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Democrats Hope For Final Impeachment Vote By Christmas; Hong Kong Awaits Results Of Record-Breaking Election; Yuval Noah Harari: Humans Are Now Hackable Animals; Netanyahu Faces Mounting Pressure From Rivals To Resign; Netanyahu Charged With Bribery, Fraud, Breach Of Trust; Israel Kicks Out Human Rights Watch Official. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 24, 2019 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: All the President's Lies airs at 9:00 p.m. Eastern tonight only on CNN. Fareed Zakaria starts right now. Have a great
Thanksgiving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): The evidence is already overwhelming.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The man leading the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump says he's moving on with his
investigation and will not be stalled by the White House. After months of protest and clashes, people in Hong Kong make their voices heard at the
polls. Israel's Prime Minister faces pressure to resign and mounting legal and political problems. Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YUVAL NOAH HARARI, ISRAELI HISTORIAN: I think the most important thing to know about living in the 21st century is that humans are now hackable
animals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes, you heard that right. We as human beings are at risk of being hacked. My interview with one of the greatest thinkers of all time,
Yuval Noah Harari.
Well, all eyes -- all eyes, as I said, are on Washington, but the U.S. impeachment inquiry is entering a new phase. Congress digesting two weeks
of what is quite frankly been riveting testimony on President Donald Trump's attempts to get Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden
and whether that was tied to military aid to Kiev.
Lawmakers are back home for the Thanksgiving holiday but Democrats will begin moving forward with the next steps and a vote on impeachment could
come by Christmas. Last hour my colleague Jake Tapper asked House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff about whether the process
should continue, even if it hurts the Democrats at the polls next year. Have a listen to that exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHIFF: The public support for impeachment has grown fairly dramatically in the last two months. So whether it is now essentially at a plateau or
whether it will continue to grow or shrink, I don't think is really the question we should be asking. I think, in the first instance, we should be
asking, what's our constitutional duty here.
And if we decide our duty is to impeach, then we need to make the case of the American people and we have to hope that we will be successful in
making that case. But this shouldn't be driven by what we think helps us in 2020, or hurts us in 2020. There are no good arguments by commentators
in either direction. I don't think that's the question I should be asking myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, just a few hours ago, President Trump tweeted that polls have now turned very strongly against impeachment, especially in swing
states. 75 percent to 25 percent, he says. So a lot to hash out this morning. CNN Correspondent Kristen Holmes is at the White House, and our
Legal Analyst Carrie Cordero is in the CNN Washington bureau.
And I just want to remind our viewers where we are at. We can expect in the weeks ahead, the House Intelligence Committee writing its report.
Based on those hearings next month, the Judiciary Committee could draft articles of impeachment and the full House could take a vote by Chris
Christmas.
What did you -- what did you guys make of what we've just heard from Adam Schiff starting with you, Kristen.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are a couple of big takeaways from this interview. I think the biggest one being the fact that
Democrats essentially are not going to go to court over these subpoenas that White House officials are denying here.
So let me just backtrack. And we talked about this yesterday, particularly when it comes to former National Security Advisor, John Bolton. He has
really emerged in the last two weeks of this public trial. As a critical witness, he was in private meetings with the President on releasing aid to
Ukraine.
On top of that, he was also in big meetings with Ukrainian leaders in which he actually ended them abruptly, so a critical witness. However, he has
not been brought to testify because his lawyer says he'll only testify if a court orders him to. And essentially, Democrats said, well, they're going
to choose time over information even though those lawyers said that Bolton has information that the committee doesn't know.
So Schiff confirming this saying we're not going to go to court, we're not going to play a game of rope a dope, which was in question after we saw
this reemergence of Bolton on Twitter, where he was kind of teasing that he had all of this information.
And I want to know the second big takeaway here was that Adam Schiff was asked whether or not he would testify. We have heard from President Trump,
his allies saying that she needs to testify should this impeachment go to the Senate should there be a trial.
They say that he has critical information about the whistleblower. They accused him of really orchestrating this entire impeachment inquiry with
the whistleblower. Adam Schiff, of course, denying that. And he said, there's no reason for me to testify. I don't know anything. All I would
be saying is what I heard in these public hearings.
