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Hate Speech, Anti-Semitism Surging in Germany; U.K. Government Says Brexit Will Hurt Economy; CNN Polling Focuses on Surge of Anti-Semitism; Benjamin Netanyahu's Interview on the Rise of Anti-Semitism in Europe; Mattis and Pompeo to Hold All Senators Briefing on Yemen. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired November 28, 2018 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The far-right is enjoying a major comeback here, bringing with it a troubling rise in anti-

Semitism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Images as faded as the memory but ones we should never forget. And you just heard why. Red hot hatred echoing through time.

A special CNN investigation, uncovering the ugly slither of anti-Semitic in Germany.

Plus, imagine driving a bus at full speed, head first, into a black hole. While your passengers try and grab the wheel. Well, you are looking at the

Brexit bus driver as the British government itself warns it could cost the country vast amounts of money. But why should they be trusted?

Friends through thick and thin and has all of the American President's men make the case for standing by Saudi Arabia, no matter what.

We are connecting you then to a world, often brutal, often confusing, and often out of control. But we are here to connect you to the cold hard facts

of it all and help guide you all through it. I'm Becky Anderson. I'm in Abu Dhabi, welcome to the show.

If there is a God, he will have to beg for my forgiveness, those words are attributed to a Jewish prisoner of a Nazi concentration camp, and they are

so powerful, you might wonder how anyone could ever forget them. Let alone the country that promised never to abandon the memory of the Holocaust. But

then you see pictures like these, taken almost a lifetime later, and you wonder how this sentiment could ever touch Germany again.

Did you know things are now so bad the majority of people there say anti- Semitism is again a growing problem, all that one in two Germans think Jewish people today are at risk of violence. Those just some of the results

of an extensive CNN investigation which is revealing exactly to what degree Germany and other parts of Europe are facing anti-Semitism. Our

investigation already provoking a stunned reaction from leaders, and lawmakers around the world, and we will hear some of that in a moment.

First, have a look at some of the findings for yourself, from our chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARD (voice-over): It's a sight you don't expect to see in Germany in 2018. Hundreds of right-wing extremists, many neo-Nazis, marching through the

nation's capital. Close the border, they shout. Resistance, resistance. The far-right is enjoying a major comeback here, bringing with it a troubling

rise in anti-Semitism. According to government figures, anti-Semitic attacks have increased by 20 percent in the last five years. The number of

violent right-wing extremists has gone up by nearly a third. This man tells us a shadowy cabal of globalists controls the world.

(on camera): So, when you talk about the elites and you talk about finance, is that another way of saying Jewish people?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WARD: Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WARD: It is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As long as (INAUDIBLE).

WARD (voice-over): Let me say it this way, the banking system for sure. Banks, finance, the economy, mainly Jews, he said. We had more questions,

but our conversation was cut short by one of the march's organizers.

(on camera): I think we have someone who is following me.

(voice-over): Making anti-Semitic statements can be punishable under German law. But Christian Weissberger explains that neo-Nazis are finding new ways

to express the same old hatred and he should know. Weissberger used to be a right-wing extremist himself.

CHRISTIAN WEISSBERGER, FORMER NEO-NAZI: I would say it is a form of anti- Semitism that disguises itself and so they don't talk about the Jew anymore. They talk about the Zionists or the globalists or the bankers.

[10:05:00] WARD: And they are growing more brazen. One man flashes a quick but unmistakable Nazi salute right in front of us. A crime in Germany.

It's important to remember, this isn't any country. This is Germany. Just a few hundred yards from the march is a memorial for the millions of Jews

murdered here in the second world war.

(on camera): More than 70 years after the Holocaust, Germany is still haunted by its past. And yet remarkably, anti-Semitism is once again a

growing problem here with 50 percent of Germans agreeing that Jewish people are now at risk of racist violence.

(voice-over): The statistic comes from a CNN poll that also found half of Germans believe Jews are at risk of hate speech. At Feinberg's Israeli

restaurant, owner Yorai says he gets threats every day.

YORAI FEINBERG, RESTAURANT OWNER: From murder to I will break your knees, I will break your arms, I will break your teeth. They are very creative in

everything and all the options that they want to break.

WARD: He was recently accosted by a man who told him Jews will end up in the gas chamber.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's only about the money for you. You will pay, the man says to him. Nobody wants you here.

