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Mob Violence Rocks Israeli Cities as Arab and Jewish Communities Clash; U.S. Secretary of State Calls Palestinian Authority President; Mob Violence Sweeps Through Israeli Cities After Days of Hamas Rocket Attacks and Israeli Airstrikes; 83 Palestinians, Including 17 Children and Seven Israelis Reported Killed; Tensions Rise With More Israeli Airstrikes, Hamas Rocket Fire. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired May 13, 2021 - 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)
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Welcome back, a pounding from the skies and now clashes spreading on the ground. We are seeing a chilling
new front in hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians.
Arab and Jewish citizens clashing in Israeli cities as long simmering tensions come to ahead, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls a
wave of violent anarchy. That's the new front and here's a look at Gaza this morning.
The call to prayer as Muslims gathered to mark Eid Al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan. The backdrop, of course is this all week. Now we've been seeing
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and rockets fired into Israel by Hamas. 83 Palestinians, including 17 children have been reported killed since the
fighting began.
And this in Tel Aviv sirens sounding as explosions lit up the morning sky. The violence has claimed 7 Israeli lives. Well, the U.S. is now sending a
diplomat to the region to try to cool things down. But is it too late for that? We'll CNN's Hadas Gold telling us some feared conflict will now
spiral into war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's a pattern that shouldn't be familiar that already is. Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets streaking
across the sky from Gaza. Sirens ringing out warning Israelis to take cover the iron dome intercepting as many incoming projectiles as possible the
punishing retaliation of an air assault on Gaza targets by Israeli forces pushing the casualty count higher with each cycle, giving the hopes for de
escalation of violence and exposing the harsh reality of a long standing conflict boiling over into rage once again.
What started as a flashpoint over threatened evictions of Palestinian families from the Sheik Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, and clashes
at the Al Aqsa Mosque is now a conflict that the UN Special Envoy to the Middle East says it's escalating towards an all out war.
Israel calling - reservist and moving tanks and heavy artillery to the Gaza border refusing to rule out a ground defensive Defense Minister Benny Gantz
making clear Israel has no intention of backing down.
BENNY GANTZ, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: In hundreds of strikes, weapons production sites, tunnels and towers that have been serving terror
organizations have crumbled, and they will keep crumbling. There are many more targets. This is just the beginning.
GOLD (voice over): Hamas confirming some leaders of their armed wing killed in the latest round of airstrikes while vowing that nothing will stop their
battle. Hamas Spokesman calling for Palestinians to march in Jerusalem to the Al Aqsa Mosque on Friday, saying your alarm towards Al Aqsa is a pledge
of loyalty to the blood of the righteous martyrs in Gaza with honor and an affirmation of continuing the path of liberation.
Anger now, spilling beyond Jerusalem into other cities, the City of Lod becoming the latest powder keg a state of emergency and curfew now in
effect, after an Arab Israeli man was shot dead and rioters towards synagogues, cars and businesses there.
In the meantime, civilians continue to pay the heaviest price as Gaza citizens try to salvage what's left of bombed out buildings, all while
mourning and burying their dead with scores killed and several 100 injured while in Israel with every siren a warning that another missile might make
it through a several have already claimed lives. Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Neri Zilber is a journalist joining us from Tel Aviv and thank you. What's the latest where you are Neri?
[11:05:00]
NERI ZILBER, JOURNALIST: Well, here in Northern Tel Aviv it's rather quiet after a barrage of rockets earlier this afternoon quiet but tense. Most
Israelis even in Tel Aviv, which is relatively far away from Gaza and relatively far away from inter communal riots in - cities.
Its tensed people are home staying home Thursday afternoon, here in Tel Aviv. It's the start of the weekend very little traffic on the road and
expecting additional barrages, later on this evening from the Gaza Strip.
ANDERSON: This action from Hamas indicates that it is pretty much hoping it's anti doesn't it not only using rockets but drones as well, this from a
group enclosed in a blockaded strip of land that's what 5 miles by 25? Why and how did Hamas get this powerful and when did it build up such an
arsenal?
ZILBER: Well, it's probably important to realize that Hamas rules over the Gaza Strip like a state. It has its own government. It has its own
military. It's blockaded by Israel and Egypt. But it's - in recent years been left alone in this rather arrangement that it's come to with Israel,
where Israel gets quiet and Hamas gets funding, infrastructure repairs, and it's had time in recent years to build up this arsenal.
