Friday, July 28, 2006
Go Saeb, go Saeb, it's your birthday...
Aired July 25, 2006 - 17:00 ET (CNN's Situation Room)
BLITZER: And joining us now is the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat.
Mr. Erakat, thanks very much for coming in.
You were among the Palestinian delegation today that met with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. Was anything accomplished there?
SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: You know, the mere fact that Dr. Rice came to Ramallah is significant by itself. We -- you know and I know she's in the region because of the war in Lebanon and Israel. But the fact that she came to Ramallah, to tell President Abbas, we haven't forgotten you.
We have been witnessing in Gaza a forgotten zone. You know, six Palestinians were killed yesterday. The day before that, 16. And nobody notices.
And the fact that Dr. Rice decided to come to Ramallah today, and to say what she said to Abu Mazen about the core of the problem, trying to fight for President Bush's vision a two-state solution, was something by itself.
BLITZER: It's exactly today one month since that Israeli corporal, Gilad Shalit, was kidnapped across the Gaza border. Is he likely to be returned to Israel any time soon?
ERAKAT: We hope so. Abu Mazen told the secretary today that he, the Egyptians and the government are exerting maximum effort, first in order to ensure his safety, and in order to get him back to his family.
And he reminded the secretary that we have 10,000 of our own kids in Israeli jails. Some have spent more than 30 years.
He did not specify exactly, but he noted some progress. But he did not -- he didn't want to specify exactly where we're going from here.
BLITZER: Let me read to you what the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. Dan Gillerman, said yesterday. He said, "Iran and Syria are part of the world's most ominous access of terror and together with Hamas they support and harbor and finance, they actually are today one of the greatest threats towards stability and to engage them would be a horrible mistake."
Do you agree with that assessment?
ERAKAT: Look, I just want to say very frankly, in 1982, Israel went to war against Lebanon. Out of the labor pain, Hezbollah was born. In 1987, we had an Intifada, the Palestinians, and the Israeli army was trying to crush the Palestinian people. And out of these labor pains, Hamas was born.
Wolf, the question that I address to myself, and to Mr. Gillerman, and to all of those who may think will it be after, what will 2006 labor pains produce?
You know, when you have political solutions, you may call upon it as much as you want. Nations follow their interests, parties follow their interests. But you don't solve political problems with a military solution. You don't.
You don't add to the complexities. We know that at the end of the day as Palestinians we're separate from Lebanon. Not that we're not Arabs, that we don't feel sorry for what's going on in Lebanon, but, you know, Lebanon is their own country.
War, no war, tomorrow stabilization force, who will join, who will not join, these are issues that are being discussed the (INAUDIBLE), but we're under occupation.
So, as Palestinians, we're trying our best today to reach a full cessation of violence with Israel. All parties, including Hamas -- and that's what Abu Mazen, my president, is exerting maximum efforts now with all Palestinian parties to deliver a full cessation of violence between us and the Israelis. And I hope he can succeed.
BLITZER: Is there an alliance between Hamas and Hezbollah that runs through Syria and Iran?
ERAKAT: I don't think so. And unless -- I cannot tell you that I know or don't know.
BLITZER: Because the Israelis say that the Iranians, the Syrians, they provide funding to Hamas, and clearly they provide funding and material to Hezbollah.
ERAKAT: Well, look, I know the variables of interaction in this region. I know the complexities facing some Arab countries and the United States from Iran's nuclear program. I know what's going on in Syria. And I know what's going on in Saudi Arabia, in Egypt, in Jordan.
Obviously, for me, as a Palestinian, Wolf, all I'm saying, not in my name. You know, bin Laden fights a war in Afghanistan against the Soviets for 20 years, we are not mentioned. All of a sudden, he's not on good terms with those who financed him and built him. Then Palestine became his issue.
Somebody put a bomb in Bali. And then you hear the term "Palestine." Somebody put a bomb in Morocco, and -- all I want as a Palestinian, OK, I know that if you want to speak about a new Middle East, two elements are needed.
One is peace between Palestinians and Israelis. And you don't need to reinvent the wheel here. It's going to be Israel, next to the state of Palestine on the '67 border. That's as we know it, and that's the vision of President Bush, so that's number one.
Number two is democracy in the Arab world. And anybody who says Arabs are not really for democracy is a racist, Wolf. A combination of peace and democracy should be the main foundations for the new Middle East.
And without these things, I believe we're just going to see the labor pains that give birth to these extremist movements and others and others and others and others. Because, you know, out of this outcome of violence, extremists are gaining. That's the truth. Extremists are gaining.
It's moderates like me who are being undermined. It's the prospect for peace between me and the Israelis that's being undermined now.
BLITZER: All right.
ERAKAT: And that's the truth. That's the unfortunate truth.
BLITZER: We unfortunately have to leave it right there. But Saeb Erakat, it was nice of you to come into Jerusalem. Appreciate it very much.