WARD (on camera): He told you to go to the gas chambers or that you will go back to the gas chambers?

FEINBERG: Yes.

WARD: You've heard things like that before?

FEINBERG: Very often.

WARD (voice-over): Germany has acknowledged it has a problem. Recently appointing its first anti-Semitism czar. Felix Klein is focused on creating

a nationwide system for reporting anti-Semitic crimes and on improving integration of Germany's different communities.

FELIX KLEIN, ANTI-SEMITISM COMMISSIONER, GERMANY: Anti-Semitism has always existed in Germany, also, after 1945. And now, though, it is showing its

ugly face more openly. Things that people would never have dared to say in a bar, or in a restaurant, or in private surrounding, do it so now using

social media, or the net.

WARD: Germany has seen upticks in neo-Nazi activity before, most notably in the 1990s. While official statistics show that more than 90 percent of

anti-Semitic attacks nationwide is from the far-right, there is a new element of concern for the Jewish community. The arrival of 1.4 million

Muslim refugees in the last three years. Doron Rubin is the leader of Germany's small orthodox Jewish community.

DORON RUBIN, HEAD OF BERLIN'S KAHAL ADASS JISROEL CONGREGATION: With a lot of coming -- the incoming of a lot of immigrants who have a different

history, and a different background and especially, obviously, coming from the Middle East, have also, because of Islam, a different attitude towards

Jews.

KLEIN: When we talk about Muslim originated anti-Semitism, I think we can only win that battle with the help of the moderate Muslims. Without them,

this wouldn't be a successful fight.

WARD: Overall, the Jewish community remains anxious.

RUBIN: I think much more Jews now think again, like can we have culture only in our home? And is it possible to live in this society? You can

notice that the question that might not have been asked five years ago, it is starting to pop up again.

WARD: It is a question few in this country ever imagined would have to be asked again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, let's bring in Clarissa Ward, who is in London for you tonight. Terrific reporting. What more did you learn in Germany, Clarissa?

WARD: Well, I think that Germany is unique, or perhaps I should say that Germany is really taking the lead in acknowledging that the problem exists,

trying to deal with the problem, appointing an anti-Semitism czar back in April. This is the first time Germany has had an anti-Semitism czar. It's a

very public declaration of the fact that it is committed to trying to combat this problem. Of course, it's a very difficult road ahead in terms

of finding solutions because there are so many different components of anti-Semitism. Because it doesn't only come from one place, or one

community, or one theology, or ideology. That makes it difficult to combat.

But I do think that we were all struck by the extent of the efforts that Germany is making to try to deal with this, both by improving a nationwide

reporting system, for anti-Semitic acts, by improving education, by improving integration. There is a sense that they are taking a brave and

bold step and admitting they have a problem.

[10:10:00] Where many others simply want to foist the blame on to another country, another community, another ideology -- Becky.

ANDERSON: We've also been learning that prejudice isn't directed exclusively at the Jewish community. Muslims also becoming targets. In

fact, 37 percent of people polled viewed Muslims unfavorably. That was particularly high in Hungary and in Austria, Clarissa, where almost half

the people that CNN spoke to felt that way. And in contrast only 10 percent of them viewed Jews in a negative light. What should we make of these

numbers?

WARD: Well, I think it is important for people to understand, Becky, that hate is hate. And it can manifest itself in anti-Semitism. It can manifest

itself in Islamophobia or homophobia or a number of different prejudices. At the end of the day a lot of people have described anti-Semitism as being

a so-called canary in the coal mine. It's an indicator that there is a shift in the zeitgeist, that there is a nasty tone to the rhetoric, that

there is an uptick or escalation in hate. And the comfort that people feel in expressing ideas that are hateful.

And it is very important for our viewers to understand that while we were focused on this topic on the issue of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia is

rampant. You mentioned there, 37 percent of people openly admitting that they have a negative or unfavorable impression of Muslims. And when you

look at the far-right and when you look the picture in Germany, the far- right has been mobilized and energized and emboldened. Not for their hatred for Jews but for their hatred for migrants, their biases and prejudices

against Muslim, the Muslims in Germany are the ones who are bearing the brunt of the vast majority of the hatred. Though, of course, those far-

right people are also reflexively anti-Semitic in their views -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Let's just remind our viewers, Clarissa, these are the countries involved in CNN's poll. The U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Hungary,

Poland, and Sweden. Where will your reporting be taking us tomorrow?

