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Connect the World
How Kamala Harris' Indian Roots Shaped Her Political Views; Kamala Harris' Background Could Boost Biden's Image Internationally; Deal Will Stop Israeli Further Annexation Of Palestinian Territory; Israel Also Agreed To Pause Annexation Plans In The West Bank; President Donald Trump: Israel, UAE Reach Historic Peace Deal; Spain Tops Europe In Number Of New Cases. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 13, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody, this is "Connect the World." The United States' newest political pair is taking aim at President Donald
Trump and telling the world they are ready for the battle ahead. Democrat Joe Biden and his new running mate Kamala Harris made their debut on stage
Wednesday in Biden's home state of Delaware you see picture of them there both wearing face masks.
The pair came out swinging against Mr. Trump, slamming his leadership and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her first speech as Biden's Vice-
Presidential pick, Harris summed up the current state of the country with seven words "It didn't have to be this way".
Biden and Harris are scheduled to meet with health experts for a briefing on Coronavirus later today. The duo has vowed to lead the U.S. out of this
pandemic, something they say Donald Trump just hasn't done. CNN's Arlette Saenz has our story.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris making their debut as runs mates, immediately taking aim at President Trump and his
handling of the Coronavirus pandemic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): But there's a reason it has hit America worse than any other advanced nation. It's because of Trump's failure to take it
seriously from the start. This is what happens when we elect a guy who just isn't up for the job. Our country ends up in tatters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Once fierce rivals on the debate stage, presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Biden and Harris are now working together towards one
common goal defeating President Trump in November.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: America is crying out for leadership. Yes, we have a president who cares more about himself than the people who elected him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: From the White House, the president wasting no time launching his own attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I watched her poll numbers go boom, boom, boom down to almost nothing. She left angry, she left mad.
There was nobody more insulting to Biden than she was. She said horrible things about him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Earlier Biden already defending his Vice-Presidential pick from Trump's insults.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Donald Trump has already started his attacks, calling Kamala "Nasty". Is there any surprise
that Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: The duo giving voters their first glance of the newly announced ticket.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Kamala, as you all know, is smart. She's tough. She's experienced. She's a proven fighter for the backbone of this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Biden also noting the importance of standing beside the first woman of color Vice Presidential nominee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: All across the nation little girls woke up, especially little black and brown girls, who so often feel overlooked and undervalued in their
communities, but today, today just maybe they're seeing themselves for the first time in a new way, as the stuff of president and vice presidents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Before leaving the socially distanced event, Harris sending this message to the young girls of color, watching her make history.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Believe in the future of our country and this next President of the United States. Anything is possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, that was Arlette Saenz reporting for us. Harris also talked about being the child of immigrants, immigration being of course a huge
frontline issue during the Trump Presidency and she talked about how she was raised by her mother after her parents divorced.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: They came from opposite sides of the world to arrive in America, one from India and the other from Jamaica, in search of a world-class
education. But what brought them together was the civil rights movement of the 1960s. That's how they met, as students in the streets of Oakland
marching and shouting for this thing called justice, in a struggle that continues today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, for our viewers in India in particular, this is a very important development, because Kamala Harris is a daughter, as she
mentioned of a Jamaican-born father and Indian-born mother.
[11:05:00]
GORANI: It's her mother's side of the family that's shaped her; she's said over the years especially her political views. CNN's Vedika Sud reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: My mother, who raised me and my sister, was a proud woman. She was a brown woman. She was a woman with a heavy accent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VEDIKA SUD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And her mother Shyamala Gopalan was also the biggest influence in Kamala Harris' life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The answer is absolutely yes, Joe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: After the big announcement Harris' sister wrote in a Twitter post, you can't know who Kamala Harris is without knowing who our mother was. In
1958, a precocious 19-year-old Indian, Gopalan traveled thousands of miles from her home and family to pursue a doctorate in nutrition and
endocrinology in America. She soon became an active civil rights crusader while studying at UC Berkeley.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. GOPALAN BALACHANDRAN, KAMALA HARRIS' UNCLE: But once you end there she almost felt free and she took part in policy, she used to getting hold
series of literature leftist literature from - he was a great philosopher.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: In her book Harris says there is no title or honor on earth I'll treasure more than to say I'm Shyamala Gopalan Harris' daughter. Harris'
visit to India with her mother kept her connected to her routs. Her grandfather who had strong views on humanitarian issues worked closely with
officials to reallocate refugees. The conversations had a strong influence on her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Those walks along the beach in India really planted something in my mind and created a commitment in me before I even realized it. It has led
me to where I am today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: Harris' maternal uncle Gopalan Balachandran, who lives in Delhi, tells us how the senator turns to "Amma" which means mother in Tamil for guidance
even after her death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. BALACHANDRAN: I don't have to tell her basically her mother taught. She was already telling me everything that I do; I ask myself would "Amma"
approve of this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: Kamala in Hindu means lotus flower and is an important symbol in Indian culture, routed deep in the bottom of the river, very similar to
Harris' Indian identity which she wears on her sleeve. Vedika Sud, CNN, New Delhi.
