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NEWS FROM CNN
Another Suicide Bombing in Northern Israel
Aired June 19, 2003 - 12:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: As we just saw from our Sheila MacVicar, the dismantling of the illegal outposts on the West Bank was rather rough this morning. It followed, though, another suicide bombing in the northern part of Israel. A Palestinian man detonated a bomb inside an Israeli grocery store, killing the owner and itself. The radical Palestinian group Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility.
The latest development comes just on the eve of Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to this part of the world. He'll be here in Jerusalem tomorrow morning, and then off to Jericho for a meeting with the Palestinian leadership.
Let's get analysis what all of this mean. Joining us now, Ahmed Tibi is a member of the Israeli Knesset, Gerald Steinberg is a professor of political science at Bar Ilan University outside Tel Aviv.
Ahmad Tibi Tell us what you expect, realistically, realistically, the secretary of state might be able to achieve.
AHMAD TIBI, ISRAEL KNESSET MEMBER: We did not start to commence the road map. Mr. Powell should bridge the gap between Israelis and Palestinians in the issue of the requests of the Palestinians, the leadership from the Israelis and some security.
BLITZER: But on this issue, is it realistic that there can be a truce involving Hamas, a cease-fire, so that the road map can get off the ground?
TIBI: If Mr. Powell will transfer guarantees to Abu Mazen from Mr. Sharon, saying that assassinations, penetrations, demolition of houses will be given to Abu Mazen, it will make it very much Israel for Abu Mazen to bring into success the dialogue, the Palestinian dialogue with Hamas.
BLITZER: Abu Mazen being the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas. Is that realistic, Secretary of State Powell can give the Palestinian Leadership guarantees of targeted killings or assassinations?
GERALD STEINBERG, BAR ILAN UNIVERSITY: At this stage, I doubt it. What Israelis need to see is movement on the ground, something serious by the Palestinians, by Mr. Abbas in order to establish some security. You mentioned there was another suicide bombing today. You also showed that on the ground, the Israelis are beginning to move some of the illegal outposts. So we're seeing Israeli actions to show to the Palestinians we're serious. Now we need to see on the ground Palestinians saying we're serious about Israeli security before we have more words and guarantees.
BLITZER: But everybody, including the Israeli government, thinks that Mahmoud Abbas is committed to the peace process, to the road map, that he is serious. Are you suggesting he's not?
STEINBERG: No, the question is not whether he's serious. The question is whether he can deliver. We still have clearly Mr. Arafat clearly making policy, directing a lot of traffic. We have a great deal of terrorism. We don't see the commitment from the Palestinian Authority, not because Mr. Abbas apparently doesn't want to, but because probably, or perhaps, he can't. Now we're beginning to see after Aqaba that he might not be able to deliver. This is not regime change, like we did before.
BLITZER: Ahmad Tibi, can Mahmoud Abbas deliver?
TIBI: Yes, he is committed to the road map, he is willing to succeed in this effort, but the government of Israel should make it easier for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, to implement. Meanwhile, a lot of obstacles is being there put by Ariel Sharon, by the IDF, by the Israeli side in front of Abu Mazen, which is making it difficult to succeed in the Israeli/Palestinian dialogue. Roadblocks, closures, continued assassination. It cannot be a success with continuation of these things.
BLITZER: Let's get to some e-mail from our viewers. They're flooding us with information questions. This for you, Gerald, from Rockland County, New York: "This road map seems to be one-sided. Palestine has rearranged this whole government, sidelining Arafat, their elected leader, and placing an Israeli-approved prime minister in power, and it's conducting ongoing cease-fire talks with Hamas. Besides launching targeted assassinations, Israel has done nothing."
STEINBERG: Well, we saw precisely what Israel is doing, and that is moving towards the Palestinians, showing goodwill by taking down some illegal settlements, and that's very important.
What we've seen on the Palestinian side is talk, important talk. Mr. Abbas talked about collecting tens of thousands of illegal weapons which are scattered among Palestinians, which killed a young girl the other day within Israel. We'd like to see the action taking place by the Palestinians and not just talk. That's what Mr. Abbas has to be able to demonstrate, and do it soon, or there won't be a road map.
BLITZER: Here's an e-mail from Mike in Florida: "The Arab despots who rule the countries of the Middle East are threatened by the prospects of having a viable Jewish or Palestinian democracy in their midst. They will continue to support the fanatics, who murder innocent people in order to prevent peace from being achieved."
In other words, the other Arab countries don't want to see a peace agreement. Do you agree with this e-mailer? TIBI: As a Palestinian, as an Arab, as a democratic supporter, I do not want to relay on any Arab regime which is a dictatorship oppressing its citizens, and we have a lot of this kind of regimes. Palestinians are settling for freedom. Some Arab regimes are putting an obstacle in front of Abu Mazen and chairman Yasser Arafat.
But I want to clarify this things of outpost. The outposts are illegal issue according even to the Israeli law. We are -- we cannot accept the differentiation, the attempt to differentiate between outposts and settlements. Settlements are the problem and not those outposts that should be evicted before one year.
BLITZER: We're going to get to all of that on another occasion. Unfortunately, we have to leave it right there. The road map, though, does differentiate between the outposts and the settlements. Subsequent negotiations. Ahmad Tibi, he's an Israeli Arab, a member of the Israeli Knesset, the parliament. Thank you very much for joining us. And Barry Steinberg of Bari Ilan University near Tel Aviv. Thank you very much to you as well.
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