WARD: Tomorrow we'll be looking at France. And were looking at something that members of the Jewish community called "the new anti-Semitism". Anti-

Semitism coming from radical corners of the Muslim community and also the whole issue of Israel, Palestine. How that conflict has affected anti-

Semitic attitudes when criticism of Israel veers into straight anti- Semitism -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right, Clarissa Ward is in London. That series, of course, continues this week. Anti-Semitism in Europe helped fuel the

Zionist movement in the late 1800s as Jews push for homeland of their own where they would be free from persecution and attack. The horrors of the

Holocaust only deepened this desire.

And in 1948 the state of Israel was born. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is concerned about results of CNN's new polling. Calling anti-

Semitism, and I quote, ancient disease that has the power to sweep entire societies.

Well, Mr. Netanyahu sat down for an exclusive interview with our Oren Liebermann, who joins us now from Jerusalem with more on that -- Oren.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, the survey we did, the survey from CNN on anti-Semitism in Europe has made front page news since its

release and continues to do so. Upon its release, Yedioth Ahronoth, one of the major papers here, ran it not only as the front-page story but also, a

two-page spread inside. More papers picked it up today.

Anti-Semitism in Europe is not something surprising to Israelis, to Jews, anywhere in the world. Anti-Semitism elsewhere isn't a surprise either. And

yet the depth of the survey and some of the numbers you talked about with Clarissa are stilt striking, still, as you point out, the Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu was concerned, but not surprised.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Not concerned. Because I think anti-Semitism is an ancient disease in which rears its ugly head. It first

attacks Jews but it never stops with that. And then sweeps of entire societies has happened obviously in the midcentury Europe, first in

Germany, and then throughout all of Europe and the consequences were horrible.

Yes, I'm concerned. But I think we have to fight it. And we are fighting it. And some of the -- most of the European countries and governments, I

commend them for fighting anti-Semitism. They're right.

LIEBERMANN: It is easy to sit here and make statements and say never again, every Holocaust Memorial Day, but that is not going to end this. Do you see

the concrete actions that need to happen here on behalf of European countries?

NETANYAHU: Well, let's distinguish between two things. First, the sources of anti-Semitism. There's old anti-Semitism in Europe that came from the

extreme right and that is still around.

[10:15:00] But there is also new anti-Semitism that comes from the extreme left, and also the radical Islamic pockets in Europe that spew forth these

lies and slanders about Israel. The only democracy in this entire region. So yes, I'm concerned with that.

But again, what do I see? Number one, I see European governments, I spoke to Merkel, Macron, in May, and others, they're putting up a fight. And I'm

seeing this in Eastern Europe. I saw Viktor Orban in Hungary, he's opened up a center against anti-Semitism. I saw Sebastian Kurz in Austria who just

held a conference against anti-Semitism. And that's encouraging.

I'll tell you what else is important. The state of Israel is important. Because when we had no state, we were completely defenseless against anti-

Semitic forces that annihilated a third of our people, every third Jew was destroyed. Well, today, we have a state. We have a capacity to stand up for

ourselves and to defend ourselves and that ultimately is the best guarantor against anti-Semitism.

LIEBERMANN: You mentioned Hungary, one of the countries, in Poland as well. These are countries where anti-Semitic imagery, dog whistle anti-Semitism

was used in every day politics. And yet, nevertheless they have good relations with Israel. Their leaders seem to have good relations with you.

Is there a contradiction there? How do you reconcile that?

NETANYAHU: Look, there are old tendencies that have to be fought and they keep coming back. It's like -- I describe anti-Semitism is like a chronic

disease. It can be fatal if you don't challenge it. And it can be contained and reduced if you do. That's what I expect governments and leaders to do,

and most of them actually do do it.

LIEBERMANN: What about when those leaders both use that anti-Semitic imagery and are strong friends of Israel?