GORANI: Yes, you really, really get the sense how much she revered and admired her mother and how much her mother shaped her world view? Kamala
Harris's diverse background could boost Joe Biden's image internationally if Biden becomes president.
During their appearance together yesterday, Harris touched on what almost every Trump critic perceives as the damaged U.S. standing in the world
under the Trump Administration and how to repair it. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: We are going to bring our country closer to realizing its great promise, but to do it we'll need to work, organize and vote like never
before, because we need more than a victory on November 3rd. We need a mandate that proves that the past few years do not represent who we are or
who we had aspired to be?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right, I want to bring in Josh Rogin; he is a CNN Political Analyst and Foreign Policy Correspondent for "The Washington Post." So,
people watching us around the world, Josh, they will wonder, if Biden is elected and Kamala Harris becomes Vice President of the United States, how
will America's foreign policy change?
JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Sure. Well, I think the most important thing that we can say is that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have a very
similar view on foreign policy and national security. It's more of a center-left view, more of a traditional democrat view than some of the
other people he might have chosen, including Elizabeth Warren, who hails from a more progressive more leftist kind of international stance.
Some people would call her a Truman Democrat. In other words, she believes in the liberal order and in alliances and NATO, and all of that stuff that
America has built along with its partners and allies. That feeds into the campaign's attack on President Trump for undermining all of those
institutions.
When she became a senator, Senator Harris, was on the Intelligence Committee and Judiciary Committee, and the Homeland Security Committee.
There she got very heavily involved in the Russia investigation. So she's an expert on election interference.
She doesn't like Russia. She is all for deterrence that kind of repositions in a unified way of potential Biden/Harris administration back to where we
were before Trump got elected. It's not a departure. It's not a new kind of Democratic Administration. It's essential a return to the Clinton, Obama
model of a U.S. that leads and also integrates with allies and partners.
[11:10:00]
GORANI: So, it's very much a democratic establishment world view, unlike some of the more progressive members of the Democratic Party like Bernie
Sanders, for instance or others who have been newly elected to the House of Representatives.
Let's take it region by region. You mentioned the Russian investigation that she was heavily involved in that. How might a Biden/Harris
Administration deal with Putin and Russia differently, if they're elected?
ROGIN: Well, there's just no doubt that, you know, a key part of their campaign and what they're promising to do in government is to reverse
Trump's attempt to warm relations with Vladimir Putin and to reinforce the NATO alliance and then to double down on the alliances with the European
partners. That means a bunch of things.
It means they're probably going to reverse Trump's decision to withdraw 10,000 U.S. troops from Germany. It means they're probably going to pursue
an extension of the arms control agreement in order to keep that deterrence in place and then they're going to focus on election interference and
really go after the sort of ways that Russia and also China and other countries interfere in our politics.
That's something that she's been personally fighting. It portends a cool period in U.S./Russia relations, but I just think that's the way that
Washington is trending anyway, no matter who succeeding Trump. Of course, if Trump wins, we'll have the opposite effect.
GORANI: Sure. Let's take a detour by China before we get to the Middle East. This is what Kamala Harris has said about the U.S.'s relationship
with China during the primary race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Part of the failure of this administration on foreign policy as a general matter is that this president and his administration have failed to
understand that we are stronger when we work with our allies on every issue, China included.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: China is an ally?
HARRIS: No, meaning working with our allies to address China in terms of the threat that it presents to our economy, the threat it presents to
American workers and American industries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right. So there this is underlining what you have said about Kamala Harris' world view, being one of global cooperation.
ROGIN: Right, but the China issue is very specific. The Trump Administration has taken such a hawkish position on China, that it's
expected that Biden Administration if he wins, will dial some of that back and they have to figure out a way to do that.
If you listen to what Senator Harris has said, she's talked a lot about human rights; she has talked a lot about the Uighurs and supporting Hong
Kong. She likes democracy and freedom and free markets and all of that stuff. You can also hear in that clip that you just change of tone.
She's not attacking China. She's not focusing on China she is focusing on us and our alliances and our resilience and out strategy and I think that's
a shift in tone that you're going to see if Biden and Harris come into power.
GORANI: Now, a quick one on the Middle East and specifically Israel, because she's really not on the same page as Democrats like Bernie Sanders
on settlements. Presumably she would support rejoining the Iran deal, but hasn't been critical of Netanyahu on settlements, only on annexation. So
again, this is the mainstream position of the Democratic Party.
ROGIN: Yes, it's true that Senator Harris has made a deliberate decision to stand with American groups like APAC, who have supported a bipartisan
policy of U.S./Israel alliance building. She's not a huge fan of Netanyahu, but she is a big fan of supporting Israel.
