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One World with Zain Asher
Israel Launches Its Largest Military Incursion On Jenin; Russia Accuses Ukraine Of Attempting To Assassinate Crimean Leader; Angry Protests In France May Be Easing; France Unrest Starts To Impact Country's Tourism Industry. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired July 03, 2023 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And hello and a very warm welcome. I'm Paula Newton, live in New York. And this is ONE WORLD. Using drones
from the air and armored bulldozers on the ground, Israel is launching its largest military incursion into the occupied West Bank city of Jenin in two
decades.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
So, Israel says the operation is focused on counterterrorism. Palestinians call it a new war crime against our defenseless people. The Palestinian
Health Ministry says at least eight people have been killed, with that number likely to rise, and at least 50 others now injured. Israel says it
hit terrorist infrastructure in the densely populated Jenin refugee camp. The operation comes less than two weeks after a raid in the same area
erupted into a massive firefight, killing at least five Palestinians.
We want to go straight to our Hadas Gold who joins us now live near Jerusalem. Obviously, this is a notable escalation. Hadas, can you give us
a sense of this operation both on the ground but also in historical terms given the uptick in violence that you've covered now for the last 18
months?
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, we have been covering this regular sort of cycle of violence for the past 18 months. The Israeli military
launching these regular raids into the occupied West Bank after a series of Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis. Now, the Israeli military is saying
that they're going into the West Bank to try to prevent militants from being able to later carry out attacks. But it just seems to be perpetuating
the cycle of violence.
And we have been reporting it seemingly time and time again about how everything we're seeing is once again reminiscent of the days of the Second
Intifada when Israeli tanks were seen in the actual cities themselves in the West Bank. But really, today is something new because it's been
confirmed now from an Israeli military source telling CNN that this is the largest Israeli military operation in the West Bank since 2002.
When you look at just the full number of soldiers, hundreds of Israeli soldiers, the fact that they were using airstrikes from drones, you know,
of at least 10 airstrikes that were being carried out in Jenin. When you look at the bulldozers that are tearing up streets on the streets of Jenin.
Now, Israeli military is saying this is being done to try and root out IEDs that militants place underneath the surface level of the street, but
obviously that affects the civilians who are living there, as well. And we are actually seeing Israeli tanks, not in Jenin itself, but on the
outskirts outside the city limits. Again, these are not scenes that we are used to seeing here, at least not since the days of the Second Intifada.
And Paula, this is ongoing as we speak. We are still getting reports of firefights, the Israeli military saying that they, just in the last hour,
two hours or so, were engaged in firefights with militants at a mosque. They say that they discovered some underground tunnels under the mosque
that were being used to store weapons. We are getting reports of potentially even further airstrikes.
This has now been going on for definitely more than 12 hours. I think we're approaching now 16 hours of this operation. And yet still, the Israeli
military is saying that it is not necessarily a large-scale operation against the entire West Bank. They say they are focused on Jenin and that
they want to essentially prevent Jenin from once again becoming what they call a safe haven for militants.
Now, we are hearing that at least eight Palestinians have been killed. There have been some reports that some of them at least are militants, but
no militant group has claimed them yet as their own. We know of at least 50 who have been injured. One Israeli soldier has been injured as well. But,
of course, for the civilians there, I was actually just in Jenin yesterday on the ground talking to residents. They, today, are saying this is
something they have never seen before, at least have not seen in decades.
Now, the White House has said that they are closely monitoring the situation. They did say broadly they support Israel's security and its
fight against terrorism. But there is a concern that this will spill over into something much broader, that this will spill over across the West
Bank. We've already heard from the militant group Hamas. It has called on its members on itself to strike Israel, it said wherever it can. Paula.
NEWTON: Yeah, certainly, I'm glad, Hadas, that you could put that into historical perspective. As said more than two decades. In terms of this
escalation, we will continue to follow this developing story for us. Hadas Gold for us, appreciate your update.
In the meantime, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Vladimir Putin is losing control of his own people.
[12:05:00]
The Ukrainian President's comments come more than a week after the armed Wagner rebellion in Russia led by its chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Now, in an
exclusive interview with CNN's Erin Burnett, Mr. Zelenskyy says the insurrection shows President Putin's power is crumbling. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Mr. President, you know, you recently said that you have dealt, and I'll quote you the way it quoted, with different
Putins. It's a completely different set of traits in different periods. Now, of course, he's faced a rebellion, an attempted coup from Yevgeny
Prigozhin. Have you seen any changes in how you think he's acting, in his behavior since the attempted coup?