ANDERSON: Carrie, former National Security Advisor John Bolton returning to Twitter as we were just discussing their last week and suggesting that
the White House had blocked his access to his account of his firing. The White House says that is not the case. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOGAN GIDLEY, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: Looks like to me -- it seemed like the situation we've all been involved in, in which we just
simply forget our password because we don't have control over his account. We sure didn't block it. So now I think he's found his password and he's
tweeting again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Whether or not Adam Schiff believes that, you know, that they need to bring John Bolton in for testimony, should be American people hear
from him at this point?
CARRIE CORDERO, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I think it would be great if they could hear from him. John Bolton clearly has information that was directly with
the president. He was in the White House. And Gordon Sondland the former the current ambassador to the E.U. who testified just this week said that
everybody who was close to the President, meaning those in the White House, those in the State Department at the highest levels, were knowledgeable
about the exchange of information that these advisors to the White House were seeking.
In other words, this exchange of information where they wanted the Ukrainian government to conduct investigations, and that would be in
exchange for a White House meeting and defense aid, which of course, is the most significant issue that Congress needs to consider as a matter of
impeachment.
So John Bolton clearly has information that would be useful. But the issue really isn't his Twitter account and his access and his book deal, the
issue is whether or not he is willing to convey the information to Congress under oath, not an immediate interview, but under oath.
And so far, he seems unwilling to do that, and it's not worth the Democrats time because they are in an election year very shortly as we approach 2020
to delay these proceedings any further waiting on John Bolton.
ANDERSON: So Kristen, some of the highlights that came from last week came from Fiona Hill who worked for John Bolton on the National Security
Council. She warned Republicans to stop implying Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FIONA HILL, FORMER SENIOR DIRECTOR, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian
security services themselves. The unfortunate truth is that Russia was the foreign power that systematically attacked our democratic institutions in
2016.
This is the public conclusion of our intelligence agencies confirmed in bipartisan congressional reports. It is beyond dispute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And let's have a listen to what may have been the biggest bombshell out of these hearings. It comes from the U.S. ambassador to the
E.U., Gordon Sondland.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORDON SONDLAND, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO EUROPEAN UNION: I know that members of this committee frequently frame these complicated issues in the form of a
simple question. Was there a quid pro quo? As I testified previously with regard to the requested White House call and the White House meeting, the
answer is yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Kristen, what we know today with regard the White House legal team is that this team is not convinced the House will ultimately vote to
impeach the president. They also believe the impeachment is not in the interest of the American people. What more do we understand to be the
White House and indeed the GOP position at this point? This is Thanksgiving. The Democrats want this wrapped up by Christmas.
HOLMES: That's right. They hope to have it wrapped up by Christmas, but we'll see what happens. I mean, I do want to note here that Adam Schiff
also said that the investigation was going to continue within the Intelligence Committee after they even wrote this report and submitted that
report to the Judiciary Committee. So we just don't know what's going to happen. But yes, Democrats are hoping at least in the House, that that
vote is done of by Christmas.
And, you know, the White House itself and Republicans are still really coming up with a narrative and here's why. We know that since the
beginning, since this was announced by Nancy Pelosi that Republicans in the House have been working together, they've been trying to streamline, to
craft a message, but they didn't feel like they was any communication with the White House.
That changed once they brought on two new people, Tony Sayegh as well as Pam Bondi who were really in charge of a war room to try and come up with
this messaging. But here's the big problem. When you ask about, you know, what else does the do the lawyers think, what else do they want to do for
strategy, all of that is rendered moot the second that President Trump tweets, which is what we saw, during the last two weeks of public hearings.
As soon as President Trump tweeted, he was able to unravel an entire narrative that was being spun by the House GOP leadership as well as by the
White House. So it's very unclear how they will move ahead on this.
We do know one thing though, President Trump, despite all of this testimony, particularly that Hill testimony that you said about -- that you
showed, excuse me, about Ukraine and this narrative around the election, President Trump is continuing to talk about these conspiracy theories,
although -- I mean, even though this testimony happened.
So it's not clear that that's changing anything at least in terms of how he views these impeachment proceedings.