That's a political calculation and also part of her history and part of her relationship to her husband, who is also a supporter of Israel and happens
to be Jewish. She traveled to the Middle East and she traveled to the war zones. She is not militaristic, but she does believe that troops should
only be withdrawn on a conditions basis in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
She's been outspoken about Syria, she visited refugee camps in Turkey, so in her short time as a senator she's really educated herself about the
Middle East. It's not her main focus. I think it fits her pattern of promoting a U.S. foreign policy that we would call sort of muscular
liberalism, values as strength.
Again, that's sort of where we were in, let's say, 1992 to 2015. Whether we can go back there remains to be seen, but that's what they're going to try.
GORANI: All right, Josh Rogin, always a pleasure. Thanks very much. One of the top U.S. health officials is issuing a dire warning - oops, that was a
bit of a graphic there that I forgot was coming.
[11:15:00]
GORANI: A dire warning about the Coronavirus pandemic. Now, following the recommended prevention methods follow or risk having the worst fall season
in public health history. That is the dire warning. That of the CDC Dr. Redfield made the comments in an interview with Web Md. He also urged the
country to not repeat the mistakes of the past.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ROBERT REDFIELD, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: Four, five decades of investment, when the big one came, and this is not a
minor one, this is the greatest public health crisis that hit the nation in a century, that we were under-prepared. We need to owe it to our children
and grandchildren that this nation is never under-prepared again for a public health crisis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, speaking of children, the American President Donald Trump says he wants schools open and he's promising 125 million masks for school
districts around the United States. This is the White House releases hygiene tips for schools, but no specifics on what to do in the case of an
outbreak?
So far more than 2,000 students, teachers and staff have been placed under quarantine in the districts that have reopened. Here is why a plan is in
fact needed Wednesday was the 17th consecutive day that the seven-day average of daily deaths was over 1,000 and these numbers are jaw dropping
it takes every day an extra 1,000 or 1500.
The U.S. remains the country with the most Coronavirus cases now more than 5 million. Donald Trump is making an announcement in the Oval Office. Let's
listen in.
TRUMP: I can expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates lead and I want to thank them for being. It's not surprising,
knowing Mohammed so well, it is not surprising that they're in that lead position and normalize relations with Israel. We are already discussing
this with other nations, very powerful, very good nations, and people that want to see peace in the Middle East.
So you will probably see others of these, but this is the first one in more than 25 years. This year will allow much greater access to Muslims from
throughout the world to visit the many historic sites in Israel, which the Muslims want to see very badly and have wanted to see for many, many
decades, and to peacefully pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is a very special place for them.
My first trip as president was to Saudi Arabia in May of 2017. My speech to the assembled leaders of 54 Muslim countries, every single one was there by
their number one leader. It was an amazing, really incredible event. I made clear that the problems of the Middle East can only be solved when people
of all faiths come together to fight Islamic extremism and pursue economic opportunities for people of all faiths.
When you look at what's happening, you're seeing a lot of progress is being made that nobody thought could possibly be made. Things are happening that
I can't talk about, but they're extremely positive. I want to thank leaders of Israel and the UAE for their courage and for their leadership to forge
this tremendous agreement.
It would be known as the Abraham Accord. I would like our Ambassador David Freidman to please explain why we're calling it the Abraham Accord. David?
DAVID FRIEDMAN, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL: Thank you Mr. President, and congratulations to you on brokering this historic peace agreement. Abraham,
as many of you know, was the father of all three great faiths.
He's referred to as Abraham in the Christian faith and Ibrahim in the Muslim faith and Abraham in the Jewish faith, nobody it symbolizes the
potential for unity among all these three great faiths than Abraham and that's why this accord has been given that name.
TRUMP: It's a great thing. I wanted it to be called the Donald J. Trump Accord, but I didn't think the press would understand that and I didn't do
that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. President. It's been the honor of my life to work in your administration.
[11:20:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this reaffirms your commitment to Israel, to the stability in the region. It's just an historic accomplishment and it is
peace. Peace is a beautiful thing. It's something that everybody in the country should celebrate, I hope. I'm just so honored to serve in your
administration.
TRUMP: Well, you have done a great job. Jared has done a fantastic job. People don't really understand the things that he's able to do. He's done a
fantastic job on this. You and your team - nobody else could have done it. I don't think anybody else could have done it. Jared, say a few words,
please.
JARED KUSHNER, SENIOR ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to say that I want to thank the president for his leadership
on this historic peace effort. The president, like with all things, urged us to take an untraditional approach.
You can't solve problems that have gone unsolved by doing it the same way that people before you have tried and failed. The president takes
untraditional approaches, he does things in different ways, but uses common sense and he tries to unite people by focusing on common interests, as
opposed to allowing them to focus on common grievances.