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Yes, we see the reaction after certain Wagner steps. We see Putin's reaction. It's
weak. Firstly, we see he doesn't control everything. Wagner's moving deep into Russia and taking certain regions shows how easy it is to do. Putin
doesn't control the situation in the regions. He doesn't control the security situation.
All of us understand that his whole army is in Ukraine. Almost entire army is there. That's why it's so easy for the Wagner troops to march through
Russia. Who could have stopped them? We understand that Putin doesn't control the regional policy, and he doesn't control all those people in the
regions. So, all that vertical of power he used to have, just got crumbling down.
BURNETT: Do you believe he is fully in charge of the military right now? When it comes to your frontline and this counteroffensive, do you believe
Putin is fully in charge of the Russian military?
ZELENSKYY (through translator): I don't think he fully controls all the processes. He gives orders to the commanders. It's understood. They are
scared to lose their jobs, but he doesn't understand and doesn't control the middle layer of the Russian military, nor the lower rank officers and
soldiers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now, earlier on Monday, Ukraine says Russia attacked an area in the northeastern part of that country. Kyiv says the drones hit two apartment
buildings in the center of Sumy, killing at least two people and injuring 16 others. Officials there say rescue and firefighting operations are still
ongoing at this hour.
Elsewhere, Ukraine claims its troops are slowly gaining back territory, about 38 square kilometers in the past week. Kyiv says, meantime, that
Russia fired 17 drones into Ukraine overnight and 13 of them were shot down. Meantime, Moscow says it foiled a Ukrainian plot to kill the Russian-
backed Crimean leader. According to Russia's security agency, the FSB, Ukraine recruited a Russian, a man who tried to bomb his car.
Ben Wedeman is following all of these latest developments for us from eastern Ukraine. And Ben, I do want to get back to that counteroffensive
and really interested to get your take on this. We've been hearing many things about how this was supposed to unfold in the next few weeks. Does it
seem to you that Russia is putting up a more stubborn resistance, one that has surprised Ukraine?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they're clearly putting up a tougher, stiffer resistance than anyone anticipated. I mean,
if you look at the gains over the last week that we heard from the Deputy Defense Minister in the eastern part of Ukraine, where we are, the
Ukrainian forces managed to seize nine square kilometers in the south, the south of Zaporizhzhia, 28.4 kilometers. That, in miles, is 14 square miles.
That's not much territory.
And what we're hearing from the front is that the fighting is intense, but the Russians have had months to prepare for this. There were reports last
week that thousands of Russian troops were moved from other parts of the thousand-kilometer-long front to the area around Bakhmut.
Now, we've actually spoken with Russian prisoners of war. They tell us that morale is bad on the Russian side, that supplies are low, food is scarce,
medicine is being absconded by commanders to get high on. But nonetheless, the Russians seem to have enough artillery, enough firepower, enough
airpower, which is critical to make this advance very difficult.
Now, we've heard from President Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials that progress is slow and will be slow, given all of those
factors I've discussed. But they think that the longer they continue to push with this counteroffensive, that the Russian lines will buckle
eventually, but at the moment they're proving to be far more difficult to overcome than anybody expected.
NEWTON: Yeah, I mean, Zelenskyy, right, Ben had warned early on that there would be no shock and awe.
[12:10:00]
And yes, as you said, the character of this perhaps progressing more slowly than others had imagined. Ben Wedeman, we'll have to leave it there for
now. But I thank you for the live report.
Now to France, where it appears the angry protests that have rocked that country for nearly a week may be easing. Sunday night was still violent.
Some 300 cars across the country were burned. But it wasn't nearly as widespread and destructive as the past six days. And crowds gathered at
town halls throughout France today in a show of solidarity with local governments that have been targeted.
Meantime, the mayor of one Paris suburb says his family -- remember this is his family, was the target of an assassination attempt
after a burning car crashed into his home. Our Paris Correspondent Melissa Bell is in the Paris suburb where that mayor's home was attacked. Such a
shocking development. Melissa, good to have you on this story. Does the situation seem to have calmed a bit? And I guess the question everyone's
asking is, is it expected to last?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Well, there was definitely a calming down of things on Sunday. If you look just, Paula, at the number of people
arrested over the course of the weekend, 1300 and Friday night, 700 on Saturday. And then by Sunday, when you had this appeal for calm by the
young boy who was killed at the police stop, Niles' grandmother are urging on French TV -- people to stay home and stop taking to the streets. A
decided drop in the number of incidents across the country. In fact, only a hundred and fifty seven people were arrested overnight Sunday night into
today, Monday.