And like any good government, it improves the arsenal, launches missile tests. And so what the result we're seeing now in recent days, is exactly
that greater Hamas capability to reach farther into Israel, and launch barrages against Tel Aviv particular that has never been seen before.
ANDERSON: Neri, an article in the EFT today claiming that and I quote them here for now, hostilities do appear to have achieved their political ends
for both Hamas and Netanyahu. This is a pretty cynical view. But let me just lay it out.
Hamas displaying its ability to strike deep into Israeli territory, and Netanyahu was on the cusp of losing its premiership reasserting himself as
Mr. Security. Of course, his plans to build a coalition to oust him, which required an Islamist party to back another Prime Minister, have been
shelved at this point.
As I say, this is a cynical view, a sense that there has been some opportunism care, but do you believe that view has merit?
ZILBER: That's a rather cynical view of the politics. But I do agree that the politics right now, especially in the middle of this escalation, are
playing a critical role. Hamas looks at Israel right now with riots on the streets, Arabs and Jews at each other's throats, and is looking to up the
ante and perhaps tip the scales over into all out uprising by Palestinians, both in Israel in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
That's on the Hamas side. On the Israeli side, as you mentioned, the politics are quite complicated. In terms of post election politics,
Netanyahu would like the opposition to not be able to form this government.
But in the meantime, he's losing the country with rioting on the streets, and Israelis hunkering down in bomb shelters. So it's a very fine line for
Netanyahu to play. And at the moment, it looks like he's rather losing control of this country.
ANDERSON: What do you make of this, "Mob Violence" on the streets of some of these Israeli cities, I mean, Benjamin Netanyahu has described this is
anarchy.
ZILBER: Well, it does very much look like anarchy, particularly because of the Israeli police appears helpless to stop it. And we should remember its
- Arab violence visited upon Jews, as well as Jewish violence visited upon Arabs inside Israel.
Unprecedented in both the scale of it in terms of the various locations all across Israel, that is happening in and the real nastiness that we're
seeing out on the streets. And the Israeli police, as well as other security forces are preparing for an even worse night tonight.
And so that's just an indication of the fact that, at least on the part of the Israeli authorities, it looks like they're rather losing control of the
situation.
ANDERSON: Let's just remind ourselves, so this all started because of a long standing and incredibly sensitive legal battle over Palestinian homes
in East Jerusalem. I'm talking about this all started well at the most recent uptick in violence that we've seen.
Israel's High Court has delayed that hearing on what Palestinians would call forced eviction. But that hearing is still coming so whether or not we
see a de escalation now between Palestinians and Israelis, whether that's between Netanyahu and Hamas, or whether that's on the streets of these
Israeli cities should we expect to see this happen all over again in 30 days or so?
[11:10:00]
ZILBER: Well, I think the fact that the Supreme Court postponed that decision very late in the day, precisely because of the fears that it would
escalate the situation on the ground, perhaps gives us hope that it will do so in 30 days.
And not allow that particular and rather controversial court decision to really undermine overall stability in Israel and the Palestinian
territories. But the point is well taken, that even if the current hostilities are contained, and things de escalate on the ground, whether
inside Israel or Gaza.
The issue of Jerusalem, whether that particular Jerusalem neighborhood or the Al Aqsa Mosque, if that is seen to be violated, again, that itself
could spark violence and unrest, once again. So it really is the core of the conflict Jerusalem is and it needs to be handled very carefully, which
is a lesson I think that Netanyahu government right now is learning.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Neri, thank you. Well, the violence is weak is by no means limited to rockets in airstrikes, as we have been discussing it is
neighbor versus neighbor. Violence that's been reported in at least two Israeli cities, is reflected in these images that I am about to show you.
But I have to warn you that these images of those incidents are disturbing. In the City of Akron, an Arab mob left a Jewish man critically wounded.
Israeli police say the mob also attacked police officers with stones.
Now a similar situation played out in - near Jaffa. Police a Jewish mob surrounded an Arab driver, pulling him out of his car and beating him. He
is now in a hospital where officers called his injuries moderate.
Ben Wedeman joining us for the City of Lod which has also seen this violence, describe what you have witnessed today. This is of course, the
aftermath of some very ugly scenes, Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we've been around this mixed Palestinian Jewish Israeli city where we've seen many burnt cars
lots of damaged property, you can see sort of lots of rock strewn on the street from the communal clashes that have gone on for the last few days.
