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Trump Promises "Something Special" Ahead of his Meeting with Netanyahu; Israeli Officials: Netanyahu has Reservations about the Proposed Ceasefire Plan; Trump Meets with Democratic & Republican Leaders; Netanyahu and Trump Meeting to Discuss Gaza Ceasefire; Zelenskyy: Russia "Testing How Far it Can Go"; Paris DVD Stores Looking to Last in Streaming Era. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired September 29, 2025 - 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)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: The U.S. and Israeli leaders poised for a high stakes meeting. "One World" starts right now. This hour U.S.
President Donald Trump is set to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Will Trump's Gaza peace plan gain any
traction?
Plus, we'll take you live to the scene of a horrific shooting at a Michigan Church, the very latest on the suspect, and the investigation is coming up.
And drama on the greens and in the stands at the Ryder Cup House, Superstar Rory McIlroy hit back at Rory fans. Live from Abu Dhabi. I'm Eleni Giokos.
This is "One World".
Any moment now, Donald Trump is expected to greet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for his fourth visit in just a matter
of months. Now they're set to discuss the U.S. President's 21-point plan to end the war in Gaza, followed by lunch and a joint news conference, and all
eyes will be on Trump to see if he changes his tone or turns up the pressure on the prime minister to end the longest running conflict in
Israel's history.
The U.S. President appears hopeful, though, in an all-caps post on social media, he promised, quote, something special is coming on Gaza. But
Israel's statements have been far less optimistic, with one far right minister making what he called non-negotiable demands, which include
rejection of a two-state solution, or even mention of a Palestinian Statehood. And on Sunday, here's what Netanyahu had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're working on its Jack (ph). It's not been finalized yet, but we're working with President Trump's
team, actually, as we speak. And I hope we can -- we can make it a go, because we want to free our hostages. We want to get rid of Hamas rule.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, CNN's Alayna Treene joins me now live at the White House. Alayna, good to see you. We're waiting for Benjamin Netanyahu to arrive in
what's going to be a very consequential meeting between President Trump and of course, the Israeli Prime Minister.
President Trump, is promising something special for Gaza, but he'd need buy in from Netanyahu. What are you hearing from the White House right now?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, Eleni, I think this is going to be a very high stakes, excuse me, high stakes meeting today with the
Israeli Prime Minister. And part of that is because, from my conversations with White House officials, they are extremely hopeful that, at a minimum,
they can get the Israeli Prime Minister on board with this.
Yes, of course, they are going to be having this bilateral meeting first, then a lunch, and then that press conference, but it's during that meeting
where they're hoping to hash out the differences. And I think the fact that they are doing a joint press conference, which is not normally typical in
this Trump White House.
The fact that they're doing that, I think, is the strongest signal yet that the president is really hoping to announce some sort of good news as it
relates to this 21-step plan that he has proposed. I should know he first proposed that to Arab leaders last week when he was at the U.N. General
Assembly in New York.
But there are, of course, some things we need to look at. One of course is we know that Israeli Prime Minister sells for some reservations. This is,
according to three Israeli sources, they say that he wants to push for changes to this ceasefire during this meeting. And you know, so far, we've
seen multiple times the president come up with different plans, try to propose different things, hoping to find an off ramp to this war.
And so far, has been unable to do that. I think the context of when this meeting is coming, it was also very important. The president has grown
increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu over his handling of all of this, particularly after we saw the Israelis launch that strike on Doha, the
Qatari capital, earlier this month.
I should note that the president was scheduled to speak with the Emir of Qatar before this meeting, before Netanyahu's arrival. So, we're tracking a
lot of these different moving parts, but I can tell you, there is a hope that they can get the prime minister on board with this, and then hopefully
quickly from there, get Hamas on board as well.
I actually pressed the White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, this morning, I said, is the expectation from the White House that at this press
conference you're going to announce that they have reached a deal? She stopped just shy of saying that, but what she did tell me, Eleni, is that
essentially, this is the best deal that either party, Israel and Hamas are going to get.
And that they should get on board with it. So that really is the main goal for today. We'll see whether or not, though, if they can get there during
their private conversations.