The other incident, of course, that shocked the country and that was described as being having crossed a line was that what is now being
investigated as an assassination attempt on the mayor of this small suburb's house, where his wife and two children were, she and one of the
children were injured as they tried to escape, although no further harm was done. That march that you just mentioned took place at the end of it. The
local mayor, Paula, had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VINCENT JEANBRUN, L'HAY-LES ROSES MAYOR (through translator): More than ever, our Republic and its servants are threatened, threatened and
attacked. In truth, it is democracy itself that is under attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: And so, you have a couple of different ways the government's trying to get this under control. On one hand, of course, the police numbers will
remain the same tonight, even though the Paris police chief recognized there had been a calming down. He explained that no risks could be taken.
So, 45,000 policemen and women will remain mobilized tonight in France, trying to keep order on the streets.
But there's also the political tack. We've seen Emmanuel Macron meeting today with the parliamentary presidents. He'll meet tomorrow with 220
mayors in some of the small towns and communes and villages that were so affected by the violence. And the interior minister has just been meeting
with some of those, as well, really urging local politicians to go out into the communities to speak to people.
They're also going to be launching this consultation process to try and figure out how, where this anger could have come from and could have
erupted so suddenly and so violently. It is, of course, Paula, a thorny question because, as you know, here, the laws in France prevent really the
collection of data on issues like racism and ethnicity and that traditionally, has made it very difficult whenever there have been
education allegations of systemic racism with the police or indeed brutality that has affected certain neighborhoods like this one more than
others.
It's been very difficult to get to the root cause of them. And I think that's been what's been behind a lot of the anger. So, many things being
done at this stage, although clearly no one knows exactly what will or will not happen on the streets of France today, Paula.
NEWTON: Yeah. And perhaps that plea, right, Melissa, from the grandmother of the teenager killed will make a difference. Her, just saying plainly,
I'm tired and this needs to stop. But Melissa, we'll continue to get updates from you throughout the day. Appreciate that.
Now, the unrest has started to impact the country's vital tourism industry. Hotels have seen cancellations as you can imagine and retailers have been
vandalized. Even so, some tourists in the heart of Paris aren't letting the turmoil affect their plans. Michael Holmes has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Peak tourist season in France. For many visitors, the sights of fiery and at times violent
protests around the country over the fatal shooting of a teenager by police might make them worry about their itinerary. But protesters have largely
left the most famed attractions in Paris alone, though some were dispersed from the Place de la Concorde on Friday. This couple from the U.S. says
they knew about the protests but didn't change their plans.
UNKNOWN: It's unfortunately happening. We have to continue.
UNKNOWN: We decide still to come. We have confidence in Macron.
UNKNOWN: -- and the French countrymen to take care of the situation.
HOLMES: Another tourist from Chicago says her trip is still going as planned, but the anger on the streets here remind her of problems back
home.
UNKNOWN: So far, we haven't seen like the rioting and the cars on fire and such, but we also had that in the United States back in 2021 with George
Floyd.
[12:15:00]
So, we live in Chicago and there was a lot of that there. So, we've already experienced it.
HOLMES (voice-over): Many places that cater to tourists say they are worried not only about security, but about the economic impact of the
protests. One tour bus driver says he feels bad for the tourists who have come for a vacation, but says it's also hard on the people who are just
trying to work.
The country's main association for hospitality workers says many of its hotel members have seen an increase in the number of cancellations of
reservations. The French Retail Federation is also calling for more police to stop stores being vandalized. But for the most parts, Central Paris has
been unscathed with exceptions like when police say protesters looted stores on the Rue de Rivoli and damaged a shopping mall.
There was also increased security along the Champs-Elysees with police carrying out spot checks in the area. In the port city of Marseille where
some of the country's worst violence happened, a bus carrying Chinese tourists was attacked during a protest causing minor injuries to some
passengers.
China's Consulate General has launched an official complaint and called on the French authorities to keep their citizens and property safe. Back in
the French capital, some tourists say they're unfazed by it all and making the best of their trip. It is, after all, still Paris.
CLAIRE, BRITISH TOURIST: We checked out the news, we think it's absolutely fine. There's so many things going on in the world. If you listen to
everything, you'd never travel.
HOLMES (voice-over): Michael Holmes, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And turning back to our top story here in the Mideast, unrest on the political front in Israel, as well. A large number of protesters are
turning out in the streets near Israel's Ben Gurion Airport. You can see them there, some of them scuffling with police who tried to keep them from
blocking access to the terminal.