Now today is the first day of Eid Al-Fitr the holiday marking the end of Ramadan. So it is somewhat quieter at the moment. But just to give you an
idea of where I am this is one of the main mosques - led in Arabic Lod in the Hebrew, right next to a Greek Orthodox Church, there's a synagogue
behind it.
And these young men tell us that they are here to protect the mosque because they believe that Israeli Jews wanted to come and destroy this
mosque. In fact, a little while ago, we saw about 6 or 7 what appeared to be young Israelis coming in this direction Jewish Israelis, and the police
told them to go away.
So the situation is tense but relatively calm. We are hearing occasionally stun grenades going off, not too far from where we are. Now earlier, we
went to there was a synagogue that was also damaged by fire. And there appeared to have been vandalized as well.
We spoke to one young Jewish woman who had two nights ago, she was in her apartment and heard a lot of commotion in the streets. Some rocks went
through her windows, and she was afraid she was scared. She left and she went to Jerusalem to stay with her mother. She's come back in the day just
to see how her apartment is.
But there is a real sense that something has broken here that the communal relations between Jews and Palestinians which were not always good, but
were reasonable people got along, people live together people lived together on the same street in the same building. But that sense of harmony
seems to have been shattered by the events of the last few days, Becky.
ANDERSON: But this is how Israel's Prime Minister reacted to this violence. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Citizens of Israel, what is happening in the towns of Israel in recent days is intolerable. You've seen
Arab rioters, torching synagogues, torching cars, storming policemen, hurting peaceful and innocent citizens.
This is not something we can accept. This is anarchy. Nothing can justify it. And I will tell you more than that. Nothing can justify a lynching of
Jews by Arabs and nothing can justify a lynching of Arabs by Jews. We will not accept it. This is not us.
[11:15:00]
Not this violence, not the savagery. We will bring back governance to Israel cities everywhere in all cities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He has described incidents of lynching, he says this is intolerable. He says he uses the term, anarchy. Ben, you have enormous
amount of experience on this story over the years. And when I say this story, it is because this is an age old story about Israel and the
Palestinians. But from your experience, have you ever seen anything like this, like we are witnessing on the streets at this point?
WEDEMAN: Not to this extent, not on this scale. Now, I was here at the beginning of the Second Intifada in September 2000 through October 2000.
And you did see incidents where people who had lived side by side were suddenly fighting with one another attacking one another in Israel proper
particularly in the north of the country.
But not to the extent that we're seeing in so many cities and towns around the country not to this extent, not to this level of anger and listening to
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I think many people, Jews or Palestinians will find the words for sure. And I think the concern is how
it's going to play out on the ground.
Because going back many years, Palestinian Israelis feel that they have always borne the brunt of state violence that they have never really gotten
their fair share of municipal services and whatnot.
And therefore, they'll be very interested to see whether when the Israeli police and there are police, many police deployed in this town at the
moment, whether when it comes to disturbances, they will deal with disturbances on an equal basis with an equal level of force.
Because if you talk to any Palestinian Israeli they will tell you that they have long been the brunt of a level of force that it's never been unleashed
on Jewish citizens of Israel, Becky.
ANDERSON: Ben Wedeman is in Lod or Led. Well, the U.S. President says he expects hostilities to end "Sooner than later". Joe Biden weighing in on
the conflict after days of silence, telling reporters Israel has a right to defend itself against thousands of incoming rockets.
Mr. Biden did not mention Palestinian casualties or the destruction in Gaza. His top diplomat Anthony Blinken expressed condolences in a call
where the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel's Prime Minister to the U.S. speaking CNN last night, praised the American stance.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GILAD ERDAN, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S: I was very, very pleased to hear the strong commitment of President Biden to Israel's right to defend
itself and to the safety of security of the people of Israel.
Right now, our goal is that to make Hamas, stop trying to terrorize and to murder our citizens, they deliberately launch thousands of rockets and
missiles at our cities. And we have to restore our deterrence in a way that they will understand that this vicious method cannot be used anymore in the
future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That is, of course, Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. CNN's Kylie Atwood joining me now from Washington. And Kylie, it is no secret that the
Israeli Palestinian issue was not a high priority on the White House's foreign file, it clearly has become so. You asked Anthony Blinken, a
pointed question yesterday about the U.S. position. Just explain.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, one question that people have been asking and I posed it to Secretary of State Anthony
Blinken is if the Israeli response has been proportionate in the sense that there have been dozens who have died in Gaza, including children.
