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Isa Soares Tonight
Protests in Israel After Six Hostages were Killed; Russia Launches New Attacks on Kyiv and Other Regions in Ukraine; Joe Biden Returns to the Campaign Trail with Kamala Harris. Netanyahu Asks Forgiveness from Hostages' Families; Netanyahu: Israel Will Continue Fight Against Hamas; Biden Joins Harris on Campaign Trail; Bangladesh Victims Speak Out. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired September 02, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Lynda Kinkade in for ISA SOARES TONIGHT. An outpouring of
grief, protests continue across Israel after six hostages were found murdered in Gaza. We're live in Tel Aviv.
Plus, we'll go live to Kyiv as Russia launches new attacks on Ukraine's capital and other regions. And U.S. President Joe Biden will return to the
campaign trail, hoping to give Kamala Harris a boost in a key swing state. We'll follow their stop in Pennsylvania.
Well, this hour in Israel, a mixture of grief, anger and frustration following the murder of six Israeli hostages by Hamas over the weekend. One
of the victims, Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin was mourned by thousands at his funeral in Jerusalem today.
For nearly a year, his parents have waged a relentless campaign to try to bring him and other hostages home. His mother, Rachel says, she hopes
Hersh's death proves to be a turning point in this war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL GOLDBERG-POLIN, MOTHER OF HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: I have had a lot of time during the past 332 days to think about my sweet boy, Hersh. And one
thing I keep thinking about is how out of all of the mothers in the whole entire world, God chose to give Hersh to me.
What must I have done in the past life to deserve such a beautiful gift? It must have been glorious. If ever, I was impatient or insensitive to you
during your life or neglected you in some way, I deeply and sincerely request your forgiveness, Hersh. If there was something we could have done
to save you, and we didn't think of it, I beg your forgiveness.
We tried so very hard, so deeply and desperately. I'm sorry. Now, my Hersh, I ask for your help as we transform our hope into grief in this new unknown
brand of pain. I beg of you, Hersh, please, do what you can to have your light shine down on me, dad, on Libby(ph) and Orlie(ph). Help shower us
with healing and resilience, help us to rise again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, the anguish and sadness matched by frustration in the form of continued protests around the country, mostly aimed at Prime Minister
Netanyahu. You can see there, speaking live right now in Jerusalem. Thousands of protesters saying that he hasn't done enough.
They're demanding that he hammer out a deal to release the remaining hostages. What Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been speaking,
this is what he said a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL (through translator): Israel is not going to ignore this massacre. That Hamas will pay heavy price for
this. A very heavy price. Either war against the evil axis in this specific war against Hamas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, CNN's Jeremy Diamond is live for us in Tel Aviv, while our Kylie Atwood is handling developments from Washington. Good to have you
both with us. Jeremy, I'll start first with you, because we heard there from Prime Minister Netanyahu, giving what was a very rare press
conference, vowing to hurt Hamas in a way Israel hasn't done before after the killing of those six hostages. What else did he have to say?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, we also heard the Israeli Prime Minister making a rare apology to the families of the
hostages, asking for their forgiveness for not bringing their loved ones back alive to Israel. Instead, they returned six of them after they were
executed by their Hamas captors according to the Israeli military, returning to Israel in body bags.
The Israeli Prime Minister, though, despite that act of asking for forgiveness, doubling down on the key sticking point in these negotiations
which so many of the people who have come out here tonight in the tens of thousands to demand that the Israeli Prime Minister prioritize a hostage
deal.
This is the demand that they are asking him to put aside, and that is this notion of Israeli troops retaining control of that Philadelphi Corridor,
the strategic route between Gaza and Egypt.
[14:05:00]
The Israeli Prime Minister tonight making an extensive case for why he believes Israel needs to retain control and why he believes that Israel
will not be able to return to that corridor after a deal is accomplished. Like some members of his government and certainly members of his security
establishment have suggested.
One major problem though with the case that the Israeli Prime Minister is making, is that so much of his security experts, his advisors, his military
advisors, his Defense Minister, they all disagree with him. They believe that Israel could leave the Philadelphi Corridor for the sake of seeing the
-- securing the release of several dozen hostages, and then be able to return to that corridor at a later date, if necessary.