ANDERSON: Yes, fascinating. Carrie, finally, one figure in all of this is the President's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani who is being investigated for
his role in Ukraine. There is speculation his relationship with Mr. Trump has been strained over all of this. Let's have a listen to what he had to
say about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, LAWYER OF DONALD TRUMP: You can assume that I talked to him early and often --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
GIULIANI: -- and have a very, very good relationship with him. And all of these comments, which are totally insulting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
GIULIANI: I mean, I've seen -- I've seen things written like he's going to throw me under the bus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
GIULIANI: When they say that, I say he isn't, but I have insurance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Giuliani says he was being sarcastic, Carrie, when he said he had "insurance." And we all told he has joked about that before. So
perhaps not quite as ominous as it sounded. What's your -- what's your best guess as to what Rudy does next?
CORDERO: Well, it's very hard to protect -- to predict what Rudy Giuliani does. He often is, seems to be in the position of going on television
saying something, and then having to sort of do some cleanup duty afterwards to try to correct things that he said that may have been
particularly not in the President's interest. So a statement like that certainly would not be interpreted as being in the President's interest.
He has also made clear I think, on Twitter and in other statements that he says he was acting directly for the president, which is also a statement
that is not in the President's interest if he was, in fact, going to Ukraine and trying to seek investigations against the President's political
opponents, Joe Biden, in the next election.
So he has consistently done things that don't appear to be in the President's interest and seems to be in legal jeopardy himself, but he is
also somebody who so far has not been willing to speak under oath.
And I think that's the big distinction is that this past two weeks, there are people, both career government officials, State Department officials,
foreign service -- foreign services officers, and most significantly, Gordon Sondland who was somebody who was in the President's inner circle,
who was a large donor, $1 million to his inauguration -- campaign, somebody who could pick up the phone and call the president. And that's somebody
who was willing to come and speak under oath.
ANDERSON: Yes, fascinating. To both of you, thank you so much. Your analysis and insight are so important as we continue to cover what is an
extremely important story. Thank you. Now to another name in the crowded presidential field for 2020, we're less than a year out of course from that
election, and billionaire and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is just now officially entered the Democratic race.
It has been obvious for a while that he -- that was his plan. And he has spent millions on ads over the next two weeks like this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He could have just been the middle class can you make good. Mike Bloomberg became the guy who did good. And now he's taking him
to rebuild the country and restore faith in the dream that defines us where the wealthy will pay more in taxes and the middle class get their fair
share.
And on all those things, Mike Bloomberg intends to make good, jobs creator, leader, problem-solver. Mike Bloomberg for president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I'm leaving on for you. In Hong Kong, awaiting results of a record-breaking local election voting for district councils wrapped up
about 14 minutes ago. Calls for full democracy remains strong after six months of protests and unrest, of course, as of the last count, 2.8 million
people voted. That beats the record set in 2015. But get this, nearly a million and a half voters, that is extremely significant.
Joining me now our International Security Editor at Nick Paton Walsh. This election is seen as a referendum for the city's chief executive, Carrie
Lam, who is of course backed by Beijing. As I -- as I pointed out, those turnout numbers are significantly higher than they were last time around.
Surprised?
[10:15:40]
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: We're looking probably over 20 percent higher likely than the last time -- the last count
about half an hour before polls closed. It was edging towards 70 percent. Likely it will breach that in front of this polling station. They've got
about 64 percent or so.
If you just look around me here, extraordinary scene that even here 11:00 at night, there are ordinary Hong Kong who was waiting to get into this
polling station to be able to get in and watch the process of counting the votes. That's how high the stakes are here in terms of people wanting
transparency.
But you have to remember, Becky, this is not an election in itself that's going to radically change Hong Kong overnight. You're right to point out
that it's a referendum, frankly, on the future whether these protests had the entire backing of the people here that have wreaked havoc, frankly,
across city over the past months and put the economy into recession. The broad question is whether or not either side will be satisfied with the
result they get.
Now, experts say that a turnout of this height normally suggest the-pro democracy forces may be happier with the result. But often if those votes
allocated for certain seats, it may not suddenly result in a change in the number of pro-democracy is allocated on these councils.
And remember too, these council seats are about local matters. They have a small impact possibly on the next executive of Hong Kong, which will be in
2022 if Carrie Lam stays in the job, but this in itself as a vote won't suddenly change the course of Hong Kong overnight.
But it has strangely resulted in days of peace and calm here, a weekend frankly that hasn't been seen in a matter of months in which there has been
no tear gas deployed on the streets here. We spoke to ourselves to one man, a protester who his injuries sparked a lot of the violence of the past
ten days or so. Here's his history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH: These wounds were felt across Hong Kong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the most pain area.