[11:05:00]
GIOKOS: All right, Alayna Treene, good to have you with us. Thank you so much watching very closely for the arrival of Benjamin Netanyahu. We've got
Jeremy Diamond Joining us now, live in Jerusalem. Jeremy, here's the reality, Netanyahu is going to face pressure from President Trump to agree
to the 21-point plan, but he also faces pressure at home from coalition government politicians who have actually already said they don't agree
wholly with the plan.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Now, as always, the Israeli Prime Minister facing multiple different political headwinds and
conflicting pressure points.
There is indeed the pressure from the right-wing allies in his government, notably Bezalel Smotrich the Finance Minister and the National Security
Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, both of whom have repeatedly stood in the way of successive ceasefire proposals and threatened at various times, to leave
the government, collapse the government, in fact, and force new elections if the Israeli Prime Minister moves forward with them.
What we're hearing now from the Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is he's now laid out a series of red lines that if the prime minister
crosses them in agreeing to this proposal, then he would leave the government, and that includes very strict conditions for this deal to
actually move forward, opposing, for example, any involvement of the Palestinian Authority, which is currently inscribed in this 21-point plan.
Full demilitarization of Gaza and demands about the deployment of Israeli military forces controlling the security of the Gaza Strip altogether for
the foreseeable future. Now we know that the Israeli Prime Minister is indeed seeking some of these changes as he sits down with President Trump
today.
Whether he can get them is another question altogether. But even so, there are other political forces at play here as well. The Israeli Prime
Minister, of course, has faced pressure from the families of Israeli hostages and a majority of Israelis who do want to see this war end in a
deal that secures the release of the 48 Israeli hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
And in fact, the Israeli Prime Minister's own Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, said that he believes that it is in Israel's national interest to,
quote, end the war and achieve its objectives. But I think the really important point to keep in mind as we prepare to see the prime minister
arriving at the White House, sitting down with President Trump and ultimately set to deliver remarks together, is knowing that this is just
one half of the equation.
We still have no indication of Hamas being on board with this latest proposal. In fact, as of yesterday, Hamas was saying that they still had
not yet been briefed on the full 21-point proposal. And so, we've seen before where the United States gets Israel on board, tries to create this
kind of sense of inevitability about this ceasefire proposal.
Tries to corner Hamas and get them to agree to this proposal, but ultimately, sometimes these proposals fall short of Hamas' own red lines.
And so just important to keep in mind that even if President Trump can succeed in getting the Israeli Prime Minister on board with this plan,
which is a big if there's still the other side of the equation to take care of here, and that is getting Hamas, which holds these Israeli hostages on
board as well.
GIOKOS: Jeremy Diamond, thank you so much for that update. For more on the meeting and plans for Gaza ceasefire, I want to bring in Firas Maksad. He
is the Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Eurasia Group. Firas, great to have you with us.
First and foremost, I want to talk about this 21-point plan, how you characterize it? Where you -- whether you think it's viable for Israel as
well as Hamas, because it includes things like Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of its people. Offers amnesty to Hamas members who commit to
coexistence, among other things, importantly, the release of hostages.
So, what is your version of sort of ending this war? Do you -- are you expecting a breakthrough today between President Trump and Netanyahu?
FIRAS MAKSAD, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA, EURASIA GROUP: Eleni, it's good to be with you. Sort of top line first, this plan
envisions an international trusteeship for Gaza and the day after, essentially a Board of Governors that will be mostly manned by Muslim and
Arab partners of the United States, but also some Palestinians.
And then a technocratic government of Palestinians, a dotted line connecting them to the Palestinian Authority, but not a direct connection
to the Palestinian Authority. That is sort of a nod to the Israeli request, but also sort of tries to compromise between the Arabs and the Israelis on
this and many of the other 21-points.
Bringing that war to an end however, remains crucial for ever getting to the day after scenario for Gaza. I'm expecting that there will be a
positive announcement today between President Trump and Bibi Netanyahu.
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Let's remember and I was at New York at the U.N. General Assembly last week. Israel, under Netanyahu has been largely isolated. We saw some 50
countries get up and leave when the prime minister took the stage at the U.N. really, the crucial lifeline for Israel continues to be Donald Trump
and the United States.
