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Morning News

Crisis in the Middle East: Consultant to Palestinian Authority, Israeli Consul General Discuss Importance of Peace Talks

Aired October 13, 2000 - 10:27 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: Palestinians have again declared this a day of rage in the territories. Israeli forces said to be on high alert again as the crisis in the Middle East continues today. Now there are questions about what, if anything, can be done to reverse the current trend.

From Washington, Edward Abington, consultant to the Palestinian Authority, with us now.

Sir, good morning to you.

EDWARD ABINGTON, CONSULTANT TO PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: Good morning.

HEMMER: I tell what a lot of people, not only here in the U.S., but around the world, are seeing, is the constant visions either on videotape or on camera. If you seen the front page of the "New York Times" today, quite clearly, these are the pictures, the Israeli soldier being thrown out of the police building yesterday and below that a Palestinian protesters with blood clearly on his hands being shown to the protesters below.

These images, I am told, are also on the front pages of two major newspapers in Israel. Given these images, how is it that the current climate can be either stopped or reversed?

ABINGTON: You know, I was in Jerusalem in 1996, when there was really serious violence and the same thing is happening now that happened then. Both sides stop talking to each other, the Israeli and the Palestinian at the senior level, security cooperation has ceased. I think what needs to be done is to resume contacts and dialogue between the two sides.

HEMMER: Is now the time for this summit that's coming out of the Middle East today?

ABINGTON: I think that every day that goes by, makes a summit or some device like this even more urgent, because, as we see, you have a quiet day, but then you have a real tragedy, such as occurred yesterday, when these two Israeli soldiers were killed. That inflamed Israeli opinion that led to an Israeli reaction, and that in turn only inflames Palestinian opinion. So, you have to break this cycle of violence and counterviolence. HEMMER: Is it harder for Ehud Barak to sell the idea of peace to the people of Israel, knowing your comments that we just heard and seeing all the violence that we had throughout the day here, yesterday, on CNN? How tough is that sell knowing this is taking place?

ABINGTON: It's very, very hard. People feel that -- on both sides -- I think it's hard for the leaders of both sides. It's almost like a mirror image. Each leader feels that they are the aggrieved party. The public in either party feels that the peace process has reached a dead end. I don't think there is any alternative to the peace process.

Look at what the choices are. It's either the kind of violence, recurrent violence, like we have seen over the past two weeks and in the past, or it's the two sides trying to sit down and divide into two states and live side by side. To me, the choice is obvious. They have to go on the road of peace.

HEMMER: It's Friday. What do we expect over the weekend, sir?

ABINGTON: Well, I think that tomorrow is the Jewish sabbath. It's the start of a major Jewish holiday. I think that the Israeli military has certainly tried to calm the situation down. I understand that on the Palestinian's side, their are efforts to calm the situation down. I think we saw the beginning of this last Wednesday. But yesterday's unfortunate events merely, merely increased the tension.

HEMMER: Edward Abington, live from Washington.

Thank you, sir. I appreciate your time.

ABINGTON: Thank you very much.

HEMMER: All right, Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And for more perspective now on the crisis, we turn to ambassador Shmuel Sisso. He is the consul general of Israel in New York City.

Mr. Ambassador, good morning, thanks for joining us.

AMB. SHMUEL SISSO, CONSUL GENERAL OF ISRAEL IN NEW YORK: Good morning.

KAGAN: As we hear more word of the possible summit this weekend in Egypt, are you hopeful that the two sides plus other countries can get together?

SISSO: Of course, we all are hopeful that the violence will stop and we can go back to the negotiation table. But this is what we said from the beginning. There was no need for these riots and for all this violence and bloodshed to go on with the negotiations.

KAGAN: In addition to the Palestinians and Israelis, we have word that both the U.S. and Egypt, Jordan and the United Nations, would take part in this summit.

Do you think that would help and that this is the level that this has come to? you need outside forces to help the two sides sit down and talk?

SISSO: About talking, it's really, it's not that important who will be there beside the Palestinians and the Israelis. If any other forces who want to be constructive can join together and sit and calm down the situation, definitely, if it might help, so, we have no objection to it. But we have to remember that the violence has to stop first.

KAGAN: And speaking of that violence, I would imagine that it's difficult for many in our American audience that is watching you right now to understand how two people so passionate can go within days from the brink of war to sitting down to a table and sitting across from each other and talking peace.

Can you explain that to us?

SISSO: Yes, there is no alternative to sit and talk. And we have to remember, only a month ago, we were all hoping that these negotiations are coming to end with an agreement. We sat here in Camp David. We discussed everything, Prime Minister Barak was ready to go the extra mile towards the Palestinians. A lot of concessions were made. Negotiation teams sat here in Washington only two days before the riots started and we were all hopeful. And then, all of a sudden, someone had decided to turn on the fire in the Middle East and incited the Palestinians to go out into the streets and riot.

KAGAN: Ambassador Shmuel Sisso, sir, thank you for joining us this morning. I appreciate it.

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