WALSH: Patrick Chow is one of a handful of protesters to be shot by police in this unrest, yet his injuries swamp the last ten days of extreme
violence. A student aged 21, Chow's voice is husky from the hospital breathing (INAUDIBLE).
So you're missing a kidney?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm missing a kidney.
WALSH: Chow is out on bail, faces possible court charges and is legally advised to not discuss how he came to be here. In this graphic video that
captures the shooting, Chow is in black.
What did you think when you saw the pistol?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's ridiculous. We've done nothing and he take out his gun and pointed -- not point at me, pointed at a white guy, the white
jacket guy. And I said hey, why you point at him? He done nothing, and we done nothing. He point at me and bang. And I fell, and sit on the ground.
WALSH: His father sits behind in support.
Are you proud of what he did?
The police officer has gone on leave but been identified online by protesters, his children threatened. Police have said the officer had
feared his gun will be snatched.
What would you say to that policeman who shot you if you saw him again?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did you shoot people with no weapon?
WALSH: Would you forgive him if he said to you that he was scared?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. never forgive. He took my kidney.
WALSH: Do you worry that the hate is here to stay now in Hong Kong?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hate has become more bigger in Hong Kong now, but because of the government and the police. Police is ignoring human right.
It makes hate become bigger and bigger. This generation has been chosen so we have to keep fighting for our demands until we get what we want.
WALSH: Demands and violence that daily slide further and further away from compromise.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[10:20:10]
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Still to come this evening here on CONNECT THE WORLD.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARARI: Never underestimate human stupidity. It's one of the most powerful forces in history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: There is a good chance his thoughts sit on your bookshelf, one of the greatest minds of all time. Yuval Noah Harari up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Buildings charred, ashes marking the anger of people against power. You're looking at the aftermath of nationwide protests in Iran
triggered by a hike in petrol prices. Internet access is now being restored after a week-long shutdown, a bid by the government to stop the
flow of information.
Well, if we think it's bad now, it could get a whole load worse. That is according to my next guest intellectuals superstar. Yuval Noah Harari,
famed for penning Sapiens and Homo Deus. His most recent book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, paints a dystopian picture of the future where
governments can not only control our actions, but also our emotions.
So how does he find calm in this seeming brewing storm meditation two hours a day, in fact? With that in mind, there seems well no better way to
discuss the future of humanity than by rolling out our yoga mats. Here is part one of our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARARI: All of us are flooded by enormous amounts of information and destruction. I mean, this is the most destructive age in history. And to
really understand the world all your life, you need some decent quiet, you mean you need some sanctuary from this enormous flood. And for me,
meditation provides the sanctuary.
Sometimes people try to meditate to have some unique experience of bliss or of peacefulness or whatever. That's not the point. The point is to
understand your normal self, who you really are, what are your mental weaknesses, how you are when you're bored, or when you're angry, or when
you're fearful.
If you get to know that, that's much more important than having, I don't know, an hour of some special experience. I think without this practice of
meditation, I would not be able to write my books, or to try and understand what's happening in the world.
[10:25:21]
ANDERSON: So what do you understand is happening in the world?
HARARI: we are facing enormous challenges, unprecedented challenges. And when you try to look beyond the constant news cycle of every day, I think
three major threats present themselves is major threats to human civilization itself. And these are nuclear war and ecological collapse and
technological disruption.
I think the most important thing to know about living in the 21st century is that humans are now hackable animals. To hack human being means to
understand that human better than he or she understand themselves, which was never possible in history before on a massive scale.
I mean, on an individual level, yes. My mother, at least until a certain age knew me better than I knew myself. And that was good, because her
interests were aligned with mine. And then, after a certain age, it's not so good if your mother still is knows you better than you know yourself.
But it's much, much worse if there is a corporation or a government rather than a parent that knows you better than you know yourself.
ANDERSON: Does it have to be worse?
HARARI: Again, it could be used for good purpose. I'm not saying let's talk all technological progress. But if it falls into the hands of a 21st
century Stalin, the result is the worst authoritarian regime in history. And we already have a number of applicants for the job of 21st Century
Stalin, so we need to be very, very careful about it.