Netanyahu simply cannot afford to walk out of that Oval Office meeting today on the other side of Donald Trump. So, he will accept, however, as is
usually the case, the devil is in the details, stretching the timeline, playing on some verbal vagueness in the text.
I expect that Bibi will try to stretch out the implementation of that Trump 21-day plan, in addition to making some changes along the way. But big
picture, I think today will be the beginning of the end of the war in Gaza. Between now and the end of the year, this war will begin to come to a close
one way or another.
GIOKOS: I mean, that's a huge breakthrough if you're seeing, you know, this kind of change, and you're talking about Israel being isolated, and we saw
that at the UNGA and importantly, we're seeing the pressure internationally, specifically from President Trump.
But I asked this question to Jeremy Diamond, because he's going to be facing a lot of pressure internally as well. We spoke about Smotrich, who
spoke about Ben-Gvir as well the right-wing politicians within his government. Is there a win for Netanyahu back home? Or do you believe this
could be the beginning of the end of Netanyahu politically?
MAKSAD: Yeah, a great question, because we all know that underlying the current war in Gaza is a very tough political reality for the Israeli Prime
Minister. Perhaps some of the unstated objectives of this war is to keep this coalition together and to prevent its collapse, and therefore even
possibly the prime minister having to face some legal challenges in Israel.
I think that's why we would expect that he would accept Trump's plan, but would try to stretch out the timelines for implementation. But in all
cases, it seems that Bibi is approaching the end of the runway for his coalition government. So early elections, parliamentary elections next year
are very much on the horizon for Israel.
There's also the issue of legal jeopardy from now until then. There are propositions out there where the opposition leader Benny Gantz has promised
to afford Netanyahu and the coalition the necessary support in the Knesset in order for him to accept the Trump plan, but also the possibility that
the Israeli President Herzog might even afford him amnesty from these legal concerns that he has that many arguably believe that is keeping that war
going.
So, there are ways for Netanyahu to be able to manage his very difficult domestic politics, but still come out of this White House meeting,
accepting the 21-point Trump plan.
GIOKOS: So, I also want to talk about the West Bank, because I think the Israeli government has been absolutely clear about what they want to do in
terms of annexing the West Bank. This is what President Trump said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. No, I will not allow it. It's not going to
happen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you speak with Netanyahu about this?
TRUMP: Yeah, but I'm not going to allow it. Whether I spoke to him or not, I did, but I'm not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There's been
enough. It's time to stop now, OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, we've seen an increase in Israeli settlements. And of course, the so called E1 Project has been approved by the Israeli government as
well. Is this a red line for President Trump? And is it a red line for the Israeli government do you think because they're on opposing sides, and of
course, they have to seem united on many fronts, and this is where there's major diversion?
MAKSAD: There's been several big moments for this conflict in the past week. I think this was probably the biggest of them all. President Trump
coming out of meeting with Arabic Muslim nations, saying it's an absolute red line. I will not allow Israeli annexation in the West Bank.
And that's important, because in the past couple of weeks in this conflict, the thinking has been that as we begin to wind down the war in Gaza, for
some of the very domestic reasons that we were just discussing, Bibi is going to pivot to the West Bank.
He is going to play to the request of the far right within his coalition government, you know, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, by beginning to annex parts of
the West Bank. The UAE came out very forcefully, signaling that if that proceeds, Trump's signature achievement of the first term, the Abrahamic
Accords between the UAE and Israel, but also some other Arab countries that that would be in play and in danger if Israel proceeds with the annexation.
And that won the day with Donald Trump.
Trump does not want to see the Abrahamic Accords come apart, but far from it he wants to build on those when the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman is expected here in the White House for a landmark visit in November.
[11:15:00]
Trump wants the war in Gaza over by then, does not want to see the Abrahamic Accords undermined, and wants to build on that for potential
Israeli Saudi normalization in the second half of the Trump term.
GIOKOS: Firas, I want to ask you importantly, because in this 21-point plan, it basically says, if Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the
above points will proceed in a terror free area, which the IDF will gradually hand over to the international stabilization force. It does not
say in this 21-point plan, if Israel does not agree. Hamas says they have not received this plan, where's Hamas in all of this?