And so, what the Israeli Prime Minister is making clear is that he believes that it is -- he believes that it is the divisions in the Israeli society
right now that are weakening Israel's hand at the negotiating table. And he believes that Israel must remain firm on this notion of retaining control
of that corridor in order to get a deal.
KINKADE: And of course, Jeremy, you've been amongst protesters today in Tel Aviv, the largest protests since those protests over a year ago, over
the nationwide judicial reforms, Netanyahu's judicial reforms. Give us a sense of this moment right now, this movement, what are protesters telling
you?
DIAMOND: Well, the last 36 hours in Israel have been a mixture of grief and anger and frustration and despair. But there has also been some hope
that may potentially be -- being extinguished tonight by the words of the Israeli Prime Minister. And that's because so many who have come out here
have hoped that this would be a moment that the deaths of these six hostages could potentially be a catalyst to securing a hostage deal, to
changing the Israeli government's position.
And ultimately, there is also a lot of frustration among people who have come out here, who believe that it is the Israeli Prime Minister and his
desire to retain power, that is keeping that hostage deal from happening like one protester who I spoke with earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIMI ZEMAH, ISRAELI PROTESTER: Whether you're religious or not, whether you're a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, it's about being human. There are
people there, there's no reason on earth they're still there, and that's why we're here. We shouldn't be here anymore. There's one person who wants
to sit on this chair, and he's willing to sacrifice everything, this country, these people, our freedom, our values. He's willing to sacrifice
everything so that he can remain on his chair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND: And there's no question that the protesters tonight, despite the fact that the Israeli Prime Minister has doubled down on his sticking
points in these negotiations. They are trying to keep this momentum alive. This momentum that was triggered by the deaths of these six hostages, by
their bodies being returned to Israel.
And we are continuing to see protesters who were here where I was standing right in front of the Israeli military headquarters, they're now marching
to hostage square to continue to raise their voices, to continue that this government strike a deal for the release of the remaining hostages. Lynda?
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Certainly, the pressure is growing, Jeremy Diamond for us in Tel Aviv. I want to turn to Kylie Atwood for the U.S. response,
because Kylie, we heard today, the U.S. President being asked whether Netanyahu is doing enough. His answer was very brief and to the point, he
said, no. Just explain the impact of that statement.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right. He didn't expand upon that. And that is noteworthy that he was publicly willing to
say that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure a deal at this moment in time, at this moment in time, particularly when U.S.
officials say that there is added urgency to try and get a deal done to release the remaining hostages.
Of course, after what is this devastating loss of six of those hostages murdered by Hamas over the weekend. I do want to play that interaction for
you with President Biden responding to the reporter's question earlier today. Listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, do you think it's time for Prime Minister Netanyahu to do more on this issue. Do you think he's doing
enough?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ATWOOD: Now, that has sort of set off a bit of a back-and-forth between U.S. officials and Israeli officials with one Israeli official saying that
it's dangerous for the President to make -- be making a statement like that after Hamas is the one who killed the six hostages over the weekend.
A U.S. official responding and saying that the Biden administration has been very clear that it is Hamas who is, of course, responsible for the
death of those six hostages over the weekend.
[14:10:00]
But also saying that there needs to be -- excuse me, there needs to be urgency with regard to the Israelis approach to try and to secure this
deal. So, that's one thing we'll watch. How does the United States pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu to seek that urgency?
We know that Biden met with his national security team today, spoke about this at the White House in the Situation Room. So, we'll watch to see what
kind of final proposal they are going to put on the table to try and get Hamas and Israel to some sort of agreement.
It's noteworthy that they are using that word, "final". It indicates that the Biden administration feels like they might be at the end of the road
here, and they need to put something on the table and force both of the sides to agree to it. But the remarks from the Prime Minister earlier
today indicate that he has his heels dug in when it comes to some of these sticking points, of course, the Philadelphi Corridor remaining one of those
he was willing to put up that map to show folks why it's so important for Israel not to remove its presence from the Philadelphi Corridor.
And so, that's one thing we will continue to watch. I also think it's important to watch to see what the United States can do in terms of
pressuring Hamas. President Biden did say that Hamas will pay for the death of those hostages over the weekend.
KINKADE: All right, Kylie Atwood for us, good to have you with us on this story. Thanks so much. Well, we are going to stay on this. Joining me now
from Tel Aviv is Ronen Bergman; a staff writer for the "New York Times Magazine", and the author of "Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of
Israel's Targeted Assassinations".