What I meant is that homo sapiens is now acquiring technologies that can either destroy us or upgrade us, but will not leave us as we are.
Authority will gradually shift from us to these cooperate or government algorithms that will increasingly decides almost everything about our life.
You apply to the bank to get a loan. It's an algorithm that decides. You apply to get a job, it's an algorithm, even questions like what to study or
who to marry will increasingly be decided by these algorithms. To stay in the game, you need to get to know yourself better, also in order to protect
yourself against being manipulated by these external forces.
ANDERSON: What do you say to those who say none of this is new, I heard it all before, you're sensationalizing what is going on at present, not
interested. To which you say what?
HARARI: Yes, some things are old, but you now have the biology to understand not only what I say and who I meet, but actually how I feel and
what I think. So think 10, 20 years in the future in North Korea or someplace like that, every citizen has a biometric bracelet on the hand,
and they follow not just where you go, but how you feel.
If there is if big speech by the big leader on the radio, everybody must listen. You can smile and you can clap your hands, but they know that
you're actually angry. This is the kind of power that nobody in history ever had. It's far beyond even George Orwell's 1984.
And this is not science fiction. It's not 1,000 years in the future. Some regimes are already I think to build these total surveillance systems, even
now. We have 10, 20 years to do something about it. If we take the wrong decisions, maybe there is no way back.
Once you establish a kind of digital dictatorship that has this kind of knowledge of everybody, there is absolutely no way to destroy the system
from within.
ANDERSON: It seems at the end of this new global order, how important is that, that there is that disconnect?
HARARI: That's really dangerous because if we get into an arms race situation with A.I., with genetics with biotechnology, it almost guarantees
the worst outcome. Because no matter what dystopian scenario we think about, no matter what dangerous technological development you think about,
in a -- in an arms race situation, the thinking will be, hey, we don't want to do it but the Chinese are doing it or the Iranians are doing it, or the
Israelis of doing it, and we can't be left behind. So even though it's dangerous, we'll do it first.
[10:30:09]
And the other guys will says the same thing. And if we get into this arms race mentality, then, it doesn't measure who is the arms race -- the loser
will be humanity.
ANDERSON: Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of humanity as we understand it today?
HARARI: I try to be a realest. I mean, I would say that humanity for humans, now, the situation is better than in any previous time in history.
Second, the situation is still quite bent. And third, the situation, it can be become much, much worse.
Whether you call this optimism or pessimism, that's really up to you. And I say sorry and I can say that we should never underestimate human
stupidity. It's one of the most powerful forces in history.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Plenty to ponder. But let me tell you, a lot more to come. At part two of our conversation, Mr. Harari reflects on what he calls the
useless class. A fate that many of us could face. That is next hour. First up, though.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL (through translator): The time has come to investigate the investigators.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Israel's prime minister pressured to resign. What his rivals are saying about the charges that he faces?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:34:54]
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing mounting pressure from his
political rivals to step aside. And it's not only about the bribery fraud and breach of trust charges that were unveil last week. Mr. Netanyahu's
main rival within his own Likud Party, Gideon Sa'ar making it clear that he wants to see an immediate leadership election within the party.
Well, CNN Correspondent, Paula Newton joins me live from Jerusalem. Is there any evidence at all at this stage that Mr. Netanyahu is preparing to
resign?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely not. He is defiant and says he won't. But more than that, Becky, there does not seem
to be the push from was within his own party in order to force him to do that.
At issue here is as you said, Mr. Sa'ar who decided to be the first one to come out and say look, this might be a political process -- a political
problem not a legal one, nonetheless, let Mr. Netanyahu step down and let - - let's have a primary. Let's see who should leave and lead Likud.
But he is not getting the kind of support that he needs within his own party in order to make that happen. And under those circumstances, the
prime minister here does not believe that he's under any pressure to resign, either as leader of his party or as prime minister.
In fact, he's doing the opposite not only is the echoing, of course, the words of Donald Trump in terms of calling this politically motivated,
saying it's an attempted coup, but he's also borrowing from the strategy.
We expect next week rallies in support of Benjamin Netanyahu, not just to prove that he has support at the country at large, but even more so perhaps
to prove to those within his own party that he is not going without his fight, and he is not about to relinquish control.
