Henry Kissinger: Israel shouldn't focus on Arafat

Henry Kissinger, former secretary of state, talks to CNN on Tuesday.

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(CNN) -- Israeli forces attacked the Palestinian security headquarters just outside Ramallah, are conducting operations in Bethlehem, Tulkarem, Qaqilyah and Beit Jala and have surrounded Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat in his compound. The Israelis say the operations are aimed at routing terrorists after a series of deadly attacks on Israeli citizens. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger joined CNN anchor Paula Zahn on Tuesday to discuss the situation.

ZAHN: Is Colin Powell making a mistake by not listening to the chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority, who says (Powell) must come and buttress (U.S. envoy to the Middle East) Anthony Zinni if you want to come to peace?

KISSINGER: Yes, but the chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority expects Powell to do for him what he won't be doing for himself. I think that Powell is absolutely right. He should go when he has a framework in which both sides agree at least on what they're trying to do. Then he can be effective.

When I went ..., I always had a prior understanding not about the outcome, but about the framework with in which we were going to negotiate. And after all, as the secretary said, he is in touch. And I would expect he will go into the area when the time is right.

ZAHN: Do you see Yasser Arafat going into exile between now and then? We know what he has said. He said he under no circumstances will surrender at this point. But the Israelis continue...

KISSINGER: I have a lot of sympathy for the Israeli position. I think the suicide bombing has to stop before any real negotiations (begin). It just has to stop. And the other Arab states have to tell them -- stop making heroes out of the suicide bombers.

On the other hand, the Israeli obsession with Arafat is totally confusing the issue. They cannot appoint a leader of the Palestinians. And I think they're taking attention away from the suicide bombing -- which will kill the equivalent of about 2,500 Americans in three days if you take the population -- and focus it on whether Arafat is in two rooms, three rooms, has electricity or not -- that is not a useful exercise for the Israelis.

ZAHN: Is that another way of saying the Israelis simply have gone too far?

KISSINGER: I think when you get so many people killed on a holy day, I have understanding for the Israelis. And I have understanding, and I think they're right in going into the territories to try to pick up weapons. It's after all what we are doing in Afghanistan ..... But to focus it so much on Arafat's personality and to get the whole world's attention focused on Arafat is a tactical mistake.

ZAHN: Do you think the Israelis should withdraw immediately as the U.N. security resolution demands?

KISSINGER: They didn't say that -- no, no...

ZAHN: Well it's a joint resolution, because it also asked the Palestinians to stop the violence.

KISSINGER: I don't think it said immediately.... Let this thing run its course and then let them withdraw. The immediate attention -- I believe there should be a political process. I believe the United States should take a clear position on what kind of outcome we are aiming for.

But before that, suicide bombings have to stop because otherwise it will become an accepted pattern not just in the Middle East, but around the world. And when -- for us to tell people they must negotiate while they are under terrorist bombing is violating every principle we've enunciated for the last six months.

ZAHN: President Bush has defined the acts of Arafat's people -- some of them suicide bombers -- as terrorist acts, but he will not call Yasser Arafat himself a terrorist. Do you think Yasser Arafat is a terrorist?

KISSINGER: I think Arafat is maneuvering between the different factions that he has. He has some terrorists; he has some negotiators. He's never been a great leader. He's always been a manipulator of various points of view. He wants to keep both options open, and he sees the pressure that these suicide bombers represent.

But if you look at the history of Arafat after the Gulf War, where he supported Saddam Hussein, once Saddam Hussein was defeated, once his people had been kicked out of the area, he made the Oslo agreement which brought about at least seven years of quiet. So I believe that it's a moment where Arafat will be prepared to negotiate. We should then negotiate with him. We should not designate the Palestinian negotiator. And that is the moment for an American political initiative, not now.

Let this thing run its course now, and then we should appear. And when we appear, we should do so quite decisively.

ZAHN: When do you see those negotiations taking place? Are you talking weeks or months here?

KISSINGER: I'm talking probably weeks.