Thanks so much for joining us.
RONEN BERGMAN, STAFF WRITER, NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: Thank you.
KINKADE: I want to jump open that point, Kylie was just speaking about the Philadelphi Corridor. This is the stretch of land between Gaza and Egypt.
This wasn't discussed at previous rounds in negotiations to bring the hostages home, but it's certainly a sticking point now. Mr. Netanyahu wants
to keep Israeli forces there.
Is he continuing to change the goal-posts on these negotiations? What did you make of his explanation today?
BERGMAN: Mr. Netanyahu signed off on a proposal that was handed over to the U.S. on day 27, later adopted by President Biden, who also sort of
published part of that and by the United Nations Security Council. You know, that proposal, though Israel was already controlling almost all the
Philadelphi Corridor, there was nothing about that, nothing about the Rafah crossing.
And think or hearing now the press conference with Mr. Netanyahu -- Prime Minister Netanyahu, I was thinking when he gave 15 minutes to explain how
important is the Philadelphi Corridor, that is so important, how come Israel propose a full draft of an agreement that Israel was willing to sign
the next day without mentioning this corridor. Now, the concern of Israeli officials that the Philadelphi --
KINKADE: Ronen, sorry to -- Mr. Netanyahu has just wrapped up, I'll let you continue your thought. Sorry, Ronen.
BERGMAN: There are Israeli officials who are concerned. I think their point of view with all good reason that if Israel does not control or hand
the ability to monitor electronically with the help of the U.S. Defense Forces, the CIA, Egyptian Intelligence, what is happening above ground,
especially underground the Philadelphi Corridor.
Then Hamas would be able to, again, as it did for years, build tunnels underneath and funnel new round of supply military gear in order to rebuild
up its brigades after they were deeply hammered by Israeli -- by the Israeli version(ph). But the fact that this was brought up so late, when
the Senate and all(ph) advisors are well aware that this is a pre-condition not just by Hamas, but also by Egypt.
And then there are other ways to ensure that there are no more smuggling from Egypt to Gaza and the other way around. And that the Israeli military,
who is the -- they are the experts about those issues. They said, we are able to handle it from the security point of view.
The fact that he is proposing that he's putting that into the agreement in addition and contradiction to what he already agreed to, let a lot of
Israeli hiring military defensive Intelligence officials to believe that this is just a deliberate sabotage.
That Mr. Netanyahu fearing the dismantle of his coalition if he agrees to a ceasefire, fearing the ultra-right parties in his coalition, that this was
a deliberate sabotage in order not to reach any kind of agreement for a ceasefire and the return of the hostages.
[14:15:00]
KINKADE: Yes, he also said that the IDF can't withdrawal from this war because it will be too hard to re-enter at this point in time. Politically
speaking, as long as he continues this war, Netanyahu's legal troubles, the corruption cases essentially are on hold. How much do you believe that is
impacting his decision-making?
BERGMAN: Well, I can't examine what's happening in Mr. Netanyahu's mindset or what influences his decision-making process. But people around him with
who we spoke said that Mr. Netanyahu trying to satisfy the right-wing, ultra-right party in his coalition that oppose any kind of agreement, any
kind of ceasefire, any kind of end of the war.
He is trying to sabotage the agreement -- and also doesn't want the war to end, because if the war ends, he will face inquiry committee, maybe the
speedy renewal of his crime, and possibly or likely an election which he doesn't want to go to. Putting all of that together with the opinions of
the leaders of Israeli Intelligence and military administration establishment that are opposing.
And I say, yes, there's a deal on the table, we could get free the hostages, and of course, adding the fact that the hostages are dying every
day. They're dying because of the dire conditions in the tunnels. They're dying because they're being executed by Hamas.
If they see some IDF forces coming, or by the state, by IDF bombing, I think Israeli officials have said that there's nothing, the -- by Monn
Knight(ph), the Israeli famous religious scholars said there's no bigger Mitzvah, no bigger religious edit that -- the reduction of prisoners of
war.
Most of the country believe this is the right thing to do. We saw it yesterday, the massive demonstration throughout the country, Mr. Netanyahu
and parts of his coalition see a different priority.