Now, they're speaking out against the government's plan to overhaul its judicial system, and they've been demonstrating there for weeks now. And we
will continue to keep you updated on those developing stories there in Israel.
Now, an urgent manhunt, meantime, is underway in Baltimore. Maryland where police are searching for at least two suspects wanted in a block party mass
shooting. Now, two people were killed and 28 others injured when gunfire erupted early Sunday morning. Surveillance video shows people running for
safety. You can see that there, police say half of the victims were just minors, some as young as 13.
So far, no arrests have been made. The city's mayor says the violence marks yet another instance during which a celebration turned into tragedy and we
are expecting a police update on that in the coming hours.
Coming up for us, hundreds of years after his country's role in the global slave trade, the King of the Netherlands says he is sorry. Much more on
that just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: The King of the Netherlands is apologizing for his country's role in the global slave trade. Now, King Willem-Alexander also asked for
forgiveness for his ancestors profiting off that slave trade and doing nothing to stop it. The Netherlands outlawed slavery some 160 years ago,
but it is estimated that the royal family earned the equivalent of $600 million in taxes and other fees from Dutch colonies that practiced slavery.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLEM-ALEXANDER, KING OF NETHERLANDS (through translator): The horrors of slavery in the past. The consequences of this can still be felt today in
racism in our society. On December 19th, the last year, the prime minister apologized on the behalf of the Dutch government for the fact that people
in the name of the Dutch state were made into commodities, exploited and mistreated for centuries. Today, I stand here before you as your king and
as part of the government. And today I make these apologies, myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Joining me now for more on this is Linda Nooitmeer, she is the Chairman of the National Institute for the Study of Dutch Slavery and its
legacy. And I want to thank you for joining us on this. I want to ask you how does this latest development move the needle on this deplorable
history? Why is it significant that the apology come from the royal family?
LINDA NOOITMEER, CHAIR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF DUTCH SLAVERY: Thank you. Because of the fact of the symbolic -- the fact that the King is
a symbol, not only in Holland but also in the Caribbean part of Holland and in Suriname and he is head of state. And the only thing we always said as
NiNsee is that it's not about the citizens but it is the Dutch government who has to acknowledge this slave history.
So, the symbolic part of the symbolic value of the King is very big and we've seen it in the reactions in the community.
NEWTON: Yeah, and yet this apology has been divisive at times, even marked by acrimony. In your opinion, why is that? I mean, should the apology stand
as is with its presumed sincerity?
NOOITMEER: No, it shouldn't stand as is because for us, the agenda hasn't changed. The main thing for NiNsee is that we come to eliminating the
negative social, economic and cultural impact of the slavery past. But in the discussion, this will help. And I think that we have come a long way
since Black Pete in 1927. And now we have another phase we're going in. And with the acknowledgement of the King, it's -- it will help us in the
process.
NEWTON: You know, a reminder that it was hundreds of thousands of people from Africa and Asia that were trafficked by those Dutch merchants, that's
between the 17th and 19th centuries. I think some people will even quibble with the $600 million mark. So, then I ask you, is the apology enough? How
does this move on to what you know is a global discussion about reparations?
NOOITMEER: Well, I think that this can be an example because you're right, the transatlantic slave history is not a Dutch instance, it is an
international instance. And I think that if you talk about reparations, if you talk about investing in communities of people of African descent,
mainly from the colonies, then I think that we have to acknowledge this on -- on a worldly level.
So, I expect that this can be the first of many apologies to come and that it will help the international reparation agenda that involves all people
of African descent whose ancestors were enslaved. And if you look at the continent in Africa, there has a lot to be done that also has bounds with
the slave history.
NEWTON: You know, some would say that these apologies are still late in the game. What do you think has changed in order to enable an apology both from
government and the royal families?
[12:25:00]
NOOITMEER: I think that because the NiNsee exists for 21 years and we have -- the community has been talking about this for 60, 70 years. One main
fact is the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in which the Dutch -- the Dutch people in Holland came to the realization that we still have
institutionalized racism in Holland.
And we live in a global area where knowledge is going fast. We live in a period where we are questioning things that were always like they've always
been. And this also, and we tend to talk about human rights again. And if we're talking about human rights, but we still accept that people
understand that that is not the right thing to do.
And I think in Holland, that has also helped us in this struggle. But that doesn't mean that we aren't there yet, because we still have to face people
who don't want to take notice of this history. And so, there is still enough work to be done.