And if the Israeli response is actually justified, you know, given those numbers of deaths that we are seeing, and continue to see. Now, what
Blinken said is that there's an absolute distinction, in his words between what Hamas a terrorist organization is doing and indiscriminately firing
rockets, on civilians in Israel.
And what Israel is doing in defending itself against that terrorist organization, trying to essentially you know fight back essentially because
it has to. But one thing that he also said is that there's a need for Israel to try and do everything that it can to protect civilian lives.
[11:20:00]
ATWOOD: And I want to listen to that part of the clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: But whenever we see civilian casualties, and particularly when we see children caught in the crossfire
losing their lives, that has a powerful impact. And I think Israel has an extra burden in trying to do everything it possibly can to avoid civilian
casualties, even as it is rightfully responding in defense of its people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ATWOOD: Now, of course, we saw yesterday, as you noted that President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he was not critical at all of
the Israelis, he did reiterate their right to defend themselves against these incoming rocket attacks.
But he also said that Jerusalem should be a place of peace for all religions. And the real question here is what more if anything can the
United States do and is willing to do? And the Secretary of State made clear that engagement and asks for de escalation is really where they're at
right now.
He said that he was sending immediately a top State Department official to the region to meet with Palestinian and Israeli leaders. So we're expecting
to see that. He hopes that that could, you know, at least make some sort of an impact here.
But the real question is, can it really what can the United States do? And when I asked him if there's any more, he really just responded by saying
that engagement and really pressing for war de escalation is where they're at right now. And that's where they should be right now. So we're waiting
to see the results of those efforts.
ANDERSON: Kylie, Blinken, has said that he is dispatching top state official - to the region, he hopes that he will help de escalate the
situation here. I just wonder is it clears what the Biden Administration's plan moving forward is because it is clear that the president is under
heavy pressure to put this issue squarely back in focus.
ATWOOD: It's really not to be frank with you. I think, you know, it was interesting that President Biden said yesterday that he thinks that the
violence will end sooner rather than later. But we really don't have an explanation for why he could make such an assessment right now.
We know Biden Administration officials are engaging on this issue, they have had a tremendous number of engagements with officials from the region.
But to make that kind of prediction, we really don't know exactly where that is coming from, other than, quite frankly, a hopeful statement to make
at this point. So we'll be watching to see if the Biden Administration really does more here.
ANDERSON: Kylie Atwood is in Washington for you. Thank you. Well, this conflict is extremely complex, and it has many layers. CNN has got you
covered cnn.com is where you will get the latest news pictures, video and analysis. And you can also of course, use the CNN app.
Well, coming up this conflict causing ripple effects in global travel a growing number of airlines canceling flights to Israel. We'll go live with
the details on that from London coming up and a little later, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry joining us from Jerusalem with his
perspective on what is going on plus.
The Head of the Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom tells me why he thinks it is time to investigate the route call it causes of this violence
that is just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: British Airways joining the growing list of airlines who are canceling flights to Israel. British Airways says its stopping flights
going in and out of Tel Aviv today due to the escalating fighting close by three major U.S. carriers and the German Airline Lufthansa have done the
same. Anna Stewart closely monitoring these travels disruptions from London Anna?
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Hi, Becky. Yes, a slew of flight cancellations and the list are getting longer. You mentioned Delta United American
Airlines Stateside and Europe we now have Lufthansa Swiss Air KLM British Airways and I just checked in Virgin Atlantic have now canceled their
flight to Tel Aviv from London Heathrow this evening.
Now, although these cancellations generally speaking Becky for today and tomorrow, many of these airlines are hoping to operate as normal by the
weekend. A lot, of course will depend on the situation, though on the ground.
Now in terms of the disruption because that's what you and I would normally talk about. Now, the disruption for the airlines will of course, really it
pales in comparison to the overall disruption these airlines are already in still experiencing as a result of the pandemic.