KINKADE: Right, Ronen Bergman; staff writer of the "New York Times Magazine", appreciate your time today, thanks very much. Well, still to
come tonight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks out about his country's cross-border incursion into Russia as Kyiv and Moscow exchange a
massive wave of drone attacks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Russia is unleashing a massive wave of strikes on multiple Ukrainian cities. It's unfolding as children
across the country head back to the classroom. Monday's attacks targeted the capital of Kyiv as well as eastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions.
Over the weekend, Ukraine launched one of its largest ever drone attacks hitting a refinery and power station deep inside Russia. I want to bring in
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen, who is covering the developments and joins us live now from Kyiv. Good to have you with us, Fred.
So, we saw that major drone strike over the weekend hitting oil refineries and things like that right inside of Russia. Just how much impact did that
have?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I certainly think it had an impact on the Russians. In fact, they
acknowledged that not just that oil refinery was hit, but also an energy installation in Tver, in the Tver region. And that's a long way away from
the border with Ukraine.
It's north of Moscow, and really shows the long distance capabilities that the Ukrainians have now. Now, the Russians said on Sunday that they shot
down almost 160 drones that Ukraine had launched towards their territory in 15 regions. So, that was a massive strike.
And the Russians certainly answering in the very early morning hours of today, as you mentioned, the Kharkiv region, the Sumy region, but also very
much here in Kyiv where the citizens of the city were awoken by air raid sirens before dawn. Here's what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Monday morning right before dawn --
(EXPLOSION)
PLEITGEN: A massive barrage of Russian missiles targeting Ukraine's capital. Air defenses able to shoot down most of the incoming rockets, but
some clearly impacting inside the city. Russia attacking Ukraine's largest cities just as millions of children were set to go back to school for the
first day of the new term.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tonight, the explosions were very scary. I quickly ran to the bathroom, I could even feel the breeze from the impact of the
explosion.
(ARTILLERY FIRE)
PLEITGEN: Ukraine continuing its own incursion into Russian territory in an effort to force Vladimir Putin's army to move units away from other
frontlines. And now for the first time, CNN has obtained exclusive video showing how the Ukrainians first penetrated Russia's border.
Elite mine-clearing teams secretly infiltrated and blew up mine-fields in the heavily-fortified border area, clearing a path for the troops to get
through. But Ukraine remains both outmanned and outgunned in most areas, increasingly relying on drones to level the battlefield.
We visited the FRDM drone firm as they tested their new auto-copter attack drone. Already carrying mock(ph) bombs --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's LPJ shot.
PLEITGEN: Dropping them accurately from heights around 250 feet above ground. "Realizing the enemy's advantage in terms of numbers of people, we
cannot risk people", he says, so, we are working harder to have even better drones." The drones, a major factor on the battlefield where Ukrainian
forces are currently trying to stop sustained Russian advances in the east of the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin saying Ukraine's incursion into western Russia will not stop his army from pushing forward elsewhere.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT, RUSSIA (through translator): Their calculation was to stop our offensive actions in key parts of the Donbas. The results
is known, yes, and of course, our people are going through a tough time, especially in the Kursk region.
PLEITGEN: But the drone team say they are not done yet working on ever more sophisticated unmanned aircraft to hit the Russian invasion force.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: And you know, Lynda, you just heard Vladimir Putin there in our report saying that the Pokrovsk offensive by his force is still very much
on track and moving forward. And certainly that's something that we've seen over the past couple of days as Russian forces moving forward.
However, the President of this country, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he came out earlier today and said yes, the Ukrainians do still hope that if their
Kursk offensive continues, that the Russians will have to re-deploy forces to their own territory and away from those frontlines in places like
Pokrovsk.
[14:25:00]
Zelenskyy however also saying that right now for the Ukrainians, the most difficult battlefields at the moment are both in Toretsk, which is the area
around Bakhmut, but then also Pokrovsk as well, Lynda.
KINKADE: All right, Frederik Pleitgen for us, staying across it all from Kyiv. Good to have you there for us, thank you. Well, the Kursk incursion
success and failures around Pokrovsk have brought renewed urgency to the war in Ukraine. CNN's Christiane Amanpour gives us a closer look at a
privately-owned factory that's directing its efforts to the Ukrainian military.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): The evidence keeps growing even here in Kyiv, far from the front, memorials
occupy ever more space. And since Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region, the war has returned to the city with a vengeance.
