. We don't publicize our excruciating suffering.

We don't see vengeance as a natural reaction. We don't entertain those feelings. We don't -- I don't dream of bombing myself up. Why is that considered a natural reaction for the Palestinians who believe that they are justified in doing that? We are suffering terribly, silently.

BLITZER: Frimet Roth, we can only express our deepest condolences to you and your beautiful daughter Malka (ph). And wish you only the best. Obviously, it doesn't get much easier...

ROTH: It gets hard.

BLITZER: ... at least nine months you're obviously still in pain. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Thank you very much.

And Palestinians have suffered deep losses as well. Let's speak with one Palestinian who lost his best friend, Mahir (ph), who is joining us now from Ramallah. Mahir (ph), tell us what happened to your friend.

SALEH, FRIEND OF VICTIM: Well at the beginning, my friend, he's a policeman. He works with the anti-drug department in Ramallah at this area in Palestine. Him and his friends, they were trapped in a building. There were 20 policemen that were trapped in a building, because, as you know, the Palestinian headquarters are being destroyed.

So they didn't really find any place to hide, so they found this building and they were hiding in it. And the Israeli soldiers were surrounding the building from everywhere. And they stayed there for four days without food or water.

So they tried to leave the building, you know? And while they were leaving a sniper shot him in his leg at the beginning. And then the guy who was with him -- I wasn't with him, I was at home that night.

And like the night when the invaded, me and him had dinner together, you know? And I told him to stay, I begged him to stay. I told him probably now they're going to invade and it's going to be a great mess, so please stay in the house. And my mom begged him to stay.

But he was a very shy, nice guy, you know? And he knew that probably he thought that there's no room for him. So he decided that he'll just go and join his friends and stay with them.

So when they shot him, his friend told me that he was crawling on the floor. And because there was heavy shooting at them, he ran away. So I called the Red Cross like two days after and they told me that he was injured. That's what they told me.

But, unfortunately, when they left the curfew -- you know we are living under curfew now; we can't leave the house and we're not allowed to leave the houses -- I discovered that he's been in the morgue for more than 11 days without anybody knowing that he was dead, you know?

And he is a policeman. Where could he hide? Where could he go, you know?

BLITZER: Mahir (ph), tell us what his name was?

SALEH: His name is Jed (ph). He was 23 years old and he's not from Ramallah. He's from a village which is an hour away from us, you know? And he doesn't know anybody over here. You know where could he go and hide, you know?

Like he was -- him and his friends were hiding in that building, you know, because they were scared from the Israeli soldiers, you know? And when they tried to run, he was shot in the leg. So what happened is -- what I want to say is that when we found out that he was killed, we went to the place where supposedly he was shot and I found two empty bullets were there. And when we had seen his body from the hospital, he was shot in the neck and in the head -- in the back of his head.

That meant that he was executed, you know? I mean he's a policeman who was fighting drugs in our community and he is being targeted, you know? And he was in the morgue for 11 days and we did not know about it because we were under curfew. If you leave the house while you're under curfew you're going to be shot immediately. They don't distinguish between a kid, a woman, a child. No matter what, you're going to be shot because that's their orders, you know?

And what's so tragic about it, that because there's blocks around our cities, we couldn't transport him to his village by the ambulance. So the ambulance took him to the border and then a regular car went and picked him up to his family, you know? And thank God his family, they got to bury him, you know? Because there are checkpoints...

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Mahir (ph), our condolences to you, condolences to his family. Thanks for sharing your story as well with our viewers on our program. Appreciate it very much.

When we come back, much has changed. Only three weeks ago, I was here in Jerusalem. This is my first day back. When I come back, we'll take a look back, what happened then, what's happened since, where is this whole peace process, if it can be called a peace process, where is it headed? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. This is my second trip to Jerusalem in less than a month. Much has changed since that last trip when I was here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): I arrived in Israel at perhaps the most tense period in recent years. The moment I touched down, on Friday, April 12th, there was news of a suicide bombing in the heart of Jerusalem. A young Palestinian woman detonated herself at the city's open air marketplace, killing six Israelis, injuring more than 80 others. I went on the air almost immediately, when nerves were still raw over that days violence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If the Palestinians were concentrating on building a nation, we all would have been far better off. But, indeed, they were concentrating on destroying a nation, our nation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What takes Palestinians to the situation we are in is 36 years of one of the most brutal occupations in modern history. That's what turns people into suicide bombers.

BLITZER: At that point, Secretary of State Colin Powell had been on the ground in Israel for less than a day. He came to negotiate a cease-fire, but that idea may have been dead on arrival.

COLIN POWELL SECRETARY OF STATE: A cease-fire is not a relevant term at the moment.

BLITZER: At that time, Yasser Arafat had been isolated in his Ramallah compound for nearly two weeks. I left Israel on Friday, April 19th. On May 1st, Israeli forces pulled back from the compound and a defiant Arafat emerged.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was also combative during an earlier interview with me.

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: First, the problem with Mr. Arafat is that you cannot make peace with him.

BLITZER: Now, Mr. Sharon is in Washington to present his peace plan to the Bush administration.

When I arrived in Israel last month, the battle at the Jenin refugee camp was just ending. A battle so fierce, it left large areas of the camp in ruins. Twenty-three Israeli soldiers dead, and Israel disputing Palestinian claims of a large scale massacre.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many Palestinians were killed?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more than 45.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to get the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) out and to decide how many people were massacred. And we say the numbers will not be less than 500.