NEWTON: Yeah, for sure, historical ignorance has marred all of these discussions. And I take note that you do feel that the Black Lives Matter
protests were an inflection point. I have to ask you, and I mean given what's happened in the last week here in the United States, even with the
affirmative action ruling from the Supreme Court, I have to ask you if you, if you -- what do you say to the 16-year-old disadvantaged, socio-
economically black teenager, Dutch -- what do you say to them about what this apology will mean to them?
NOOITMEER: I think that this apology, because as I said, the agenda hasn't changed. We are not celebrating as if we are there yet. For us, we always
say the apologies are symbolic. They help us and the fact that the King asked for forgiveness, they help us in the process. And I think that
everything we want to do after the apologies from Prime Minister Rutte, the comma, involves changing the narrative, changing the position of people of
African descent.
So, for him, I -- for that 16 year old, I always want to emphasize that look at how your situation is changing. We are making sure that your
situation will change, that you can have a level playing field, that you don't have to face racism. And if you face racism, we have the things in
order to challenge that. So, and that's why I say that we are not there yet.
The symbolic part, that is okay. We need those symbols but at the end of the day we still have a lot to do because to be frank, if you're living in
the Caribbean part of Holland or in Suriname or in the impoverished neighborhoods in Holland, then this doesn't change your situation.
NEWTON: Understood.
NOOITMEER: So, there are more steps to make.
NEWTON: Yeah. Understood. And we thank you for weighing in and certainly giving us the relevance of this apology today. Linda Nooitmeer, thanks so
much, appreciate it.
NOOITMEER: Thank you for having me. And we want to take you back now to the scene unfolding outside of Tel Aviv. A large number of protesters, you can
see them there, turning out near Israel's Ben Gurion Airport. Some of them scuffling with police who tried to keep them from blocking access to the
terminal. You can imagine the chaos there, even if those entrances to the terminal remain open.
Four people were arrested for violating public order at the airport. They're speaking out against the government's plan to overhaul the judicial
system, and they have, on that issue, been demonstrating for weeks now in multiple locations. The latest, you see it there from the airport and we'll
continue to keep you up to date there on those live developments in Israel.
Coming up for us, America's top spy master brings clear messages to both Ukraine and Russia, details of the support he's showing Kyiv and the
denials he has for Moscow. That's after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: Hello and a warm welcome back to ONE WORLD. I want to get you all caught up on the headlines. In Kenya, a court ordered cult leader Paul
Mackenzie to remain in police custody. Mackenzie is accused of telling his followers to starve themselves to death. So far, more than 330 bodies have
been uncovered from a forest in Kenya, making it one of the worst mass suicides in recent memory.
At least 13 Sudanese children have died from a suspected measles outbreak. Deaths occurred at an internal displacement camp in Sudan's White Nile
State. Thousands of women and children have fled to the camps to escape violent conflict between two warring factions. Doctors in the region say
malnutrition and what may be measles are the most urgent health problems they're facing right now.
So, the Director of the CIA recently traveled to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other intelligence officials, that's
according to a U.S. official. A separate source says Director William Burns spoke with his Russian counterpart, assuring him the U.S. had nothing to do
with the recent Wagner insurrection.
We want to take a closer look at CIA's connection with Ukraine. Oren Liebermann joins us now from the Pentagon. And Oren, obviously any
connection to Ukraine is closely associated with the connection to Russia. What more are you learning out of what was definitely a very unique type of
visit?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Of course, that U.S. official who confirmed the visit of CIA Director William Burns to Ukraine says it
happened last month, so it happened in June. And it's worth noting the timeline here because it happened before Wagner leader and founder, Yevgeny
Prigozhin, tried to carry out a mutiny or an insurrection against Russian President Vladimir Putin. That means the insurrection and its fallout
didn't come up in the meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian intelligence officials.
So, what was discussed? Well, according to that U.S, official, Burns has regularly visited Ukraine to meet with not only Ukraine's President, but
also the other senior officials there. We know of one that was in January, but the confirmation of this visit seems to imply there have been at least
some others, if not plenty of others.
The purpose of these visits, according to the U.S. official, is to reiterate to Zelenskyy and to other Ukrainian officials the ongoing U.S.
support and the ongoing U.S. sharing of intelligence that Ukraine has used to carry out not only its counteroffensive, but also its other operations
against occupying Russian forces that we've seen carried out over the course of the last year and a half.