NETANYAHU: I don't think they should. I don't think they do. And I think that ultimately, the real issue is can we tolerate the idea that people say

that Israel doesn't have a right to exist? Which I think is the ultimate anti-Semitic statement, you know. The majority of the Jewish people are

very soon going to be living in Israel. There are over 6 million Jews now living in Israel. So, the new anti-Semites say this. Well, we're not

against Jews, we're just against the state of Israel. The idea that Israel doesn't have -- the Jewish people don't have the right to a state, that's

the ultimate anti-Semitism of today.

LIEBERMANN: Are you confident about the future of Jews in Europe?

NETANYAHU: I think it has to be protected. And we expect every government to act to protect Jews, just as they would act to protect anyone living

there and many are. Individual Jews have a choice, they can always come here, but we respect their individual choice. But I also expect, and

actually think that the governments of Europe, by and large, I have to say, just about every one of them, acts to fend off these attacks, because

they're wrong in their own right. And also, they're wrong, they're dangerous, for the society at large, and I'm glad to see this policy.

Pretty much across the board.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIEBERMANN: It is so easy to look at the results of our survey, either one any specific result or the result as a whole and be pessimistic about the

state of anti-Semitism in Europe and the safety of the Jewish community in Europe. And yet, Becky, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu multiple times

pointed out the work being done on the part of European countries and commended the work being done on the part of Western and Eastern European

countries to countries to fight anti-Semitism. So, if there is a so-called silver lining or a bit of encouragement here, it is that the leader of the

world's only Jewish state is able to look at Europe and say, yes, the work is there to combat anti-Semitism. But our results show that there is still

clearly a long way to go.

ANDERSON: Yes, no, you make a real, really valid point, thank you. Incredible in-depth CNN reporting from both Clarissa and Oren here. And a

reminder -- thank you, Oren -- we'll have a lot more from Clarissa on the show tomorrow, from France. A quick preview for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARD (voice-over): Miriam and her family have considered moving from France. Joining the more than 55,000 Jews who have left since the year

2000. In the sanctuary of their home, they celebrate Shabbat, a ritual ushered in every Friday night, by lighting candles and reciting a blessing.

MIRIAM: I'm scared for the future of my baby here. I hope that he will have a future here. And you know, Jewish communities are a part of the history

of France, really. And so, I think France, without any Jews is not any more France.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: CNN's full investigation available online, head to CNN.com/antisemitism and you can also get a lot more reaction there from

authorities.

[10:20:01] And the story of a teacher in Berlin, for example, who suffered anti-Semitic abuse at work when people found out her religion. That is

CNN.com/antisemitism.

We'll stay on this story throughout the hour. As we've heard Europe's poisonous past still festers in some places. I speak to an historian of

Holocaust denial and Jewish history. That is later in this show.

And tonight, British government says Brexit will be costly, really costly. We'll tell you how much it will impact the country's economy, after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson.

Now, when it comes to Brexit, even the best-case scenario is bad. That is the word today from a British government report on the economic impact of

leaving the EU. Now, the study finds that even if Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal is approved, even if the U.K. manages to negotiate

favorable trade deals, even if everything goes as well as can be expected, the British economy will still be worse off, under Brexit than if the U.K.

stayed in the union. That is the best-case scenario.

The worst case, a messy Brexit, without a deal with the EU, would likely result in a recession, and Britain in significantly slower economic growth

in the future. Yup, you heard it right. The British government itself saying that the country could be significantly worse off under a messy

Brexit than if the country remained part of Europe.

Let's get more from CNN's Nina dos Santos in London. And if our viewers are confused by this, I think they have a right to be so. The U.K. Prime

Minister driving the Brexit bus, it seems, towards a brick wall. As far as the economy is concerned. Explain.

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, so obviously, pro-Brexit members of Parliament are going to say this is an extension of the so-

called project fear that pushed people to vote for Brexit in the first place.

[10:25:00] David Cameron's government, lobbying against voting out of the EU saying it would make people poorer and now we have another treasury

prediction. Which says as we hurdle towards Brexit, it will indeed be making people poorer. It will indeed make the economy shrink.