What happened was here is we were able to achieve results that others were not able to achieve. This would advance the region, and this will advance
the whole world. I would like to say to the people of the region Muslims, Jews and Christians that this does give hope that the problems of the past
do not condemn you to a future with conflict.
There is a lot of hope and a lot of potential and this will benefit you and this will also benefit people here in America, because in America we used
to have a big dependency on the Middle East for gas and for oil. Thanks to your leadership America is now energy independent.
We no longer have that, but a lot of American soldiers have fought for securing our allies in that region and making more peace there. Lessons are
need - and lessons are needed to have as many as conflicts in that region.
Obviously radical extremism which we see as a cancer that has affected so many areas in the world, a lot of extremists have used these conflicts to
recruit people and to say that the mosque is under attack and that Muslims don't have access to the mosque. And now this enables people to take
flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi directly to Tel Aviv.
Muslims will be welcome in Israel and this will create better interfaith exchange. So, this is a tremendous step forward for peace in the world, for
America, for Israel, for Abu Dhabi, and all would not have been possible with your leadership so I just want to thank you.
TRUMP: Thank you Jared and what a great job. And what Jared said is so that we don't have to be there anymore we don't need oil. We don't need anything
there except friendship. We have some great friends. These are two countries that have been great friends. We've been great friends to them,
but we no longer have to be there.
It started off when we had to be there. As of a few years ago we don't have to be there. We don't have to be patrolling the straits. We're doing things
that other countries wouldn't do, but we put ourselves over the last few years in a position where we don't have to be in areas that at one point
were vital and that are a big statement. But we are there for our friends and always we will always be there for our friends. Robert, will you just
say a few words please?
ROBERT O'BRIEN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Mr. President thank you. The point I want to make is, President, you inherited a Middle East that was a
mess when you came to office. This is one more historic step in bringing peace to the Middle East.
First of all there was a caliphate that was raged an ISIS caliphate and that physical caliphate was destroyed and brought justice to Al Baghdadi.
You reassured our friends in Israel who had suffered at the end of the last administration with the U.N. resolution, you moved the Capitol to
Jerusalem.
You've recognized the Golan Heights. In the broader region, you had a very difficult situation in Afghanistan, where we were soldiers - American
soldiers were coming home, injured, wounded, sadly in some cases dead. You have a peace agreement now with the Taliban, and we're going to have less
than half the number of troops in Afghanistan that were there when you started your term of office.
Now you brought about this historic peace deal between the UAE and Israel. This is the first time in 25 years that Israel and Arab countries have
normalized diplomatic relations, and enter into a peace deal and they're the two most capable countries in the Middle East, two very capable very
skilled and very innovative allies of the United States.
So it's great for Israel, it's great for the UAE, but it's also great for America and the American people. So you came into office with a region that
was really aflame and you brought peace to that region and there is more to come and so it's an honor of part of your team Mr. President to serve under
your leadership.
TRUMP: We do have a lot more to come in the Middle East. A lot are very positive things are happening. You'll be seeing that taking place. When we
can get a leader like UAE to head the band and get along with Israel, that's a very big step. Would you please say a few words? You've done such
a fantastic job.
[11:25:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. The Trump Administration made history today. It's been an honor of this team that Jared has led. Peace between the Arabs
and the Israelis is Iran's nightmare, and no one has done more to intensify the conflict between the Arabs and Israelis than Iran.
And what we see today is the new Middle East the trend lines are very different today. And we see the future is very much in the Gulf and with
Israel and the past is with the Iranian regime. It clings to power on the basis of brute force. It's phasing a crisis of legitimacy and credibility
with its own people, and the president's maximum pressure campaign has achieved historic results.
TRUMP: Thank you. Great job you have done. Would you like to say something?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir. As a soldier who's been in every war since desert storm, it's an honor and privilege job for your leader Sheikh
Mohammed Bin Zayed, and Prime Minister Netanyahu to get to peace. So your vision and those leaders' vision on what we can't do in the future just
incredible. So I would thank you as a soldier.
TRUMP: Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Would anybody like to say a few words? You were saying plenty of words during that negotiation. They
got very quiet in front of the media. That happens on occasion.
STEVEN MNUCHIN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: Mr. President it's an historic moment. Thank you for letting us all is part of this. It's really
extraordinary. Nothing is more important than peace. This is an unbelievable moment. I would say what Brian Hook (ph) said.
Your maximum pressure campaign under your leadership, we've had the strongest sanctions on our way and your commitment to make sure that Iran
will never have a nuclear weapon is part of the most important legacy for peace in the Middle East.
TRUMP: So, which is easier? Dealing with the Democrats or dealing with the Middle East?
MNUCHIN: Well, a lot of people never thought you would get this type of deal, so I will be hopeful that we can deal with the Democrats.