This will be a big hit though, of course of Israel's travel and tourism sector. It was hoping for a rebound, particularly following its successful
vaccine rollouts. And frankly by holidaymakers sentiment will be put off looking at those dreadful pictures coming out of Israel. I don't think it's
a holiday destination of choice, at least not just right now, Becky.
ANDERSON: Anna Stewart is on the story. Thank you, Anna. Well, another night of boiling tensions. Just ahead, we will get a perspective from
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on where the global community fits in on a potential solution if indeed; there is one at this point more on that
after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: Well, you know what we've been discussing this outrage playing out between Israelis and Palestinians in what is a new and disturbing
chapter it has to be said it is now pitting neighbor against neighbor in communities that have coexisted for years.
We've been telling you about rockets from Hamas being launched towards Israel for days now and Israel, answering those with airstrikes in Gaza.
The death toll we know so far 83 Palestinians killed, and that includes 17 children, seven of being killed in Israel.
We have those we've been reporting, seeing the opening of this new front now, on the streets of many Israeli cities. Lior Haiat is a Spokesman for
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs; he is in Jerusalem and sir thank you for your time.
I just before we move on to what we are seeing unfold between Hamas and Israel I do just want to get your response to what we are seeing on the
streets of Israeli cities? The Prime Minister calling it anarchy, intolerable he has used the words lynching for attacks from both sides your
sense.
LIOR HAIAT, ISRAELI MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESMAN: First of all, - Becky from Jerusalem, and you're right, those are very sad day, in the
videos that we see or the situation is very tense. And I think that they - we understand the importance of sending a message of a calm to all sides we
will not tolerate any violence.
It doesn't matter where it comes from. And we the Israeli police will do everything possible in order to de escalate the situation. I think it's
very important that the leaders of the community, politicians, and others will send also a message to their people to their followers, that violence
is not the answer.
And I really hope that very soon, we will continue our coexistence in a very special society, which is Israel.
ANDERSON: That message could be described or will be described by Benjamin Netanyahu's critics as tone deaf, quite frankly. Look, Gaza, Hamas and
Israel involved in the most intense violence since the 2014 war in Gaza many warning that this could turn into an all out war. Is Israel preparing
for a ground operation into Gaza at this point?
HAIAT: Well, I've told you that the Israeli government ordered the Israeli army to be prepared for anything. And in order to understand why we have to
start at the beginning Israel, the Hamas Terror Organization launched a terror attack on Israel. They launched over 1800 missiles on Israeli
population on Israeli civilians.
Each and every rocket is a terror attack, each and every rocket is a double word crime because first of all they are targeting civilians in Israel but
secondly, they are a launching those rockets from the centers of civilians in the Gaza Strip. So we're talking about thousands of war crimes that were
actually committed by the terror organization Hamas and other terror organization in the Gaza Strip.
And Israel has every right to defend its citizens and defend itself and I don't know how it's going to turn out in the next few days. But I do know
that Israel will do everything possible to stop - the possibility of Hamas of launching and other terror organization launching missiles and rockets
to our Israeli cities.
And also we will do our - we will have an effort to prevent Hamas from trying to launch another attack in the future because if we'll end the
situation right now, Hamas will do that exact same thing tomorrow. We will be hostage in the hands of Hamas not only Israelis also the people of Gaza.
ANDERSON: Let me just put this to you. Hamas says it is launching rockets as a result of Israeli aggression. More so over the past couple of weeks
with forced evictions of Palestinian families and the raid on the Aqsa Mosque sir.
I do not want to get involved in the kind of, he said she said on this one. Let's be quiet clear. Israel says it has the right to defend itself and
many, many people will agree with that.
[11:35:00]
ANDERSON: Do Palestinians have the right to defend themselves too sir?
HAIAT: I don't think that's the issue now. Palestinians are actually the terrorists - organizations are attacking Israel. And this is what we are
looking--
ANDERSON: I'm not talking about Hamas here. I'm talking about Palestinians in Jerusalem.
HAIAT: Well, the issue of Jerusalem has nothing to do with the launching of the terror attack from Gaza. And I will definitely talk about Jerusalem.
This is a tense--
ANDERSON: With respect sir so I'm going to stop you. With respect Hamas have said that their response was as a result of Israeli action in East
Jerusalem and at the Al Aqsa Mosque. So I think we should be quite clear about this sorry. And please go on.