So, according to the best-case scenario here, any of these kind of deals to leave the European Union, including Theresa May's deal that she has on the

table, will be shaving off some single digits off the GDP tally, Becky. But the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has been keen to say that would be able to

be mitigated over the course of the 15-year period that they have modelled this economic analysis over, when it comes to the shock of a hard Brexit

with no deal, that would be far more difficult to swallow. Because it would be in the high single digits, closer perhaps to 10 percent of GDP, over the

next 15 years. That's well over $100 billion, I should say, Becky. Now, the question is, is does this help Theresa May to sell it to her MP's? The

sobering statistic? Well, she tried desperately in the House of Commons earlier. Here's her altercation with Jeremy Corbyn on the subject.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY CORBYN, BRITISH LABOUR PARTY LEADER: The government's economic service forecast published today are actually meaningless because there's

no actual deal to model, just a 26-page wish list.

THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: He talks about the Political Declaration, he calls it a wish list. Now, what he is describing is a

Political Declaration that has been agreed between the United Kingdom and the European Union. And what does Labour have to offer, six bullet points,

my weekend shopping list is longer than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOS SANTOS: Well, I can tell you that the treasury document, Becky, is 85 pages long. It is more precise in some parts, more loose in its language in

others, we're probably going to get some more detailed language later on from the bank of England, Governor Mark Carney, because he has also been

looking at some of the numbers and crunching them. And obviously one thing that he is likely to point out is that Brexit is going to make life more

expensive for Britons just as they likely are to get poorer -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, and it is important that we do hear from Mark Carney at some point. I mean, obviously, the governor of the Bank of England, he has an

enormous job on his hand. He thrown his weight, of course, behind Theresa May's Brexit deal. Warning a no deal scenario would damage the economy. So,

they are in sort of damage limitation control at present it seems in order to try and get this deal through the House. Look, thank you. Important

stuff.

Not just for the sort of, you know, viewers who care about the internal machinations of what is going on, with regard to Britain and Brexit. But,

you know, Britain's standing in the rest of the world. That is a huge, huge story going forward, and one we will continue to cover, not the least of a

region like this where Britain had so much, or certainly had so much influence in the past. Thank you.

We are in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, this is CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, CNN reveals its exclusive polling on the scourge of anti-Semitism. Historian

Deborah Lipstadt tells me -- or certainly joins me to talk about how the past informs the present, in Europe and in the Middle East. Stay with us.

[10:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. If you're just joining us, you are more than welcome. It is just half past seven. I'm in

our Middle East broadcasting hub in Abu Dhabi here in the UAE.

All this week, we are looking at the scourge of anti-Semitism in Europe, an age-old issue on the continent, now having a disturbing new resurgence

according to a new CNN polling. You see here just one example, 16 percent of Germans they believe that most anti-Semitism is a response to the

everyday behavior of Jewish people. So, despite widespread educational programs, our data certainly shows a shocking lack of awareness of Europe's

chilling World War II past, and how it bleeds into the present.

Now, that is something my next guest knows all about. Deborah Lipstadt, is a historian of Jewish history, and Holocaust studies, and author of

numerous books on the Holocaust and the denial of it. She's also the woman who exposed author David Irving for being a Holocaust denier, a quarter of

a century ago, in what was an historic court case. Debra, thank you for joining us.

DEBORAH LIPSTADT, EMORY UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: Thank you for having me.

ANDERSON: And for being here to discuss this polling that we have conducted extensively across Europe. Let's firstly get your response to the findings

of this exclusive CNN polling, if you will. What surprised you most?

LIPSTADT: Right, I wasn't surprised. I was shocked by some of the extent of the animus, the extent of the misunderstanding of what anti-Semitism is.

Anti-Semitism is a conspiracy theory. It makes no sense. It attributes the same stereotype to all people. It would be -- make as much sense as saying

all blond-haired people have a certain attribute, or all left-handed people. It is used to explain a difficult situation. And yet so many

Europeans have fallen into the trap.

[10:35:00] But you asked me what surprised me or what shocked me most. I'll tell you what upset me most was the response of certain Jews who are

saying, for instance, in the Netherlands, over 50 percent of the Jewish community is saying we're afraid to express our Jewish identity. They build

Jewish, the synagogues or school, or institutions without any external sign that this is a Jewish institution. Jews seem to -- I fear that European

Jews will be going back -- to use a statement from another setting -- but back into the closet, in terms of their Jewish identity. That's a big loss.

ANDERSON: So, what do we do about it? There has been a lot of reaction to this polling, Israeli lawmaker, Michael Oren, for example, he's a former

Israeli ambassador to the United States, and current deputy minister in the Prime Minister's office, had this to say today.