TRUMP: I like that, the Middle East is more reasonable.
(LAUGHTER)
TRUMP: I'd like you guys to say a couple words, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, it's a privilege to serve in your administration. This is a remarkable achievement that will stand the test of time. And we
look forward to the prosperity and the peace in the Middle East in the ways we'll be able to leverage that of United States' national interest. So it
is a privilege, thank you.
TRUMP: Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I would just echo what Rob said. Thank you for the opportunity to be part, and especially I have to thank Avi as an
opportunity to serve in his negotiating team to do something so historic. Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. President. This really changes the
world.
TRUMP: Thank you very much. Thank you all very much.
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: Do you have any questions?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you just describe the tenor of the conversation you had with the two other leaders? Was there any hesitation on their part
to reason this deal?
TRUMP: No. It was like love. It was a tremendous relationship that's been built up over the last I would say year. Before that it was very tense as
everything in the Middle East is. It's a very tense place but becoming less sense.
I have good relationships with all of the leaders and some enemies against each other. And I get along with both - that's I guess the big thing that
people don't understand. I've actually gotten along. Remember when I was elected they said the war will start with somebody within days and I've
kept this out of war.
You look at North Korea everybody said including President Obama, that's the biggest problem. Everybody said you could at war. We're doing very well
in the Middle East and I tell you what it's been an incredible thing.
But no, it was tense, but the relationship has become a very good one between UAE and Israel, and also with other countries many other countries.
I think you'll be seeing some very exciting things, including ultimately with the Palestinians. I think that's going to be happening at some point,
because it makes a lot of sense for them to let it happen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you support annexation - by Israel at this point.
TRUMP: No we're talking to Israel about that right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)
TRUMP: You really know your stuff, don't you? We're not going to talk to you about that. We're going to work something out and we'll talk after it's
completed. But it will be very satisfactory.
[11:30:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why now that they come to an agreement?
TRUMP: We've been working on this for a long time. It's been a labor of love for a lot of the people in Israel, and a lot of them love Israel. And
a lot of them love the Middle East and they love the countries that we're talking about like UAE as an example standing right here. And it's been a
labor of love. They know it has to happen.
And I don't want to be speaking too much about it, but if you look, what's happened since I broke up that ridiculous Iran Nuclear Deal, money isn't
going to some horrible groups. You haven't seen the kind of terrorism that you saw before.
Now I don't like saying it, because all of a sudden, they'll say we've got to do something, but you know what? They're not getting money because Iran
isn't giving money. And I appreciate that, but Iran is going through very difficult times, and I appreciate that.
And I'll say this, and I can say it very publicly, that if I win the election, I will have a deal made within Iran within 30 days. They'll make
a very fast deal, they die to make a deal, but they would much rather negotiate with sleepy Joe Biden than with us. But will be having a deal
made very, very quickly.
But rightfully they're waiting till after the election, because they would - there's nothing China, Iran, Russia, all of them would like to see more
than have Trump is defeated where they can deal with Joe Biden. Because that would be like a dream, this was something that was very exciting.
We thought this would be the first country, he's a great leader, Mohammed is a great leader, and we're very happy that it was the first country, I
would say. And he looks at many other things happening in the Middle East over a fairly short period of time. But this is the first time in more than
25 years, and UAE is big stuff. UAE is very powerful, very strong, has one of the strongest militaries. It's big stuff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know when the delegations are going to meet specifically?
TRUMP: Very soon. I guess they'll be setting up the meetings, do you have any time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think in the next several weeks, Mr. President. Then we expect that there will be a meeting here at the White House with the
leaders ---
TRUMP: There will be an official signing at the White House over the next few weeks. Okay? And other than that, we'll meet you at 5:30 or so, we'll
talk, and we'll actually take one of your questions, okay?
GORANI: All right, you're listening there to President Trump talking about a deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Let me bring in right
now CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the White House. She was in the room as the pool reporter today. Kaitlan tell us more about being in the room. What you
heard?
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you saw how many people were there in the room. It's not normally that packed in the Oval
Office for any kind of a bed like this. But the president really brought everybody in for this announcement, what he is calling this historic deal
between the UAE and Israel.
GORANI: All right, a very important deals there announced by the U.S. President Donald Trump. We're going to get regional reaction across the
countries that are affected. It is a deal designed to normalize relations between the UAE and Israel, facilitated by the United States.
We have heard now through Twitter from Mohamed Bin Zayed who is the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. During a call with President Trump and Prime Minister
Netanyahu, Mohamed Bin Zayed's tweets and agreement was reached to stop further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories the UAE and Israel
also agreed to cooperation and setting up a road map for bilateral relations that we have heard from the UAE.
Ben Wedeman in Lebanon, Sam Kiley in Lebanon as well, we'll be going to Elliott Gotkine who is in Tel Aviv. Ben Wedeman, I want to start with you.