HAIAT: I know what Hamas said. I know what the reality is also Hamas has nothing to do with Jerusalem or Hamas terror attack has nothing to do with
Jerusalem. It has everything to do with an internal Palestinian political situation, and they are trying to determinate who will be the leader of the
Palestinian people?
It has nothing to do with a situation in Sheik Jarrah, nor has anything to do with the situation in the Temple Mount. What happened in Jerusalem?
ANDERSON: We've been discussing this sir. Yes, we've been discussing this. There is a sense many people will say that there is some opportunism going
on here. On the one side Hamas and there are again, those critics of Benjamin Netanyahu will say there is opportunism on the part of the Prime
Minister as well.
Let's move this on a Senior Hamas Official telling CNN that Egypt, Qatar and the UN are now communicating with the group over mediation efforts. And
that same official said he learned from mediators that Israel had given the impression it isn't, isn't interested in a ceasefire.
You want at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so what can you tell us about those mediation efforts at this point?
HAIAT: I can tell you that we don't think this is the right time for a ceasefire. This is still a time where actually, as we speak, Hamas is
launching a hundreds of missiles to the City of Beersheba into the south of Israel. And this is the time where Israel should defend itself and attack
the terror infrastructure of the Hamas.
This is if - seize the fire right now Hamas will gain - they or they will get to his goal in its objective of hitting Israel and not paying a price.
We have - we will attack the Hamas infrastructure in Gaza. And we will get to a point that Hamas will be - understand that launching this kind of
terror attack on Israeli civilians is not an option for eminent future.
ANDERSON: So for those who are concerned that this could spiral into an all out war, you say, what? Is that your assessment if Israel is not interested
in a ceasefire how bad do things get sir?
HAIAT: I think that it's very clear to say that we want a guarantee ceasefire once - when our people are still in shelters or in their safe
rooms practically two millions Israelis are passing their time in shelters in that time.
Hamas has to take it to understand that this is not a way that Israel will end this conflict. They started a terror attack on Israel and Israel is
actually exercising its right to defend its population and Israeli citizens. Unfortunately, this is not a conflict that we've been wanting to
get into Israel has done a lot in order to prevent tension in both in Jerusalem and in other places in the Judea, and Samaria.
Israel's decision not to allow Jews to enter the Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day, the day that we celebrate the reunification of the City of Jerusalem
and decided to a postpone - a court hearing about Sheik Jarrah in order not to get more attention on that illegal issue as well.
And even the celebration of the Jerusalem Day was cancelled during that day in order to prevent tension in every step Israel took was answered by more
violence, more terrorism and lately by also terror attack from the Gaza Strip.
ANDERSON: Let me put this to you and have any of those mediators who are looking to try and establish a ceasefire which you have just confirmed
Israel is not interested in? Have those mediators been in Israel?
[11:40:00]
HAIAT: I don't have that information to give. I'm sorry, I've not - I don't have this information. And I said the ceasefire is not on the table in the
Israeli side for now.
ANDERSON: I just want you and our viewers to have a quick listen to what President Biden had to say last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: My expectation and hope is that this will be closing down sooner than later. But Israel has a right to
defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying in your territory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Key line here is he says this will end soon wishful thinking, sir, briefly.
HAIAT: I couldn't agree more. And I really appreciate this message coming from a President Biden and the other people from his administration, saying
exactly what we are saying that Hamas' terror attack should be condemned.
And Israel has a right to defend itself. And we really wish it will be - it'll be over soon. But it should be over in a way that Israel - which
Hamas will not start over in a week or in a month or in a year. Because if we leave the situation in the same way, actually, we're leaving the Israeli
citizens and the Palestinian citizens of the Gaza Strip as hostage in the name - in the hands of a terror organization.
ANDERSON: With that we will leave it there sir. We thank you very much indeed for your time. I appreciate you. You'll be very, very busy at this
point. Thank you.
We are just learning of new numbers coming out of Gaza. At least 87 people have been killed there by airstrikes according to the Palestinian Health
Ministry. 18 of those are children and more than 500 people have been wounded. You're watching "Connect the World". I'm Becky Anderson. We will
be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, it is the time of the show where you get "Call to Earth" CNN's initiative to promote a more sustainable future. Today's film brings
us to Taiwan where one company is designing solutions to the planet's mounting problem with trash.