Many Israelis perplexed about this, wondering where it takes them next. Most people agree politics here remains a mess right now. And one thing is
for sure, Becky, you know as well as I do, everything that happens now will be precedent-setting and it will be historic.
ANDERSON: Yes. I mean, you, you, you point out that there doesn't seem to be enough momentum within his own party to unseat him. Blue and White's
Benny Gantz repeating his calls for Mr. Netanyahu to indeed resign, and he says he's ready to lead a unity government with Likud, while he says Mr.
Netanyahu could deal with his legal affairs.
And let's remind our viewers, Paula, you know, what the out -- what are the outcomes here? The likely outcome should he not resign and should he not
be unseated? Is that there will be no unity government and Israel is headed for a third election, correct?
NEWTON: 18 days and counting for Parliament to come up on its third attempt. With as you say, some kind of unity government, if that doesn't
happen? Yes, again, as I said, historic third elections likely in March of next year.
Here's the problem though, Becky. The real problem is that Israelis remain divided. It doesn't seem now from the polls that they would have any
different outcome early next year for elections and they had in the other one. What does that mean? Political stalemate.
Which is why Benny Gantz, as you point out, is saying look, let's try and make a deal here so we can put a government together. Now, without going
to the polls.
ANDERSON: Yes, fascinating. Paula, thank you for that. So, what are the charges exactly and how do we get here?
CNN's Oren Liebermann explains what is behind the prime minister's indictment?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Benjamin Netanyahu suffered his biggest blow as prime minister, this one not political, but legal. The
first sitting prime minister to face criminal indictment in Israel's history. Netanyahu was defiant.
NETANYAHU: This evening we are witnessing a governmental coup attempt against a prime minister by false libel and with a tenacious and
contaminated investigation process.
LIEBERMANN: The 70-year-old leader has spent years fighting against this very moment proclaiming his innocence. Ever since the criminal
investigations were made public nearly three years ago, Netanyahu has railed against them. A media fueled witch-hunt, he said. An attempt to
topple him through the justice system when they couldn't beat him at the polls.
NETANYAHU: The time has come to investigate the investigators. It is time to investigate the prosecution that approves these contaminated
investigations.
LIEBERMANN: Israel's longest-serving prime minister faces charges in three cases. In Case 4000, prosecutors say Netanyahu advanced regulatory
benefits for his friend, the multi-millionaire businessman. Those benefits were worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In exchange, prosecutors say
Netanyahu received favorable news coverage from a news site owned by that businessman.
In this case, Netanyahu faces the more serious charge of bribery, as well as, the charge of fraud and breach of trust. In Case 2000, prosecutors say
Netanyahu was working on an arrangement with the owner of one of Israel's largest papers, Yedioth Ahronoth.
Netanyahu sought more favorable news coverage in exchange for limiting the circulation of the paper's rival. Netanyahu faces the charge of fraud and
breach of trust in this case.
[10:40:07]
LIEBERMANN: Finally, in Case 1000, prosecutors say Netanyahu received valuable gifts such as cigars and champagne from overseas businessman.
Gifts, they say a public servant shouldn't have received. Here, Netanyahu also faces the charge of fraud and breach of trust.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, called it a very sad day for Israel, but rejected any idea this was a political decision against the prime
minister.
AVICHAI MANDELBLIT, ATTORNEY GENERAL OR ISRAEL (through translator): This is not an issue of right or left. It's not a matter of politics. This is
a duty that everyone has to obey. This is my duty towards the public that everyone will live in a state where any accusation of illegality is going
to be checked and investigated.
LIEBERMANN: Netanyahu's rival, former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, called on him to step down. He said of Netanyahu, "He is well aware that
the grave and complex challenges facing the State of Israel, both in terms of security and in the society and economic arenas, require a prime
minister able to invest his full time, energy, and attention.
Netanyahu failed to form a government twice. First, after April's elections, and then, again, after September's elections.
For months now, Israel has been stuck in political deadlock. That deadlock now protects Netanyahu. As long as no one can form a government, he
remains prime minister.
Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, Israel tells a director from a prominent NGO, it is time to leave. In just a few minutes, Omar Shakir, joins us live here on
CONNECT THE WORLD to tell us his side of the story. That is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tomorrow, the top humans rights watch official for Israel and the Palestinian territories will leave the region kicked out. Just weeks
ago, Israel's Supreme Court upholding the refused to renew Omar Shakir's work visa. At issue, past statements by Shakir, supporting the Boycott
Divestment and Sanctions of BDS movement.