Talk to us a little bit about the significance of this announcement. Israel has diplomatic relationships with only two other Arab countries, Jordan and
Egypt. This would be the third.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's certainly significant, but it's been well known for many years that the United Arab
Emirates and Israel have been talking with one another. There have been visits back and forth. And given their shared enmity toward Iran, it's not
surprising that they have come to this agreement, certainly significant.
Now I was listening to the talk from I believe it was the Oval Office, because I'm only hearing through my ear, what's going on. And I think I
heard Jared Kushner talk about this is the beginning of the new Middle East, which reminds me of 2006.
[11:35:00]
WEDEMAN: I was here in Lebanon during the war between Lebanon and Israel, and Condoleezza Rice, then the Secretary of State talked about the war in
Lebanon being the pangs of a new Middle East, the birth pangs of a new Middle East. And certainly, if you look over the 14 years that have passed
since then, if this is the new Middle East, it's not something that's in very good shape.
Now, we've seen time and time again grand schemes launched by the United States that are intended to solve the various problems of the Middle East.
Historically they simply haven't happened.
For instance, here in Lebanon, 1982 after the Israeli invasion, the Israelis and the Americans came up with this idea of sort of solving
Lebanon's problems as part of solving greater Middle Eastern problems. That didn't work either.
So unfortunately, the lesson of history is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Now I heard someone else in the oval office talking
about there's nothing more important than peace. And that has been the approach of the United States, always pursuing peace, which means peace and
quiet.
Missing in the equation and always missing in the equation has been justice. The West Bank, Jerusalem, Gaza and the Golan Heights have been
occupied since 1967. These are problems that have not been solved. The Palestinians have had to endure an Israeli military occupation for decades,
and the United States has historically been more favorable to Israel's concerns than the Palestinians.
So I think people in this part of the world will certainly be hoping that this latest historic deal between the UAE and Israel could be the start of
something. But people here have a long memory, and it hasn't - it's not known to most people here that oftentimes U.S. diplomatic initiatives end
up with very negative results. So I think the attitude in the region will be cautious, very, very cautious optimism, Hala?
GORANI: All right. Yes, to our viewers of course, what we just heard from the Oval Office. And Ben, you were hearing it through your ear. We were
seeing the images broadcast live. From Washington, the President of the United States flanked by his son-in-law and Adviser Jared Kushner, it was
also the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, some of his top Cabinet Ministers like Steve Mnuchin, his Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows as well.
Trump claimed that if he's reelected, he would have a deal with Iran within 30 days. And Sam Kiley who is usually based in Abu Dhabi joins us now from
Beirut. Sam, as Ben was rightly pointing out there, Abu Dhabi and Israel have gotten much, much closer in recent years.
They both are concerned and suspicious of Iran's activity and influence in the region. So a deal between those two countries to normalize relations is
not utterly surprising.
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, it's not surprising, Hala. And as you're right point out and Ben points out quite rightly there
is kind of strategic agreement between both that Iran and the United States and indeed for that matter Saudi Arabia, Iran play opposes a significant
and permanent at this stage strategic threat to them.
And here's the butt though, simultaneously with that perhaps because of that, they have been talking behind closed doors. They have been inching
towards normalization. One would almost call it itching for normalization, certainly from the Emirati and the Israeli perspective.
There's a great deal to be gained here, not least in the exchange, which has already occurred. The Emiratis buy usually through third parties
surveillance equipment, often sort of military technology repurposed in the United States but developed in Israel almost inevitably they do that.
They are great admirers of the Israelis. And at the same time the Emiratis have the profound contempt for many in the Palestinian leadership, not for
the agenda of a two-state solution, which they remain committed to, but they are pretty openly contemptuous of the Palestinian leadership, which
they believe has led the Palestinians know where.
And what they have extracted from this deal, going back to the so-called deal of the century is merely a suspension of the Israeli plans to annex
enormous chunks of the West Bank, particularly the Jordan Valley, which would have been really pretty catastrophic certainly for the security in
the future of Jordan, which is looking extremely aghast at this plan.
[11:40:00]
KILEY: The Emiratis have been quiet heavily involved in the development of the deal of the century, clearly will not in favor for plans for this
unilateral annexation by Israel with the approval of the United States. The statements said specifically at the request of the United States, Israel
will suspend it. Not abandon it, suspend it.
So that hanging over the Palestinians will remain the sword of Damocles, the threat effectively, that if they don't play ball, whatever that may be,
whatever game they're asked to play, whatever sport it might be, that they could in the future face annexation, and then the normalization issue will
not be in the armory, diplomatic armory for the Emiratis.
It could also equally argue that, that relationship could improve the position of the Palestinians because it means that you have very powerful
pro-American Arab element very close to the Israelis, talking to them, explaining the perspective from the Arab world.