[12:35:00]
It is worth noting that there has been a -- according to Burns, a disaffection of Russia's population as this war has hit that one and a half
year mark. Of course, that disaffection of the Russian population is bad for Putin, which means it's good for Ukraine, but Burns said when he spoke
in England over this weekend that it's been not only good for the U.S., but also good for the CIA in recruiting efforts. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM BURNS, CIA DIRECTOR: Disaffection with the war will continue to gnaw away at the Russian leadership. That disaffection creates a once in a
generation opportunity for us at CIA. We're very much open for business.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: The CIA launched its own recruitment effort when this war began a year and a half ago, and that was at least partially successful, if not
successful. So, this can be viewed either as another attempt at that or another effort at that or as simply a continuing effort over the course of
the past year and a half to use this bubbling, disaffection with the war for CIA recruitment purposes. And that certainly is worth noting.
A different U.S. official, and here, we'll come back to the timeline here, says Burns reached out to his Russian counterpart after Prigozhin's
insurrection or attempted mutiny against Russia. That's when, according to this official, Burns spoke with his Russian counterpart, and I'll get this
name right, Director Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, Sergey Naryshkin, simply Paul, and this is worth noting, simply to reiterate that
the U.S. had no role in Prigozhin's efforts over the course of the past several days that we closely monitored.
CNN has reported that there were other efforts, as well, outreach efforts, just to say, look, this is not the U.S., not the CIA involved, we now know
that those outreach efforts reached all the way to the top of the intelligence services.
NEWTON: Yeah, and whether or not Russia takes any of that on board, we likely will never know. Oren Liebermann for us, appreciate that update. We
want to return now to our top story, the Israeli military incursion into the West Bank city of Jenin, the largest now in more than 20 years. Now,
the sounds of gunfire and explosions were heard for hours, likely still heard at this hour.
The Palestinian Health Ministry says at least eight people have been killed and about 80 others now injured. The Palestinian Red Crescent, meantime,
says Israeli forces prevented its crews from entering Jenin. Israel says it was targeting terrorist infrastructure in the Jenin refugee camp. That
densely populated camp has been at the heart of violence across the West Bank, triggering alarm from Washington to the Arab world.
An Israeli spokesperson says the operation was intended to, quote, break the safe haven mindset of the camp, which has become a hornet's nest. The
Israeli army has conducted raids into cities such as Jenin for more than a year now and it's all part of a deadly cycle of violence that has seen
attacks by Palestinians against Israelis and rampages by Jewish settlers against Palestinian villages.
Time now for The Exchange. Our next guest tweets that the Jenin refugee camp is about one square kilometer and home to about 13,000 people. I mean,
think of that. It's incredibly crowded. And she says targeting this camp from the air and ground puts all residents at risk.
Nour Odeh, is a Political Analyst and a Former Spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority and she joins me now live from Ramallah in the West
Bank. I want to get right to what you know about the operation in the ground right now. What can you tell us about the operation itself and what
are you hearing from your sources on the ground?
NOUR ODEH, POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I can tell you that journalists have been struggling to cover the story on the ground. They've come under direct
fire themselves. The medical crews, as you reported, have also had a lot of difficulty accessing the refugee camp and retrieving the injured or
attending to those who need help, including the elderly and the civilians trapped in the refugee camp during this operation, which is going on almost
16 hours now.
And a lot of former colleagues who have covered -- who had covered the 2002 invasion of the refugee camp say the atmosphere is very, very reminiscent
of that bloody episode when Israel killed over 60 Palestinians and basically pummeled the refugee camp, destroyed it, leveled many of its
neighborhoods to the ground, also under the very similar pretenses.
NEWTON: You know, it's hard for us to get a read of what's going on the ground. We have live pictures right now of Jenin. And as you can see, as
the sun is setting, we still see smoke rising from there. The Israeli government believes that this operation will continue for some hours to
come. In terms of tactics here, what are you hearing, as well? I'm sure it's difficult for you to get information because, you know, mobile
internet coverage is spotty, sometimes non-existent. We just had that update from the Palestinian Red Crescent saying medical professionals were
having a hard time getting to those injured.
I mean, give us an indication of operationally, what this will look like if you're inside such a crowded camp right now?
[12:40:00]
ODEH: Well, let me try to visualize this for the viewers. Basically, a large contingent of Israeli armored vehicles have gotten into the refugee
camp. They basically plowed many of the streets. They've destroyed the water network, cut off electricity. So, the residents now have no
electricity, no water, and nowhere to go. And many of the buildings have been taken over by Israeli soldiers to be used as sniper positions.
So, those who have had the misfortune of Israeli soldiers taking over their home are now trapped in those homes that is being used by Israeli soldiers
to shoot at Palestinian activists. And I want to put this in perspective, if you allow me.