Last night, ballistic missiles hit Kyiv, destroying infrastructure, tripling the energy grid, raising fears. Ukrainian journalist Nataliya
Gumenyuk tells me it's been a trade-off.
NATALIYA GUMENYUK, UKRAINIAN JOURNALIST: There is no discussion whether the Kursk was right, but the question is how much we lose in Pokrovsk in
the Donbas. It boosted the morale among the military, it showed that, you know, Ukraine can do something.
AMANPOUR: Just outside Kyiv, there's an urgent race against time in this factory that's building unmanned vehicles or land drones, because aerial
drones make the frontlines ever more dangerous for soldiers on both sides. Here is CEO and former Special Forces officer Oleksandr Biletskyi.
OLEKSANDR BILETSKYI, CEO, SHERP: That's why we should have technologies to kill more Russians with the purpose in using the new technologies like
using drones, using robots, that's it.
AMANPOUR: And these old terrain, all weather drones are meant to save more Ukrainians. On the front, they can be controlled from as far as 3
kilometers away. Here, we follow along behind. They can deliver everything from ammunition to water, and also remove the wounded from the frontlines.
Their production has ramped up since the full scale invasion of 2022. And the company insists Ukraine must develop more technologically-advanced
systems for asymmetrical warfare to counter Russia's overwhelming manpower. And they want to be much more self-sufficient for the long haul.
Thirty months into this grinding conflict with the prospect of international support fading. Are Ukrainians now ready to negotiate an end
to it all?
GUMENYUK: It's really a matter of survival. We can't allow them to control our territory. And what they suggest is unconditional capitulation --
AMANPOUR: Surrender, yes --
GUMENYUK: Unconditional surrender or occupation.
AMANPOUR: And here Nataliya quotes her friend and Ukraine's Nobel laureate who warns that occupation is not peace. It's just a different way of war.
Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Kyiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, the alternative for Germany has become the first far-right party to win a regional election in Germany since World War II. They did it
in the eastern state of Thuringia. The party took almost a third of the vote and came a close second in Saxony.
The results are a huge concern for Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and his center- left SPD coalition ahead of next year's federal election. Recent polls suggest that if they were to be held now, the AFD could become the second
largest group in parliament.
Well, still to come tonight, anger in Israel is reaching a boiling point. Protesters accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of blocking the path
to a hostage release deal. What's next for negotiations? Plus, U.S. President Joe Biden is joining Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign
trail. More on their message to voters coming up in a live report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked for forgiveness for not bringing six hostages home
alive from Gaza. He made those remarks during a news conference a short time ago, where he vowed Hamas would pay a very heavy price. The prime
minister also vowed not to surrender the Philadelphi Corridor, which links Gaza to Egypt.
The deaths of the hostages in Gaza has thrown the ceasefire negotiations and a hostage release deal into turmoil. And of course, it has sparked
these nationwide mass protests. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum is urging protesters to stay on the streets until a hostage and ceasefire
agreement is reached. White House officials say the next few days will be critical in the push to free those still held by Hamas.
I want to welcome Daniel Levy, the president of the U.S./Middle East Project. He worked as a special advisor to former Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Barak. Good to have you with us. You are a former Israeli peace negotiator. Prime Minister Netanyahu widely criticized for not doing
enough. In these hostage negotiations, not just by Israelis, not just by families of the hostages, but even the U.S. president today. What do you --
what's your reaction to the press conference we heard from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT, U.S./MIDDLE EAST PROJECT: Well, the Israeli prime minister has taken a consistent, I would argue mistaken, but it's a
consistent line where he, of course, argues that the release of the Israelis being held in Gaza is one of the priorities, but there are other
priorities in terms of his war aims, which I think he has set at a place that is intentionally able to continue a war indefinitely because the
Israeli prime minister is trying to revive, his career stay in power politically by being the indispensable wartime leader. Therefore, he needs
war.
And of course, there's the idea ideological motivation of Netanyahu, of his coalition allies. But, and this is really important, one of the things that
Netanyahu did in that press conference was to draw support to justify his position by frequently co-quoting senior American officials and, in
particular, the U.S. president. And he could do that because despite the throwaway comment from President Biden today in a jumbled question by a
member of the media as he was entering a meeting where he said, no, has Netanyahu done enough? No.