BLITZER: Since then, the U.N. has given up on trying to investigate what happened in Jenin. But the U.N. and human rights watch confirm 54 Palestinians dead; some of whom were civilians.

When I arrived in Israel, the standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem had been going on for nine days. Twelve days after I left, we feared the worst, when intense fire fight broke out. And only today came the hopeful sign that the standoff might be coming to a close.

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BLITZER: All those changes in less than a month. Indeed, in only three weeks.

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BLITZER: Welcome back. I'll be back later this hour with more news from the Middle East. But let's check in now with our Jeanne Meserve. She's in Washington with other stories making news -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Wolf.

It was an emotional day at a family court in Miami. The judge who is presiding over the case of the girl who went missing for more than a year before the state realized she was gone angrily expressed her frustration today.

CNN National Correspondent Susan Candiotti reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The judge overseeing Rilya Wilson's whereabouts could barely conceal her fury.

JUDGE CINDY LEDERMAN, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT: It is absolutely despicable what has happened in this case.

CANDIOTTI: After learning in late April that Florida's child welfare agency lost track of the girl for 15 months...

LEDERMAN: I have been kept in the dark about the status and well being and placement of this child for one year.

CANDIOTTI: ... the judge took aim at the child's caseworker, who filed paperwork last August that all was well, Rilya living "in a family-like setting."

LEDERMAN: I don't even know how to respond to what has been done in this case by this caseworker, but she also defrauded the court.

CANDIOTTI: Among other twists and turns, the caseworker it turns out held a second job teaching English for the school district, apparently without informing the child welfare agency as required.

CHARLES AUSLANDER, FLORIDA DEPT. OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: Sadly, this is not an instance where the department can in the least proud of its caseworker.

LEDERMAN: What is the department hiding?

CANDIOTTI: And the woman who police identify as Rilya's grandmother may not be. Jeralyn Graham says she turned over the child to a social worker. There is no record of it. And now a second man has stepped forward to say he's the father. The state is also defending its decision to hold off notifying police the child was missing for six days because it says it was first trying to find the little girl.

Governor Jeb Bush has now appointed a blue-ribbon panel to look into the mess, calling what happened to Rilya Wilson unconscionable.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: In an imperfect world with an imperfect system dealing with children that have come from imperfect families, and we've got problems. That's what it says and that is what we are going to look at.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Police admit they are at a loss for solid leads, privately hoping for a DNA match in Kansas city, Missouri. Authorities there are trying to see whether the body of a unidentified little girl found murdered there is Rilya Wilson. At least then, police say, they would know where Rilya is and open a murder case.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE) MESERVE: In medical news, several studies have shown that drinking tea reduces your risk of a heart attack. Now a new study suggests that tea drinkers who do suffer heart attacks have a better chance of survival. It says moderate tea drinkers are 28 percent more likely to survive three to four years after a heart attack and heavy tea drinkers are 44 percent more likely to survive.

Time for you to answer our Web question of the day. Do you believe Israel's claim that documents link Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to terrorism?

Also, inside the West Wing, tongue-in-cheek pictures of the president.

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BLITZER: Let's get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" coming up right at the top of the hour. Lou Dobbs is standing by -- Lou.

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, thank you very much. Coming up tonight on "MONEYLINE" Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today arrived in Washington. Sharon bringing with him documents that say that Yasser Arafat is a terrorist. We'll have the latest for you on that from the White House.

A brutal session on Wall Street today. Oil stocks dragged the markets sharply lower. The Dow losing almost 200 points. We'll have a live report for you from Wall Street. In fact, two of them.

And the trial between the justice department and Andersen begins today in Houston. We'll have the latest on the impaneling of a jury in Houston.

And the CEO, Stephen Cooper, of Enron will be joining us as well. All of that a lot more coming in the next hour here. Now, back to Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou.

Let's get the results now of our Web question of the day, is this: Do you believe Israel's claim that documents link Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to terrorism? So far, 64 percent of you said yes, 36 percent said no. A reminder: This is not a scientific poll.

Let's read some of your e-mail that we have just received on the Middle East. For example, Vincent writes this: "Arafat is denounced and called a terrorist because he supports suicide bombers. On the other hand, President Bush entertains and shakes the hand of the prince of Saudi Arabia, a country which is well known to reward families of suicide bombers and one that is strongly anti-American. Is this a double standard?"

Fernando adds this: "Although peace in the Mideast would really be nice, does either side have any idea what the issues are any more?"

And on the topic of allowing guns in the cockpit for pilots, Tyler writes: "I think the idea is ridiculous. So much security and financial resources are expended to keeps guns, knives, et cetera, off airplanes. But now we propose to have them already onboard? What happens when the onboard staff are overpowered and their guns taken away from them?"

I'll be back in just a moment with some candid photos from inside the White House. Stay with us.

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BLITZER: Welcome back. President Bush had some fun Saturday night at the White House. Correspondents Association dinner, poking some fun at himself. Also poking some fun at the audience, especially one person in the audience, Ozzy Osbourne. The president saying that he enjoys his work, but especially the president's mother, Barbara Bush, very much tongue in cheek, enjoying Ozzy Osbourne as well.

That's all the time we have for you right now. I'll be back here live from Jerusalem tomorrow, another special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.

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