From furniture and stores to hospital wards all built from waste "Miniwiz" Co-Founder and CEO Arthur Huang is on a mission to revolutionize recycling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do all these places have in common? They're all made partly from trash and designed by this man. Arthur Huang is a
Taiwanese Architect, Engineer and Co-Founder and CEO of "Miniwiz".
[11:45:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A company turning different kinds of waste likes plastic bottles into materials for buildings and products across the world.
ARTHUR HUANG, CO-FOUNDER, MINIWIZ: In nature we produce zero waste. Given that how the city should be? Isn't that how we should build our products,
everything should be circular? There's no waste. Everything can be retransformed - into all kinds of beautiful architecture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Huang has spent the past 16 years innovating such transformation.
HUANG: This is designed to--
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His team has used waste to develop over 1200 different materials for use in construction all over Taiwan's Capital, Taipei and
beyond. One brand taking steps in this direction is Nike, which has been collaborating with "Miniwiz" since 2011 to design stores made from recycled
materials.
HUANG: This is one of the most famous basketball stars in Taiwan. And these are actually their shoes being compressed together to create the furniture
for the store and all the way to the curtains all the way to the furniture they are also made by recycled polyester.
This is a break that's made from LED lights and with recycled polyester as a casing. And also this is a balloon that's recycled from the factory
waste. These are actually made from Nike grind basically the midsole of a Nike shoes and the bottom sole of a Nike shoe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From the streets of Taipei, to the Tibetan Plateau, Huang and his team took their technology for a test drive in 2017 with the
"Trash Presto", a portable solar powered recycling machine designed to allow communities to recycle locally in places where plastic waste has
become an increasing problem. Like China's--
HUANG: Our mission has shifted to say how can we actually take many of these possible technologies to the people who actually really need it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Miniwiz has developed an AI recycling system to detect different kinds of plastic, which the "Trash Presto" superheated
compression can transform into new products. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, "Miniwiz" turned their engineering skills to a different kind of
transformation.
Huang worked with the Fujian Catholic University Hospital and other partners to develop the Modular Adaptable Convertible or Mac Ward.
HUANG: During COVID time is most material cannot be shipped. So we are building medical parts a medical ward system or out of local trash. All the
aluminum panels are already made on 90 percent, recycled aluminum and even the handle of the shelving or the cane racks. These are actually already
made for medical waste.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A portable version can be built from scratch in 24 hours Huang says.
HUANG: I think about is what pandemic forces us to become very innovative, to coming up with a solution to adapt to the current situation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Adapting to a pandemic and also to environmental pressures Huang's work shows how to create a more sustainable future?
HUANG: We don't need to create new things. We just need to use our ingenuity, innovations and our good heart and good brain to transform these
existing materials into the next generation of products and buildings to power our economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And we will continue showcasing inspirational stories like this as part of the initiative at CNN. Do let us know what you are doing to
answer the call? You can use the #calltoearth. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
ANDERSON: Well, that's the scenes in Gaza. We've been showing you pictures of Israeli airstrikes there. And indeed, rockets fired into Israel, by
Hamas from Gaza. Seven Israelis and 87 Palestinians have been reported killed since this current fighting began.
Well, my next guest says "Always the story begins when Palestinian reaction happens as if it started with Hamas. It starts with the symptom of the
illness, it never visits the illness, the illness is that the state Israel, the occupying state has been applying to conium measures against our
people".
Husam Zomlot is the Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK and Strategic Advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and he joins me
now live from London. And we will talk about the vacuum that is Palestinian politics and leadership in a moment.
But I wonder, in your opinion, why do you believe that what you - what I've just suggested, you think is the dominant narrative? Why do you think that
exists? And is it changing, if at all?
HUSAM ZOMLOT, HEAD OF PALESTINIAN MISSION TO UK: Well, it is changing. And it's changing primarily, thanks to the youth of the world, thanks to the
social media, the alternative sources of information that now people know the truth.
But still, we have a long way to go with traditional media outlets all over, I must say, and I sit here in London, I'm dealing with the BBC and
all these outlets. And the starting point, as you just described, in quoting me. The starting point only always starts when Palestinians react
to the ongoing and long held policies by the occupier that is Israel.
And also, there's a great deal of misperception about the situation and misconception and misrepresentation. So the two sides isn't, you know, two
sides, there is no two sides Becky. You know, you've been there many times there is only one side that is the occupier of the colonizer, the besieger.
