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Morning News

Middle East Peace Summit: Talks Center on Jerusalem

Aired July 24, 2000 - 11:03 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Jerusalem is at the center of the Mideast peace talks at Camp David. President Clinton, back from an economic summit in Japan, has met with both Israel's prime minister, Ehud Barak, and the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat. It is not known whether any solution on the future of the city can be worked out.

Andrea Koppel, from the State Department, with us from Camp David, near where those talks are being carried out again on this Monday morning.

Andrea, just about two weeks into this now, good morning.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. That's right.

The White House saying the next 48-72 hours could be decisive in seeing whether or not this summit ends with a framework for a final peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Israeli and Palestinian officials telling CNN that they could know even sooner, perhaps within the next day and a half. One senior Israeli official saying that since President Clinton returned, this is just the beginning.

Since President Clinton returned last night, he did sit down with the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, and held a separate meeting, as well, with the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat. He was there just to listen, basically, to hear where things stand, trying to put together a work plan for the next day or so, trying to figure out how they're going to take talks from here on out.

Now, having said that, today, President Clinton is expected to begin the day with a meeting with his senior advisers. The key sticking point continues to be, as you said, Bill, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Specifically how the Palestinians and the Israelis would be able to resolve the sovereignty over the holy city, which is in East Jerusalem. The Palestinians saying they want all of East Jerusalem. The U.S. trying to work out some kind of an idea, some kind of a compromise deal for both the Israelis and the Palestinians to share sovereignty over East Jerusalem, but they don't know how they're going to resolve the issue of the holy city, which is, of course, important to both the Jews, to the Muslims, and to Christians.

After President Clinton meets with his advisers today, they will try to figure out as to how things will go from here on out, whether or not he will be meeting with the Israeli prime minister and/or with the Palestinian leader -- Bill.

HEMMER: Andrea, I know it is very difficult to read between the lines because that news blackout still in effect here, but how much do we know that these leaders and their separate delegations actually got done with President Clinton off in Japan for that G-8 summit?

KOPPEL: Well, according to those we spoke with as recently as this morning, Bill, both Israeli and Palestinian officials, they didn't get much done. In fact, they didn't discuss Jerusalem at all. That was put on the side, since President Clinton left. So that's something that they have to get to, as soon as possible, to see whether or not they're going be able to have a final deal.

On the other core issues, they did have some discussions, continued to try to narrow differences. But If the summit is going to end in a success, Bill, they are going to have to resolve Jerusalem.

HEMMER: Of course, Ehud Barak took that side trip to Gettysburg and certainly they are staying there, hopefully they are confident things can work out. We'll track it. Andrea, thanks. Andrea Koppel live near Camp David.

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