CNN's survey of anti-Semitism in Europe, while revealing positive trends confirms that the world's oldest hatred persists in the continent that

invented it.

[10:35:00] And you heard from Oren Liebermann earlier on who has interviewed the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on this. And who made the

point and Oren reinforce this, that there are pockets of light across Europe. The Prime Minister suggesting he's spoken to Western and Eastern

European leaders who are saying they are doing their best. But their best is not, it seems good enough at this point. What do you suggest is concrete

action?

LIPSTADT: OK, first, I would like to make a contrast, and I think on this number, including the Prime Minister, were correct. This anti-Semitism is

quite different from what we saw in the '30s and the '40s or what happened in the '30s and the '40s. This is not government sponsored. This is not

official. This is not institutional in terms of a government level. But with all due respect to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Prime Minister Orban

engages and engaged in overt anti-Semitism with his vilification of people like George Soros. And you can disagree with what George Soros says, you

can dislike George Soros. But what went when in Hungary was overt anti- Semitism.

We've seen it in Poland in the Polish law and the Holocaust. That is sort of soft-core Holocaust denial with a degree of anti-Semitism. But it's

true. What your polls show was not government sponsored. What we can do about it, is we can ask, we can expect that governments will educate,

governments will teach, governments will openly condemn this. In my country, there has been overt anti-Semitism which some of our leaders have

not overtly condemned. You saw that in the Charlottesville action, in the Charlottesville disturbances a little over a year ago. It's got to be

condemned.

It's got to be condemned for a number of reasons, not just because it is a threat to Jews, certainly for that reason, but even more, because it is a

threat to the democratic institutions in which we live. It's a threat to the democracies we so treasure. It starts with the Jews but it never ends

with the Jews. It starts with the Jew, but then it goes on to others, other groups, other minorities, and then eventually democratic institutions

themselves. This is a dangerous situation. And anybody who is concerned about the future of Europe, not the future just of Jews in Europe, but the

future of Europe, should be concerned about this.

ANDERSON: We mentioned slightly earlier in the show that here in the Middle East, and as you know, I'm living, working, broadcasting here, from the

Gulf region. Here in the Middle East, it is no exaggeration to say the tragedy of the Holocaust reshaped the region. Directly with the creation of

the state of Israel in 1948. Something that led to war and the massive displacement hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Millions of their

descendants still refugees, of course, in surrounding lands.

Deborah, many people here, will agree with Michael Oren and say that this is a European disease. They say that Jews and Arabs lived together for

centuries until Israel's creation and the Arab/Israeli war. I was interested to hear the Israeli Prime Minister in speaking to Oren earlier

on, suggesting that radical Islamic pockets in Europe, he said spew forth lies and slanders about Israel, as he described, the only democracy in this

entire region. How do you think this, if at all, plays into this rise in anti-Semitism?

It is a great question. It is a complicated one that deserves a much longer explanation. But I think on some level, Michael Oren and the Prime Minister

are right. This started in Europe, this was nurtured in Europe, and nurtured in Christian Europe. But it spread to other places. It spread to

the Middle East, you know, the same, hundreds of thousands of Jewish inhabitants of Arab lands were displaced by this as well.

But I think the thing to understand about the current situation, which is really what we should be focused on, is that it is not just coming from the

right, from right-wing nationalists. It was a right-wing nationalist who went into the synagogue in Pittsburgh and murdered 11 older people. It

doesn't matter if they're older or younger, at worship. It comes from the right. It comes from the left. The people who are incessantly attacking

Israel, not Israel's policies but the very idea of the existence of the state of Israel. We see that in many pockets of the Labour Party in England

and in other places of course, as well. And it comes from Islamists extremists.

Most of the attacks in Europe, Copenhagen, Paris, Brussels, have been committed, and many other places, have been committed by Islamist

extremists. So, the terrible sad irony is that anybody who looks only in one way.

[10:40:00] And it's usually to the opposite side, those on the left see it on the right, those on the right see it on the left. They're blind to what

is happening right next to them. And it's all around. And it's got to be addressed in a very multi-faceted, educational, political purpose, and the

leaders have to explicitly say we don't agree with this, and we won't engage in it.