Explaining what can and can't be done, particularly for example about the future of the Haram al-Sharif, the Temple Mount complex, which is very much
certainly among Emiratis officials I've spoken to a red line in terms of any Israeli annexation of that sacred spot would certainly in their view
inflame the Arab world and indeed the wider Muslim world, that is something that is extremely undesirable.
So, there is some quid pro quo, there was an opportunity now for the Emiratis to play a substantial game of influence in the very powerful world
of Israeli and American relations.
One small details is that, - have in the past actually had tentative levels of exchange of officials, one should say, never formal diplomatic
relations, but certainly officials in a background, so that may well be one of the nations - I'm speculating here entirely that may follow suit if this
goes well.
So, from the Palestinian perspective, this will feel as an abandonment of their cause by a key Arab power, but not one that they've ever had any real
faith in support from. There's a lot of lip service historically from the Gulf States towards the Palestinian course with very little contribution
and arguably now that at least have via an Arab nation perhaps a bit more voice with the Israelis certainly in terms of the understanding of the
issues so it's going to be very interesting processes to see how that develops, Hala?
GORANI: Yes, Sam and Ben, stand by. And Sam was mentioning the fact that, I'm reading the fine print now, I'm reading the actual joint statement of
the United States, the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
And Sam pointed out, and this is important to underline, that it states as the result of this diplomatic breakthrough, Israel will suspend declaring
sovereignty over areas outlined in the president's visions for peace.
So suspend the clearing sovereignty over parts of the West Bank. In other words, just suspend the process of annexation, and not cancel it
altogether. I'm joined on the phone by Elliott Gotkine who is in Tel Aviv. So, Elliott, what is this on the ground mean with regards to the West Bank
settlement activity and Israeli plans for annexation of parts of that territory?
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL: Planned annexation which anyway seemed to be a bit on the back burner in Israel, the government very
much focused on what appears to be a second wave of the Coronovirus pandemic right now. It clearly now going to be suspended. That's what the
official statement - excuse me - United Arab Emirates - and Israel case.
And as a result of that, it's hard to see any kind of annexation taking place anytime soon, you know, going thankful. What that - Sam is pointing
out, it does say there's a suspension - still a quality put on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he was pitching to those at the last
election that annexation and Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan valley and the various settlements would proceed.
But as I say - with any way kind of on the back burner, and I think we suspect we're going to kick it into the long grass for the foreseeable
future, that as far as the Palestinians are concerned, of course, as Sam said, they will perhaps be feeling a bit abandoned right now, not least
because it doesn't say that annexation will not happen.
[11:45:00]
GORANI: All right. Well, it's got the K9 demographic excited, Elliott. Who do I still have with me? Sam and Ben? Sam Kylie is still with me. So Sam,
I'm going through this joint statement again. So they're talking about cooperation on the COVID vaccine.
They're talking about expressing gratitude to UAE and Israel toward the U.S. President. But these are two countries in the Middle East that have a
very close relationship with the United States, and a very friendly relationship, it has to be said with the Trump Administration.
KILEY: Yes, through the Emirati Ambassador, they're a very skilled diplomat. Indeed, he's been working diligently Al-Otaiba behind the scenes
and sometimes in sort of semipublic. Remember that was the Emiratis who are there present at the presentation, a very conspicuously of Jared Kushner's
so-called deal of the century, which arguably has led certainly the Emiratis to this position and perhaps the Israelis.
I'm not quite sure what's in it for the United States yet, but the fact of the matter is that the Emiratis and Israelis have wanted to normalize their
relationship. The Emiratis have frequently expressed great frustration with the Palestinians.
One is somewhat surprised that it's a mere suspension that they have agreed to in return for normalization of relations with Israel. But there is a
sense, Hala, in which they couldn't go on with the kind of semi-covert relationship that they have had hitherto without it kind of becoming kind
of an open secret and frankly absurd not to have official diplomatic relations.
They have, for example, already announced bilateral research efforts in looking for a cure for the COVID virus, just one level and a number of
other levels. They've been encouraging commercial links between the two countries.
And as you rightly point out, there are substantial U.S. bases in the Gulf, that in the United Arab Emirates, not just in the Gulf, but in the UAE,
very close military links, very close training links between the Emiratis and the United States, and there are very close links militarily between
Israel and the United States.
They are on the same page in many ways in terms of economic policy and certainly with regard to the perception that Iran is a strategic treat to
the wider Middle East and perhaps even beyond that is a view that is very, very loudly shared both by Israel and the Emirates.
And there is every probability now that there will be a cooperation, I think probably unlikely in the overt defense sphere between the Gulf and
Israel. But once they normalize relations, one can anticipate a great deal of exchange with cutting out the middleman if you like in the United States
on an intelligence level. They are also both the countries very preoccupied by what they perceive to be the threat of political Islam, even in the form
of the Muslim brotherhood, for example.