[14:35:00]
Despite that, throughout this, the U.S. has not a serious or effective mediator because it has consistently refused to lose -- use leverage on Mr.
Netanyahu and it has consistently said that only Hamas are to blame. So, Netanyahu, despite the domestic criticism, could actually use the U.S.
administration against the hostage families, the criticism from inside Israel.
KINKADE: So, are you suggesting that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to continue this war, wants to keep these negotiations going for as long as
possible to save his political career and to prevent him facing his legal troubles, that corruption probe?
LEVY: That's part of what I'm suggesting, but it's really not something I'm suggesting. I think outside of the Netanyahu echo chamber, which is
significant. You know, he still carries support from within his governing coalition. He has a media echo chamber. The media in Israel is very split.
But outside of it, if you look at the mainstream opposition inside Israel who have supported the war but they have not supported the way in which
Netanyahu has deprioritized getting a deal to bring the hostages home. So, that's the accusation that's heard consistently in mainstream Israel. It's
not just political -- it is political, but not just that, it is also ideological.
Netanyahu and his coalition believe in maintaining the occupation, something deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice, maintaining
the settlements, they have now conducting military operations on a more extensive scale in the occupied West Bank. They want to not only continue
the war, but continue displacing, ethnically cleansing Palestinians. That's what de facto they are doing and that's what indeed their coalition
guidelines say, which say that the entire land of Israel, in other words, all of it, Gaza, West Bank, the whole thing belong only to the Jewish
people.
So, yes, politics, yes, American malpractice, if not worse, but also ideology. But let's not underestimate the significance of what's happening
in Israel right now because the response to discovering the bodies of those six Israelis held in Gaza and obviously, the suffering that them and their
families have gone through alongside the suffering that tens of thousands of Palestinians killed, the entire 2 million plus population in Gaza living
in appalling conditions because of the Israeli strikes, but the discovery of those bodies, much of Israel, perhaps not enough yet to displace
Netanyahu, but tens and hundreds of thousands took to the streets to say, Mr. Prime minister, you have caused this because you've refused a deal.
And in his press conference today, Netanyahu made absolutely sure that there could be no progress in negotiations, just as he has been doing for
month after month because of the insistence on things that he knows are going to prevent a deal. And yet, the U S administration has refused to be
honest, and I think that's all we need from them, to start off with, be honest with your public, tell them what is preventing this, and then if you
accept that Israel is violating international law, committing war crimes, which is what the Court of Justice and the International Court have said,
then don't provide arms for those crimes.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. And, Daniel, just as you're speaking, we are looking at live pictures in Tel Aviv of protesters still on the streets
tonight, demanding action from Netanyahu and the government to bring the hostages home alive. Earlier today, we heard from a Rachel Goldberg-Polin,
Hersh's mother, one of the six. Absolutely heartbreaking listening to what she had to say. I just want to play some of that sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL GOLDBERG-POLIN, HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN'S MOTHER: If there was something we could have done to save you and we didn't think of it, I beg
your forgiveness. We tried so very hard, so deeply and desperately. I'm sorry. Now, my Hersh, I ask for your help as we transform our hope into
grief in this new unknown brand of pain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: I mean, we know three of the six hostages killed in the last few days were meant to be part of the next hostage exchange deal. If you were
working with Israeli negotiators what would be the next step?
[14:40:00]
LEVY: Either get the mandate from your prime minister that allows you to bring people home, to get this over the line, also to end the horrors being
inflicted upon Palestinians or resign. And I think some of those negotiators are close to that. They have consistently background briefed
the media that Netanyahu is preventing the deal.
We now know that Hersh and others could have gotten home alive had a deal been agreed to. But you have to understand there are two sides. If you
consistently say that, first of all, you murder the political leader of Hamas in an extrajudicial killing and then you say, Hamas has no legitimate
position. Look, Israel has committed war crimes. Hamas has committed war crimes. If we want to end this, then both of those parties are going to
have to step back. Then we're going to have to deal with the permanent illegal occupation.
But in the immediate term, something is going to have to change that equation. It is not going to be changed by more of the same what Israel's
leading political commentator, Nahum Barnea, today in the Israeli paper, Yedioth, calls mendacious spin by the Biden administration to serve
domestic political considerations. That is a direct quote.