Shakir is a U.S. citizen and under Israeli law, foreign citizens who advocate boycotts of the country can be barred from entry. Shakir and his
supporters say this has a chilling effect on free speech in Israel.
And now, Omar Shakir, joins us from our Jerusalem bureau. Are you surprised, sir that it has come to this?
OMAR SHAKIR, DIRECTOR, ISRAEL AND PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Look, the Israeli government has been escalating an assault on
basic human rights advocacy. This decision shouldn't be seen in isolation. It should be seen in the context of the denials of entry to many other
advocates.
[10:45:07]
SHAKIR: The sustained efforts to malign Israeli and Palestine rights defenders and the issuance of travel bans, arrests of Palestinian rights
defenders. This is not about BDS, this is about an effort to muzzle mainstream human rights advocacy.
ANDERSON: OK, let's have a look at what the Jerusalem district court said when it ruled against you earlier this year. Saying, basically, that you
failed to prove that you have abandoned your push for a boycott of Israel and that you have continued to publicly advocate for one.
What is your response to that specific charge as it were?
SHAKIR: Look, neither Human Rights Watch nor eyes, its representative have ever called for boycotts of Israel and do not have to take my word for it.
The Israeli government acknowledged as much in May of 2018 when they ordered my deportation. Rather, Human Rights Watch through decades of
research has found that businesses that operate in illegal settlements are contributing the rights abuse. And we've called on those businesses to
refrain from those activities.
But both the government and the Supreme Court have upheld a ruling that basically says that, that form of mainstream basic human rights advocacy is
not only a boycott call or it's rounds for denial of entry and deportation in the region self-proclaimed only democracy.
ANDERSON: Well, I just want to continue on this thread because we've been getting responses from Israel on this. And the strategic affairs minister
who praised the Supreme Court's decision to uphold this ruling. Gilad Erdan, says in part, Omar. "Omar Shakir is a BDS activist who took
advantage of his stay in Israel to harm it, something no sane country would allow." We should also note, he says Human Rights Watch is welcome to
appoint a new representative in your place. Again, your response.
SHAKIR: Look, first of all, this effort began several years ago when the Israeli government denied Human Rights Watch, permission to hire a foreign
employee on an entirely different basis.
When that effort failed, they opened a new front in attacking me for claims of past support. But even by the Israeli government's own logic, the anti-
boycott law is meant to prevent future harm to the state. And in that relation in court, the government directly said Human Rights Watch's work
itself, is a call for boycott.
They have basically taken a form of mainstream human rights advocacy and made it a red line. Saying that free expression Israel today no longer
includes this form of advocacy. And the question the world really needs to ask themselves as if Israel's deporting somebody, documenting rights abuse,
what are they trying to hide? What is the rights abuse that's taking place that they don't want the world to know about?
A country that claims to be democratic is deporting a human rights defender from an internationally recognized organization for doing his job.
ANDERSON: Omar, you shared a letter from 17 U.S. lawmakers calling on the Israeli prime minister to reverse this decision against you. Did you have
any confidence that this letter of congressional support as it were would have any positive consequence?
SHAKIR: Look, the world has spoken out clearly. They see this for what it is. It's an attack on the human rights movement. There have been
statements by the U.N. secretary general, the European Union, by U.S. Congress people.
But, you know, in the increasingly a Bolden Israeli government intends to deport me tomorrow. And I think it speaks to which this Israeli government
which has not really faced serious consequences from the international community for a half-century of occupation that's literally defined by
institutional discrimination and systemic rights abuse.
So long as the Israeli government continue can continue with impunity down this line of roads, it shouldn't be any sort of surprise the further and
further they go to kick out and banish those that dares speak out against these abuses.
ANDERSON: You are a U.S. citizen. We haven't has to be said had much publicly from U.S. officials about your case. Earlier this year, a
spokesman told The Washington Post that the State Department was "aware of the case" and valued "freedom of expression".
What have you yourself heard from American officials if anything?
SHAKIR: Look, I mean, look, the U.S. Embassy has attended every hearing in my case. We met with the U.S. Embassy this morning. They have expressed
concern, they've talked about their belief in free speech principles. But it's disappointing that they've joined the Netanyahu government and not
feeling to speak out about really what's at stake here.