For Palestinians, these horrible scenes and these SOS calls from paramedics and from journalists and from residents of the refugee camp are part of a
very -- of a bigger and very violent picture of daily life under Israeli occupation. The Palestinians are ruled against their will by the Israelis,
and in order to maintain that rule, which is violent in its nature, Israel conducts these campaigns against Palestinian resistance, which exists
because the occupation exists.
You know, your reporter was reporting out of Ukraine a few moments ago and was talking about efforts to combat occupation there. It's pretty much the
same when it comes to Palestinian --
NEWTON: I do --
ODEH: Unfortunately, the international reaction is very different.
NEWTON: And our reporting says that the United States Biden administration is watching the situation closely but it continues to hold the line saying
that look, Israel is entitled to safeguard its security. I also want to get to those calls from Hamas and Islamic Jihad to, in their words, strike
Israel by all available means to stop the massacre. I mean, how much of a tipping point are we at here in terms of an escalation, especially, you
know, all available means basically is a call to action for more violence, is it not?
ODEH: Well, again, I want to, you know, just bring in the Palestinian perspective here. Being ruled against your will by a foreign military is
violent, and it's violent every day, even when it doesn't make the news. The fact that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are now calling for reaction against
the invasion of the refugee camp is predictable.
There's nothing surprising about that, just as there is nothing surprising about the fact that Palestinians don't want to be ruled by foreigners who
use unnecessary force, who use extreme force against civilians. Israel has killed more Palestinians this year, so far, than it did the year before,
which was already the most violent. In the past 16 or 17 years, it has allowed for settlement expansion that has exceeded the total number of
settlement units built last year, only in the past six months.
This Israeli government, which Israelis are protesting against, is the most violent, most extreme, most anti-Palestinian that we've seen since Israel's
establishment, perhaps, at its core and its declared agenda is not just to maintain control over the West Bank, to annex that West Bank and consider
it part of Israel, but also to crush the very notion of Palestinian freedom and statehood. So, the Palestinians are not only under attack, they feel
that their very existence is under attack.
NEWTON: So, we will continue to follow the breaking news on this story. I want to update us that from 50, it's now gone to at least 80 wounded.
That's the information that we're getting. We thank you for your insights on this. As I say, we continue to follow the breaking news out of Israel,
appreciate it.
Now, coming up for us, reports are set to be released soon on a popular sugar substitute. You're going to want to hear this. What we could learn
about the potential dangers of aspartame.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: The World Health Organization is taking a closer look at the potentially harmful health effects of the artificial sweetener aspartame,
specifically now, its potential links to cancer. Aspartame, we'll remind you is one of the most common artificial sweeteners used in drinks and
food, especially those ironically marketed as sugar-free or diet products. Now, late next week, WHO committees are set to release their findings on
possible carcinogenic effects of the sweetener.
CNN Health Reporter Jacqueline Howard has been looking into this for us and joins us now. And thank goodness you are looking into this. I've been
reading into these results for the last year in terms of the hints of what it might show. But what exactly do you think we'll learn from this upcoming
WHO report?
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: What's interesting, Paula, because the WHO committees are not only looking at this potential link to cancer,
but also we can expect to learn what the committees recommend as far as the acceptable amount of aspartame to have each day, what they consider to be
too much and what they consider to be acceptable.
And like you said, Paula, we do see this ingredient in several food and beverage items, not just diet sodas and cereals, but also sometimes chewing
gum, sometimes cough drops, sometimes even toothpaste. So, this is an ingredient that we encounter on a daily basis for most people. And here in
the United States, the FDA does state that there is a limit to how much aspartame someone could consume each day.
The FDA here says no more than 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Now, that's an enormous amount. That's equivalent to a 175-pound man having
22 cans of diet soda each day. So that's the limit that we're hearing from the FDA here in the United States, but it will be interesting to hear from
the World Health Organization committees releasing their risk assessment reports on July 14th and hearing what they have to say about aspartame.
NEWTON: Yeah, people certainly want fact-based information on this. I don't have a lot of time left, but what can people do because it's so confusing?
You know, the substitute, or sugar itself. What should any of us be doing?
HOWARD: Well, the best thing to do whether you're having real sugar or an artificial sweetener, the best thing to do is limit the amount of added
sugar you have each day. That's the best thing to do for your health. Drink water instead of sugary beverages. Add fruit to your cereal or yogurt if
you want some sweetness. And, of course, check nutritional labels on any food and beverages that you consume to see that line that says added
sugars. So, look at that number and try to find the lowest amount of added sugar that you can and that's the best thing you can do for your health.