Descriptions like war, what war? What happens between two armies? I mean, you know, these primitive tools at the hands of some armed groups are in no
way a match to Israel's very sophisticated weaponry. It's the fourth strongest army, a nuclear, Army, et cetera, et cetera. And the list goes
on.
And I just heard also an interview with the Israeli guest and then that is the narrative that keeps being fit the narrative that this is about the
Israeli security as if we don't have security. This is about Hamas, not the Palestinian people, when in fact it is primarily about the Palestinian
people that have been struggling for almost 100 years now to gain their very legitimate rights, very basic rights.
ANDERSON: All right, I understand that. Let me just put this to you because I do want to try and take this conversation further than then perhaps we've
been able to with others. Let's be quite clear here, Hamas seeks the destruction of Israel. And while that's the case, their involvement, and
you know they will never get a seat at the table in any sort of negotiations with Israel to try and find a solution.
And so, Palestinians looking to fatten looking to the PA looking for some representation and they see frankly, nothing at present. Fractured
leadership, inept, many will tell me inefficient and at worst corrupt, do you accept at this point, that what has been going on, as you say, for
years East Jerusalem a flashpoint, Al Aqsa a flashpoint in the past couple of weeks? But this will never improve until Palestinians feel that they
have some representation that works, sir, your response?
ZOMLOT: Becky, I accept part of your argument and I reject another part. The part I accept is that we are in need of democratic process. We need the
renewal of our democratic process. We need elections. We need the people to deliver the verdict. Over the years we have been proud of our democracy of
our elections.
[11:55:00]
ZOMLOT: We are a people under occupation. We are a national movement yet we have relied heavily on popular representation and without that popular
representation without that renewal of our blood all the time, we would not have been as representative as legitimate as strong you know, voice for--
ANDERSON: You haven't had elections in 14 years. Let me just put that to you with respect. You know, you can talk about the atmosphere of democracy
but without elections in 14 years it's not working.
ZOMLOT: No Becky, please give us also the credit.
ANDERSON: Go on.
ZOMLOT: Give us the credit for making sure that we convene elections up until 2006. Something has happened there. It was a self inflicted wound I
must - we could not convene elections without Gaza. And we could not convene elections without Jerusalem. And we must convene elections. This is
the part I agree with you. Absolutely we are in need of that.
ANDERSON: I accept that.
ZOMLOT: And the part that I disagree with is that this is almost a - we have brought this upon ourselves. So if we were more democratic, Israel
would have been long gone from our occupied territories. We were democratic few years ago we have convened many elections. Yasar Arafat was the Leader,
the Founder of the entire nation yet they besieged him, and they killed him right live on the camera.
So this isn't just about our democracy, the main thing of course, we have our home work to do. We have responsibilities to make, but this does not
quit Israel of its key responsibility.
ANDERSON: OK. Let's just talk about what happens next? The UN Security Council will hold a public meeting tomorrow on the situation. The council,
however, has been blocked from issuing a statement because of U.S. opposition.
We've also just heard from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel, who say that they are not interested in a ceasefire, what realistically happens
next, briefly?
ZOMLOT: Well, we are working round the clock with all international actors to bring Israel's aggression to an end. They must end their aggression on
Gaza. I am from Gaza Becky. I know these streets, these faces these families, it's heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking to see all these
bombardments.
I mean, you know there are two logics here. The first logic is hit the civilians, hit the civilians so the pressure of the armed groups. The
second logic, disproportionate force, so we actually affect their mentality, their way of thinking about the next and if this goes on, we
have - many lives will be lost so we want to stop this.
But we don't want to go to the status quo ante. This is the key point Becky. The key point that we have to be hammering all the time, the status
quo ante the situation before the eruption of the latest exchanges were already horrible. It has led to the situation.
So the main argument that we keep saying these days is that you know what, don't miss this opportunity. Don't mess with people in Palestine. Why do
you have people in Jerusalem, in Gaza, in Haifa, in Lod demonstrating even outside in refugee camps because they have the unity of the purpose and the
unity of the suffering? Palestinians are fed up, Becky.
ANDERSON: With that, I'm going to leave it there but we will have you back sir. I have hit the back of my show. But it's good having you on. And let's
speak again. Thank you. And thank you for watching wherever you are in the world, please stay safe and do stay well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