ANDERSON: Deborah, your analysis is so important. I really appreciate the time tonight. And thank you for being part of what is this extensive --

LIPSTADT: And thank you to CNN for paying attention to this. Thank you

ANDERSON: Thank you.

Before we move on, I just want to show a poem with you from a German pastor writing after the rise of the Nazis. First, they came, for the socialists

and I did not speak out. Because I was not a socialist. Then they came to the trade unionists and I did not speak out. Because I was not a trade

unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak

for me.

In the last few minutes, we've been talking about of an extremely important to shaping this region. Now another event defining the Middle East in our

lifetimes, is Yemen. Opposition to the war gaining momentum in the United States. We'll look at how. Up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Images there from Saudi-backed fighters clashing with Houthi rebels outside Yemen's key port city of Hodeidah earlier this month. And

this very war is in focus in the U.S. Senate in about 15 minutes time. Washington's support for allied Saudi Arabia may be about to face a major

test. Now Senators will gather for an intelligence briefing. And they could vote as early as today on a proposal to withdraw America's military

support. Both the Secretary of State and the Defense Secretary will brief the Senators ahead of that vote.

Mike Pompeo expected to stress that abandoning the Saudi-led coalition would do immense damage to national security interests. And in an op-ed

just published in "The Wall Street Journal," he makes this argument.

Without U.S. efforts, he said, the death toll in Yemen would be far higher. There would be no honest broker to manage disagreements between Saudi

Arabia and its Gulf coalition partners, whose forces are essential to the war effort.

I want to get you to Washington now with CNN global affairs correspondent Elise Labott and White House reporter, Stephen Collinson and regular on

this show, have been working their sources for us. And let me start with you, Elise. Today's op-ed in "The Washington Post" pretty much teeing up

the case for backing Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince, ahead of what are these closed Senate briefings to U.S. lawmakers

about the Jamal Khashoggi murder and Yemen.

[10:45:03] Now, the language in that op-ed might've surprised some. But Mike Pompeo isn't saying anything we didn't already know. Question is, what

chances resolution on U.S. military disengagement will pass this time around do you think?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it has a bigger chance now, Becky, and our folks on the Hill tell us that the vote

count is very close. Now, there were, obviously, mostly Republicans that wanted to support the Trump administration's support for Saudi Arabia as

they did when they voted against the measure in March. But the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the concerns about Saudi Arabia have been growing. And

now the vote is very close.

I think Secretary Pompeo, you know, obviously was making the administration's best case for why the U.S. should not abandon Saudi

Arabia. But our understanding and is that op-ed really fell flat on the Hill. Senators really disappointed with the telnet Secretary Pompeo took

towards lawmakers' oversight of this issue. And I think it might be emboldening some of those senators that were waffling about the measure to

vote for it. I mean, it could very well pass.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. Well, let's be absolutely clear, I mean, there is the issue of AQAP and ISIS in Yemen. Threats that are increasing we are

told, not decreasing in the tug-of-war. Threats which have in the past certainly made Yemen a key U.S. national security issue.

And in an interview in the "Washington Post," Stephen, on Tuesday, President Trump says, and I quote him. It's very important to have Saudi

Arabia as an ally if we're going to stay in that part of the world. Now, are we going to stay in that part of the world? One reason is Israel, oil

is becoming less and less of a reason. So, you know, all of a sudden it gets to a point where you don't have to stay there.

Stephen, there is an awful lot to unpack there. But two keywords jump out, oil and Israel. Trump saying, less of a reason to stay in the Middle East,

but Israel is. How revealing is that of the Trump administration's Middle East strategy do you think?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I think it is quite revealing of the competing impulses that often take place in Donald Trump's head when

it comes to foreign policy. Between American regional geopolitical strategy and his overwhelming desire to get America out of overseas commitments. And

the belief that, you know, the United States has long been taken advantage of.

Of course, Israel is a major reason for the U.S. to stay in the Middle East. And it is also a reason why the United States has placed Saudi Arabia

right at the center of its Middle East policy. But I think there is more going on here. If we go back to the President's statement about Saudi

Arabia policy last week, and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

The President basically implied that any state that does business with the United States, that invests in the U.S., that gives the United States

money, is, you know, a high priority in U.S. foreign policy. If you take that to its logical conclusion, that is a real shift in American policy

away from the values and expectations that have underlined American foreign policy for decades.