NEWTON: Yeah, and yes folks that includes the iced coffee which may not come with a label.
HOWARD: Exactly.
NEWTON: Our Jacqueline Howard, thanks so much for weighing in on this and we'll wait to hear what the WHO comes back with, appreciate it. And we will
be back with more ONE WORLD in a moment.
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[12:50:00]
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NEWTON: Cows and other livestock have been major contributors to carbon emissions that warm up our planet, but now some scientists are saying that
they can be part of the solution to try and combat climate change. Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the beginning, was the buffalo. Tens of millions of them wandering the land, munching wild
grasses, and using poop and hooves to create rich, fertile soil up to 15 feet deep. Look at this. But since Americans replaced buffalo with cows,
generations of fertilizers and pesticides, tilling and overgrazing, have turned much of that nutrient-rich soil into lifeless dirt. But not on
farms, where they graze cows just like wild buffalo.
PETER BYCK, FILMMAKER, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: Well, so Adaptive Multi-Paddock grazing, AMP grazing, is a way that mimics the way
bison have moved across the Great Plains. And so, it's really about the animals hit an area really hard and then they leave it for a long time.
Weir (voice-over): Peter Byck is a professor at Arizona State University. And he believes that if enough beef and dairy operations copy this simple
hack, cattle could actually become an ally in the fight against climate change.
BYCK: I anticipate we'll get a lot of pushback because people are not thinking that cows can be a part of the solution.
WEIR: Not only are you going against the grain of environmentalists who think meat is evil --
BYCK: Yeah.
WEIR: -- or lots of reasons, you took money from McDonald's for this.
BYCK: Yeah, I asked for money from McDonald's for this. I wanted to go to big companies because if they don't change, we don't get there.
WEIR: For his docu-series "Root So Deep", you can see the devil down there. Byck assembled a team of scientists.
BYCK: We're really interested in insects that live in poop.
WEIR: Experts in bugs, birds, cows, soils, and carbon. They spent years comparing five sets of neighboring farms in the southeast. On one side,
traditional grazers who let cows roam one big field for months at a time and often cut fertilized grass for hay. On the other side, AMP grazers who
never mow or fertilize.
UNKNOWN: You open a gate, they go through, it takes five minutes, could roll up a wire.
WEIR: And with a single line of electrical fence, move their cows from one patch of high grass to the next.
BYCK: That's the building fence. This is how easy it is, Tater.
WEIR: While their science is yet to be published and peer reviewed.
[12:55:00]
Byck says early data has found AMP farms pulling down up to four times the carbon, while holding 25 percent more microbes, three times the birdlife,
and twice as much rain per hour.
BYCK: If it's a thousand acre farm, it's 54 million gallons of water. That's now washing your soil away versus soaking into your land.
UNKNOWN: Wow. Look at this grass.
WEIR: But this is also a human experiment to see whether data and respectful discussion can change hearts and minds.
UNKNOWN: This was grazed about 40 days ago. And this hadn't been fertilized in 12 years.
UNKNOWN: Awesome.
UNKNOWN: And when we got out of spending money on fertilizer, it was huge. Huge. And I didn't think it would ever happen.
UNKNOWN: It is such a stress relief. We just don't worry about a lot of it anymore.
UNKNOWN: And then you don't even fertilize when you plant your high grade (ph)?
UNKNOWN: Nothing. It sounds crazy. But it works. Letting mother nature do the work.
WEIR: Would it be an interesting thing if you didn't have to pay for fertilizer?
UNKNOWN: Would that be wonderful?
WEIR: Curtis Spangler is one of the conventional farmers in "Roots So Deep" and he says his mind was changed when he realized he now has a way to
double his herd and quit his second off-farm job.
CURTIS SPANGLER, FARMER: Right now, we're having to dump thousands of dollars into nitrogen every year that really, if we just change a couple
things, we might be able to save that money to put it toward other resources.
WEIR: Is that something you're committed to doing now as a result of this project?
SPANGLER: Yeah, we're really looking and seeing the benefits of it and how we can work it.
WEIR: So, as we hit the height of grilling season, a little food for thought.
BYCK: There is ways to produce meat that is not good for the planet and there's ways to produce meat that's really good for the planet. And that's
the nuance that's been missing. Bill Weir, CNN, Jasper, Tennessee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And I want to thank you for watching ONE WORLD. I'm Paula Newton. Amanpour is next.
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END
