On the scene with Fionnuala Sweeney in Jerusalem

October 27, 2000
Web posted at: 3:37 p.m. EDT (1937 GMT)

Fionnuala Sweeney

CNN International anchor Fionnuala Sweeney is in Jerusalem after returning from Ramallah in the West Bank, where clashes intensified Friday between Palestinians and Israelis.

Q: What prompted the escalation of violence today?

SWEENEY: Today was the day of rage that Al Fatah, which is the political movement of Yasser Arafat, called for. They have been calling for a day of rage ever since the latest round of clashes began, because Friday is the holy day for Muslims, the holy day for prayer.

As soon as the mosque prayer services were over, Palestinians gathered on the main street into Ramallah from the south side. The Israeli jeeps pulled into position, and there the clashes began.

It wasn't live ammunition in the beginning. It was mainly rocks and Molotov cocktails, and the Israelis were deploying tear gas and rubber bullets. But then later on in the day, CNN staffers witnessed an exchange of gunfire from both sides.

Q: What's the general mood in the region?

SWEENEY: Ehud Barak is trying to form his government of national emergency before the Knesset, or parliament, reconvenes next Monday. He's talking to various parties, including Ariel Sharon, who is the leader of the right-wing Likud party. Palestinians say if Ariel Sharon is included, it will be the end of the peace process.

I think for many of the Palestinians who are demonstrating on the streets, to them the peace process is already over. And the efforts for diplomacy seem to be increasingly remote from the feelings of frustration and anger on the ground among Palestinians.

Q: What is it going to take to revive the peace process at this point?

SWEENEY: The politicians and U.S. President Bill Clinton are trying to get at Yasser Arafat and Ehud Barak at least talking to each other (through diplomatic channels) and stop the violence. And they are perhaps preparing the ground if that happens for a re-launch of the peace process.

But Ehud Barak is saying he wants to see full implementation of the understandings reached at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, which include Yasser Arafat calling on his people not to go into the streets and a lack of incitement of violence and a rearrest of the Hamas leaders. Then, he can begin to talk to Yasser Arafat.

Yasser Arafat's line would be basically that he cannot stop the anger on the streets, and that the more people who are injured and get killed, the angrier the Palestinians become. And then these clashes start again.

Q: What are the political implications for Barak next week? He's faced with an extremely tough challenge.

SWEENEY: He's leading a minority government as it is at the moment. He's having to persuade and reassure members of his own left-wing party that he will continue with the peace process. There have been some members of his Cabinet who have threatened to resign if Ariel Sharon is included in any coalition government. So, Barak is walking quite a tightrope. He's trying to keep all options open. He's trying to keep the dialogue open with Bill Clinton on the peace process; at the same time, he's trying to form a government ... and not face a no-confidence vote.

Ramallah clash erupts into gun battle
October 27, 2000