GORANI: Yes, Sam Kylie thanks very much. Sam Kylie, who is normally based in Abu Dhabi there, joining us from Beirut. Donald trump, the U.S.
President, announcing this deal to normalize relations between the UAE and the Israel the President claiming a big foreign policy win here.
He made that announcement from the Oval Office, with the applause thereof those gathered in the Oval Office with him, his top Adviser Jared Kushner
and the U.S. Ambassador to Israel among others. We'll be right back after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
GORANI: Welcome back. Recapping our breaking news this hour, a big shake up in Middle East and politics the American President Donald Trump just
announced a peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, two countries that were acting as enemies for some time now.
Under the deal, the two nations are normalizing relations. It also means Israel will pause annexing plans in the West Bank, suspend those plans, not
cancel them entirely. And it will allow for direct travel between the two countries.
Now this deal could also be a step closer to a Middle East peace plan between the Palestinians and Israel, though many in the region have already
started casting doubt on those prospects. We haven't heard Palestinian reaction to this yet.
And returning to the latest developments in the Coronavirus pandemic, Spain is facing a renewed crisis, just six weeks after lifting a nationwide
lockdown. It once again has the worst Coronavirus infection rate in Western Europe.
More than 380,000 people there have been infected. And there are more than 600 active outbreaks across the country. We're learning that younger people
are helping drive those numbers up.
Spain's Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya joins me now live to talk more about this critical moment in her country. Thank you, Minister, for
being with us. What is your message to people who are thinking about traveling to Spain and who might be concerned when they hear about these
COVID numbers?
ARANCHA GONZALEZ LAYA, SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, the first thing I would tell any person willing to travel to Spain is that, the Spain is a
safe country, that Spain is facing outbreaks of COVID like any other country in Europe is facing.
But Spain is doing an incredible effort at identifying the outbreaks as soon even when they are asymptomatic, 70 percent of the cases, the new
cases are from asymptomatic people, which shows the extent to which the country is testing, to make sure that we identify cases before they become
a sanitary problem like in the past.
So situation is under control, outbreaks are the new normal, the important thing is to manage them in a responsible manner, to prevent them from
becoming a sanitary crisis, which is what we want to avoid.
GORANI: But what happens when a tourist, I mean, someone who is not a Spanish national, contracts COVID. What if God forbid their health
deteriorates, maybe even pass away? Does Spain have a responsibility now to tell people perhaps this is not the best time to visit our country?
LAYA: Well, first of all the outbreaks in the country are pretty localized. And we have entire parts of the country where the incidence of COVID is
extremely low. Take the Canary Islands, for example, it's extremely low case of Coronavirus.
But if, by any chance, any person whether they are a Spaniard or tourist, is identified as COVID-positive, that Spain provides for support, it
provides for treatment, and it provides for support, while the person is here so perfectly safe to travel to Spain.
We are facing the same outbreaks that any other country in Europe is facing nothing new there. This is what we need to learn to live and manage for as
long as we don't have a vaccine or treatment, Hala.
GORANI: What about the fact that countries like the UK have put Spain back on their quarantine list, requiring people returning from your country to
spend two weeks in quarantine. Are you in touch with any of your counterparts in the countries that have made the decision to limit travel
back from your country, to try to lift those restrictions?
[11:55:00]
LAYA: Yes, we're. We are in touch with every member of the European Union on a continuous basis. This is also the case with the United Kingdom. We
are in touch with them to explain the data, the epidemiological data, the number of tests we are performing, the very low hospitalization rate in
Spain at the moment.
The very low rate of patients in intensive care units, trying to explain also the regional differences in order to ensure that any measures that are
taken. And we respect the decisions that countries make to take measures vis-a-vis Spain. But to make sure that those measures are grounded on the
epidemiological data. And that as much as possible they are regionalized.
Again entire parts of this country are absolutely COVID free take the example of Aragon, which has some outbreaks in this region. I've spent the
last seven days traveling across this part of Spain in the Pyrenees, and their entire parts that are COVID-free.
So perfectly saved to travel to Spain, and again trying to dialogue with our European colleagues to ensure everybody understands the specifics of
the situation in Spain.
GORANI: Got. A quick last question, did you hear the announcement by the U.S. President on that deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize
relations? I wonder what your reaction is as the Spanish Foreign Minister.
LAYA: Well, I think normalization of relations between UAE and Israel is a step in the right direction, as is the step in the right direction to
suspend unilateral annexation of Palestinian territory. And I guess, and I hope that this now translates into renewed negotiations between Israel and
Palestine in order to advance a peace plan that is based and grounded on UN resolutions to speaking of two states living in peace and in security side
by side.
GORANI: All right. Thank you very much Arancha Gonzalez Laya, the Spanish Foreign Minister, thank you for joining us on CNN. We'll be right back with
more news after a quick break.
END