[10:50:00]
SHAKIR: And I think it speaks to the extent to which the Trump administration has green-lighted, not only Israeli human rights abuses, but
now its crackdown on human rights advocacy.
Human Rights Watch is a group that the U.S. human rights report has sighted more than 2,000 times in its annual report. But yet, this administration
isn't even willing to criticize the Israeli government for deporting me. So, you can imagine the kind of green light it's being given for illegal
settlements and the human rights abuses Palestinian face every day.
ANDERSON: Well, at the heart of the BDS campaign, Israel settlements in the west bank and just last week, the U.S. dropped its position that those
settlements are inconsistent with international law.
Do you go on fighting in justice or injustices now outside of Israel and the Palestinian territories?
SHAKIR: Look, I used to cover Egypt for Human Rights Watch. I was kicked out to Egypt, I've been kicked out of Syria, I've been denied entry to
Bahrain. Human Rights Watch works in a hundred countries around the world. All we've been doing in Israel and Palestine is applying the exact same
standards we do everywhere else in the world. And the Israel he government wants us to apply a different standard to them.
We won't. We'll continue to do the work. I'm going to stay on as Israel and Palestinian director at Human Rights Watch. We won't let Israel or any
government have a veto over the work we do or who we hire.
And it's incredibly important that the message be sent to whether it's Israel, Russia, Turkey, or on whatever the country is, you cannot hide your
human rights abuse simply by expelling us. Israel has joined the ranks of countries that Venezuela, Egypt, North Korea that have tried to do so but
they all failed. It will fail. We will continue doing our work.
ANDERSON: Omar Shakir from our Jerusalem bureau. Thank you, sir.
SHAKIR: Thank you.
ANDERSON: U.S. impeachment hearings have had some wild moments, haven't they? On "Saturday Night Live", well, the cast having quite a good time
making fun of them. We'll going to give you a taste of the latest after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, our top story this hour is, of course, he have a growing momentum behind the impeachment proceedings against the American president.
This is dramatic, it is intriguing, it's worrying. But to "Saturday Night Live", it is well, just straight up funny.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEC BALDWIN, CAST MEMBER, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: I don't even know this Ambassador Sondland guy. That's fake news.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But he's donated a million dollars to your inauguration.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you appointed him to the E.U.
BALDWIN: Well, I know him, but I don't know him, know him. I never let met him in person. Look, I'd love to explain but this battery on this shop
is going to die very, very soon.
BALDWIN: We're going to holding everybody up, OK?
WILL FERRELL, PLAYS GORDON SONDLAND, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: No. When I was doing a horn for you?
BALDWIN: Oh, it's you, Ambassador Sondland. It's you, you going a horse with me?
FERRELL: Yes, yes, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Trump, Mr. Trump, can you elaborate on your comments yesterday on "Fox and Friends" where you said Adam Schiff was the
whistle blower.
BALDWIN: No, no, no, I never said he was the whistle blower, OK. It's so great to finally meet you for the first time, by the way.
[10:55:04]
FERRELL: Oh, right, right, right, right. Keep the quid pro quo on the low, low.
BALDWIN: Got it. And I just was leaving right now.
FERRELL: Hang on, I just want to go on the record and say you guys need to lay off my boy. Everybody loves his ass.
BALDWIN: Thank you.
FERRELL: Ukraine, Russia --
BALDWIN: That's enough -- that's enough.
FERRELL: They'll do anything for this man. I know, I asked.
BALDWIN: All right. I got to go. In conclusion, no quid pro quo.
FERRELL: Oh there definitely was.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: "Saturday Night Live" having a poke at the president and the impeachment inquiry.
Just before we go, let's just squeeze this in for you. Jenny Doan, hula hooped for 100 hours this week -- 100 hours this week, crushing a world
record. Her marathon attempt still has to be verified by Guinness World Records.
But once that is done, she will have officially demolished the current record of 74 hours and 54 minutes. Doan use the goal to raise $4,000 for
the Mental Health America charity.
Well I know, well, I'll be practicing after the show, but that's not for another hour, because we going to be right back after this with the second
hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. We are a two-hour show. We'll be back right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:00:06]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was there a quid pro quo?
SONDLAND: The answer is yes.
END