I mean basically, the President is saying the United States will act in a very mechanical way like Russia or China, and eventually, that becomes a

threat to the rule of law, and universal values, which have underpinned the Western economic model for 70 years. So, I think that is really why the

President wants to stay involved with Saudi Arabia. I don't think that's necessarily the motivation of people like James Mattis or Mike Pompeo.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. You've been in Washington, viewers, with analysis on the Hill, from both Elise and Stephen, to both of you, thank you very much,

indeed.

And as I say, that closed Senate briefing, Mattis and Pompeo, due at the top of this hour, it will be 11:00 a.m. hour in Washington, and it will be

8:00 a.m. -- sorry, it will be 8:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi. And that's where we are live for you from with CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson.

Coming up, just before we close out this hour, we are going to take you to a museum where masks reveal at least as much as they conceal. Details on

that up next.

[10:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON (voice-over): All right, you probably remember when taking field trips when you were a kid at school, right, to museums. Quite frankly I was

a bit bored. But a static paintings hanging on white walls and artifacts that seemed from another planet all sat far away behind glass. And perhaps

that's why it was difficult to entertain kids like me. But just down the road from here, the Louvre is living up to its design a year after opening.

They're doing things really differently. So, when our local kids pop by, they have a lot more fun than perhaps we used to, and actually get to

connect to a shared past. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: It is not your average school day for 10-year-old Majid bin Theniah. His classroom today is a state-of-the-art museum. Where lessons

are taught not by teachers, but by some of the world's greatest art work.

MAJID BIN THENIAH, STUDENT, RAFFLES INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL: It inspires me.

ANDERSON: Education was a guiding principle behind the creation of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. And since opening last year more than a million people

have passed through the museum's galleries. Many of them schoolchildren just like Majid.

MARAL BEDOYAN, EDUCATION AND LEARNING RESOURCES MANAGER, LOUVRE ABU DHABI: There is something really particular about learning through the collection,

learning through the objects, and then learning inside the gallery.

Looking at an artwork. And really engaging with it. And there is something that is quite transformative in that engagement, and in that connection,

and it can really change people's minds. And it really changes the way you think, change the way you look, change the way you understand things, and

acquire new information.

ANDERSON: First stop on Majid's tour today, are three ancient masks from different civilizations. Centuries old relics, displayed together, to

emphasize shared experiences, and values common to us all.

BEDOYAN: The mask has to say something, right? So, you can think about what your mask should say.

ANDERSON: Masks that once adorned the dead, now bring history to life for a new generation.

CLAIRE FERGUSON, TEACHER, RAFFLES INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL: It is just better for them to see things in real life. We can talk about it. We can show them

pictures in books. We can ask them to research. But when they actually see it, they'll feel more connected to it. So, they'll understand and enjoy it

more. It is just a better experience all around for them.

ANDERSON: The Louvre Abu Dhabi offered around 5,000 educational activities this year. About 40 percent geared towards schools and universities.

Hosting close to 30,000 students and over a thousand school trips. Everything from workshops, guided tours, to drawing and interactive

scavenger hunts, for younger children. All designed to engage minds in art and history, through the Louvre Abu Dhabi's message of universality.

ALIA ALSHAMSI, ACADEMIC AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNITE HEAD, LOUVRE ABU DHABI: It's very interactive learning. It is not your traditional like

let's open a book.

[10:55:02] You know, let's read the text. No, we really want it to be as interactive as possible.

ANDERSON: Majid's stay at the museum ends with a souvenir. A mind filled with stories from the past. And one final look at the masks that brought

history to life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, your parting shot, is quite literally, a shot of a parting shot. Tonight, you have to see this table tennis block by 15-year-old

Norwegian tennis player, Christopher Chen, to believe it. Leading 10-4 four set. Chen fell to the ground trying to return a dropped shot. With a rush

and a prayer, shoving his paddle in the air, with a last-ditch Hail Mary, pulling off what some are calling the block of the decade. Chen actually

lost the point when his opponent returned his miracle shot.

I'm Becky Anderson. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. If you enjoyed that. Hope you enjoyed the show. Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow.

END