So, until we see either a different equation in pressure from the outside or from the inside, this will not change. All we see now is the Biden
administration undermining those protesters who are on the streets of Tel Aviv who you've been showing and the protesters saying bring this to an
end.
KINKADE: Yes
LEVY: Either it will continue with all the horrors for the people in Gaza and for those being held from Israel or one of those vectors will hopefully
change.
KINKADE: All right. Daniel Levy, President of the U.S./Middle East Project, I appreciate your time today. Thanks for joining us.
LEVY: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, U.S. President Joe Biden is joining Vice President Kamala Harris for a campaign event. This is their first joint appearance since
Harris received the official nomination for president by the Democratic Party.
The two will be in Pittsburgh in the swing State of Pennsylvania to mark the Labor Day holiday. They're hoping to win over undecided voters, as
recent polls show the Vice President didn't receive much of a post- convention bounce in support.
Well, joining us now from Detroit, Michigan, is Eva McKend. Good to have you with us, Eva. So, give us a sense of the message that that both Joe
Biden and Kamala Harris will be delivering to voters today.
EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Lynda, I'm going to get to that in just a minute, but we do have some breaking news. Governor
Walz's motorcade was involved in a minor vehicle accident. He himself wasn't involved in that accident, but of course you know that several
vehicles travel with him, some including members of his staff. They were taken to the hospital for minor injuries. It appears that everyone is going
to be OK. But just something that can happen is so many people are traveling across the country, crisscrossing the nation that this minor
vehicle accident occurred.
But the vice president and the president joining forces now on the campaign trail today. The vice president wrapping up her event here in Detroit where
she spoke about the power and the dignity of work. She thanked union workers for their support, and she pledged to be an advocate for them if
elected president.
Essentially, the argument was, listen, you might be courted by Republican candidates, but they ultimately do not support union policies. There's
something called the PRO Act that would offer legal protections for employees trying to create unions. Well, that is something that she very
vociferously supports, as does President Biden. And so, that is the argument that they are now making together on the campaign trail. They are
going to be together in Pittsburgh. President Biden, very popular at union halls in that state.
And so, we see her making several arguments here. She's trying to characterize herself as a new way forward, but she's also embracing
President Biden in areas and in spaces, Lynda, where it makes sense to do so.
KINKADE: All right. Eva McKend, we will check in with you a little bit later. Good to have you with us. Thank you.
Well, still to come tonight, they spoke out against the former regime in Bangladesh and they paid the price. Their stories when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
KINKADE: Well, what a shocking move, the one U.S. official calls unheard of. The United States has said that belongs to Venezuelan President Nicolas
Maduro. It was in the Dominican Republic when U.S. officials took possession of it. American authorities say the purchase of the plane
violated U.S. sanctions. It's now been flown to the U.S. and searched by law enforcement. The U.S. has been at odds with Maduro for years and has
questioned the validity of his recent re-election.
Well, in Bangladesh, many are still picking up the pieces after that mass uprising that outstood the country's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
It came after she ordered a brutal crackdown by police, leaving some protesters with deep scars. Well, now some victims are coming forward.
CNN's Anna Coren has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The fresh faces of the future against that of the past. Shoes hanging in the face of Bangladesh's ousted
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the ultimate insult and show of defiance in a country where people on the streets achieved the unthinkable.
What began as a student-led protest against government quotas in early July, morphed into a mass uprising. After Hasina, who'd been in power for
more than 15 years, ordered police to open fire on the crowds.
Over the following weeks, hundreds of people were killed while thousands were arrested.
NUSRAT TABASSUM, PROTEST COORDINATOR: They came to my house, they broke three doors, they took me with them and oh, my god, the physical torture,
that was miserable.
COREN (voice-over): Nusrat Tabassum, a 23-year-old political science student, says she was beaten for hours on end. Her face repeatedly hit.
Some of her teeth now loose. Her right eardrum burst.
TABASSUM: Without a hearing aid, I can't listen in my right ear.
COREN (voice-over): After five days in custody, Nusrat was paraded in front of the cameras. The only female in the group of prominent student
leaders forced to make an apology.