ERAKAT: Thank you, Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And joining us now is the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat.
Mr. Erakat, thanks very much for coming in.
You were among the Palestinian delegation today that met with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. Was anything accomplished there?
SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: You know, the mere fact that Dr. Rice came to Ramallah is significant by itself. We -- you know and I know she's in the region because of the war in Lebanon and Israel. But the fact that she came to Ramallah, to tell President Abbas, we haven't forgotten you.
We have been witnessing in Gaza a forgotten zone. You know, six Palestinians were killed yesterday. The day before that, 16. And nobody notices.
And the fact that Dr. Rice decided to come to Ramallah today, and to say what she said to Abu Mazen about the core of the problem, trying to fight for President Bush's vision a two-state solution, was something by itself.
BLITZER: It's exactly today one month since that Israeli corporal, Gilad Shalit, was kidnapped across the Gaza border. Is he likely to be returned to Israel any time soon?
ERAKAT: We hope so. Abu Mazen told the secretary today that he, the Egyptians and the government are exerting maximum effort, first in order to ensure his safety, and in order to get him back to his family.
And he reminded the secretary that we have 10,000 of our own kids in Israeli jails. Some have spent more than 30 years.
He did not specify exactly, but he noted some progress. But he did not -- he didn't want to specify exactly where we're going from here.
BLITZER: Let me read to you what the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. Dan Gillerman, said yesterday. He said, "Iran and Syria are part of the world's most ominous access of terror and together with Hamas they support and harbor and finance, they actually are today one of the greatest threats towards stability and to engage them would be a horrible mistake."
Do you agree with that assessment?
ERAKAT: Look, I just want to say very frankly, in 1982, Israel went to war against Lebanon. Out of the labor pain, Hezbollah was born. In 1987, we had an Intifada, the Palestinians, and the Israeli army was trying to crush the Palestinian people. And out of these labor pains, Hamas was born.
Wolf, the question that I address to myself, and to Mr. Gillerman, and to all of those who may think will it be after, what will 2006 labor pains produce?
You know, when you have political solutions, you may call upon it as much as you want. Nations follow their interests, parties follow their interests. But you don't solve political problems with a military solution. You don't.
You don't add to the complexities. We know that at the end of the day as Palestinians we're separate from Lebanon. Not that we're not Arabs, that we don't feel sorry for what's going on in Lebanon, but, you know, Lebanon is their own country.
War, no war, tomorrow stabilization force, who will join, who will not join, these are issues that are being discussed the (INAUDIBLE), but we're under occupation.
So, as Palestinians, we're trying our best today to reach a full cessation of violence with Israel. All parties, including Hamas -- and that's what Abu Mazen, my president, is exerting maximum efforts now with all Palestinian parties to deliver a full cessation of violence between us and the Israelis. And I hope he can succeed.
BLITZER: Is there an alliance between Hamas and Hezbollah that runs through Syria and Iran?
ERAKAT: I don't think so. And unless -- I cannot tell you that I know or don't know.
BLITZER: Because the Israelis say that the Iranians, the Syrians, they provide funding to Hamas, and clearly they provide funding and material to Hezbollah.
ERAKAT: Well, look, I know the variables of interaction in this region. I know the complexities facing some Arab countries and the United States from Iran's nuclear program. I know what's going on in Syria. And I know what's going on in Saudi Arabia, in Egypt, in Jordan.
Obviously, for me, as a Palestinian, Wolf, all I'm saying, not in my name. You know, bin Laden fights a war in Afghanistan against the Soviets for 20 years, we are not mentioned. All of a sudden, he's not on good terms with those who financed him and built him. Then Palestine became his issue.
Somebody put a bomb in Bali. And then you hear the term "Palestine." Somebody put a bomb in Morocco, and -- all I want as a Palestinian, OK, I know that if you want to speak about a new Middle East, two elements are needed.
One is peace between Palestinians and Israelis. And you don't need to reinvent the wheel here. It's going to be Israel, next to the state of Palestine on the '67 border. That's as we know it, and that's the vision of President Bush, so that's number one.
Number two is democracy in the Arab world. And anybody who says Arabs are not really for democracy is a racist, Wolf. A combination of peace and democracy should be the main foundations for the new Middle East.
And without these things, I believe we're just going to see the labor pains that give birth to these extremist movements and others and others and others and others. Because, you know, out of this outcome of violence, extremists are gaining. That's the truth. Extremists are gaining.
It's moderates like me who are being undermined. It's the prospect for peace between me and the Israelis that's being undermined now.
BLITZER: All right.
ERAKAT: And that's the truth. That's the unfortunate truth.
BLITZER: We unfortunately have to leave it right there. But Saeb Erakat, it was nice of you to come into Jerusalem. Appreciate it very much.
ERAKAT: Thank you, Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
# posted by Brian @ 11:41 AM 