For fellow student, Iftekhar Alam, his detainment was even more sinister. Snatched from his home before dawn, he was blindfolded, handcuffed, and
believes he was taken to a notorious military intelligence facility in Dhaka, where over the years, hundreds of Bangladeshi considered anti-state
have been disappeared.
IFTEKHAR ALAM, STUDENT PROTESTER: I was like there is no escaping from this, and my life will end here, and no one will know.
COREN (voice-over): The law student says for hours, he was beaten with a metal rod, breaking bones in his feet. A burning cigarette was then pushed
into his fingers and toes as part of what they called their little game.
ALAM: When I closed my eyes, I remember that I went to that I went to that horrible day.
COREN (voice-over): Once released, he discovered Hasina had resigned and fled to India.
ALAM: The people's Bangladesh, it is the people's country.
[14:50:00]
COREN (voice-over): The capital now awash with colorful murals, has a very clear message, there is no going back. As the U.N. investigates the
hundreds of protested deaths, the people have entrusted Interim Chief Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus to bring about desperately needed reform.
COREN: The fall of the government has unleashed a spirit that has electrified every level of society. It has given a voice to everyone, from
students to doctors, even rickshaw drivers, as they take to the streets to make their demands.
COREN (voice-over): But change doesn't happen overnight, especially in a country of 170 million people where the iron fist ruled and corruption and
cronyism reign.
TABASSUM: My country is sick, but our people, we stand together. I believe there will be sunshine in future.
COREN (voice-over): A future this generation will continue to fight for.
Anna Coren, CNN, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: We're going to take a quick break. We will be right back with much more in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Health officials in the U.S. are warning people to take extra precautions against rising levels of mosquito-
borne viruses. Studies show that climate change and warmer temperatures mean that the number of mosquito days is increasing, and that the
mosquitoes are more likely to bite people.
Well, that's been CNN's Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell. Meg, I'm one of those people that get bitten all the time by mosquitoes. So, they're
irritating, itchy, but also more likely to spread diseases now. Explain.
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they are -- can potentially very dangerous. I mean, in some cases, they can be considered the world's
deadliest animal.
In the United States right now, there are two main threats that are on people's radar screens. One is called Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE,
or triple E. This has only had about six cases reported so far this season, and it's a pretty rare disease. But in severe cases, it can be deadly.
These six cases have been reported in five states as of right now, with one death included in New Hampshire.
Now, in the severe cases, 30 percent of the time, this disease can be fatal if it affects the brain. And for people who survive, there can be ongoing
neurological damage. So, it's something that is really on radar screens right now.
[14:55:00]
Several towns in Massachusetts are putting precautions into place so that they have curfews, people aren't outside, parks are closed during the times
when mosquitos are biting the most, which is at dawn and dusk. So, there's a lot of that.
Now, the other major mosquito-borne virus on the radar screens here in the U.S. right now is West Nile virus. This one is more common, although still
fewer than 300 cases have been reported so far this season. This one is more widespread. You see cases across the United States, including the most
being reported there in Texas. Unfortunately, we did hear that Dr. Anthony Fauci was hospitalized with West Nile virus. That again is a rare
occurrence, but it can be a quite dangerous virus if it does affect people in severe forms. We are hearing that Dr. Fauci was home and doing well,
luckily.
But these are concerning diseases. And of course, we know about dengue in Puerto Rico and the Oropouche virus, which people didn't know as much
about, but that one's spreading in South America and on radar screens as well.
KINKADE: And so, just quickly, what can people do to prevent getting bitten?
TIRRELL: Well, in addition to these increasing mosquito days, so we're going to have to be even more vigilant about mosquitoes than we have been
before. The Environmental Protection Agency has registered repellents. So, you know which ingredients to use. Things like DEET and Picaridin. Wearing
long sleeved shirts, treating your clothes with permethrin can really help, and also being aware of your environment, making sure there's no standing
water around where you live, screens on your doors and windows, things like that, and avoiding the times when mosquitoes are biting at dawn and dusk.
KINKADE: All right. Meg Tirrell, good to have you with us on the case. Thanks so much.
And just before we go, I want to update you on the breaking news. We're following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that he won't
surrender the pressure to leave the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border. It comes as thousands of protesters demand a ceasefire and a
hostage deal in Jerusalem and across Israel after the murder of six hostages held by Hamas.
I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks so much for joining us. Stay with CNN. I'll have much more on Newsroom in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