MAKSAD: A very important question, and I'm very glad that you brought that, because we've been focused on Israel, and there's two parts of this
equation. Hamas has fumbled time and again. This is not to speak of the atrocities committed on October 7th, but politically, they have missed many
opportunities and misread the situation.
Last spring, the American Envoy Witkoff put forward his own vision of how to come to a temporary ceasefire. Hamas rejected that, only to realize that
they wanted to accept it several months later, when it was too late. But the balance of power in the region has very much shifted against Hamas.
Hezbollah in Lebanon has been largely defeated, is in no position to come to their aid. The Iranian backed axis as a whole has been degraded. And so,
there is that risk that Hamas misreads the political reality again and refuses.
I think enough political pressure can be brought on bear on Hamas, whether it's from Egypt or Qatar or some of the other Arab countries for it to
accept this plan. I think it failing to do so will risk much more devastation for the Palestinian people. Certainly, will free Netanyahu of
any commitments he has made to Donald Trump today in that crucial White House meeting.
GIOKOS: All right, Firas, we're going to catch up with you in about 20 minutes from now. We are still waiting for Benjamin Netanyahu to arrive for
the bilateral meeting with President Trump. Thank you so much for those insights, and we'll catch up in just a bit.
In the meantime, a world away from today's talks in Washington, the humanitarian situation in on the ground in Gaza remains dire. Israel is
pushing ahead with its military campaign in Gaza City, as families flee the Israeli offensive. And you're looking at images of Palestinians camped out
on a roadside in Central Gaza.
One displaced Palestinian says, quote, life is non-existent here. A quiet community in Michigan, in the meantime, is in shock today after a deadly
attack on a church there. Coming up, what police know about the man, they say is behind that attack?
Plus, Democratic Congressional Leaders go someplace they have not been since Trump's second term. They are visiting the White House with just
hours left to cut a deal to keep the U.S. government open.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: The man accused of killing Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk is -- all right we've got live pictures actually. I want to take you to
Washington now. U.S. President Donald Trump is welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, and there you have
President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about to embark on what is considered a high stakes meeting between the two leaders, President
Trump, let's listen in.
[11:20:00]
All right, President Trump, there seeming confidence a question was posed about whether he's confident about a ceasefire deal. That is what we're
waiting to hear after this meeting today. And importantly, the 21-point plan, the U.S. plan for a ceasefire deal, release of hostages and various
other things, which include that Gaza will be de radicalized.
Importantly, this is quite an interesting point. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of its people. A lot of pressure will be coming through on
Benjamin Netanyahu, and of course, as he faces a lot of internal pressure domestically as well, Benjamin Netanyahu arriving for the bilateral meeting
with President Trump.
All right, for more now on the meeting and plan we will bring you an update a little bit later. In the meantime, the man accused of killing
Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk, has an important court hearing today. It will be the first appearance in court for Tyler Robinson since a team of
public defenders was appointed to represent him last week.
Robinson won't physically attend the hearing; his attorneys have requested that he appear virtually. He is facing seven counts, including an
aggravated murder charge that could carry the death penalty. For the first time in Donald Trump's second term, he has invited Democratic Leaders from
the White House, from the House and the Senate, to meet with him at the White House.
The meeting in just a few hours comes as Democrats and Republicans are trying to strike a deal to keep the government open. If the two sides
cannot reach an agreement, the government will shut down at midnight on Tuesday, about 36 hours from now.
Democrats say they will not agree to a new spending bill unless it includes provisions to help millions of Americans pay for health insurance, and both
sides are blaming each other for what is coming.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Chuck Schumer came back with a long laundry list of partisan demands that don't fit into this process, and he's going to try
to shut the government down. The president wants to talk with him about that and say, please don't do that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the government going to shut down this week, Leader Thune?
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): Totally up to the Democrats. This is the ball is in their court.
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): We've made clear that we're ready, willing and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make
sure that we can actually fund the government, avoid a painful Republican caused shutdown and address the health care crisis that Republicans have
caused that's impacting everyday Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Arlette Saenz is on Capitol Hill. I mean, this happens time and time again, will government shutdown and a lot of finger-pointing and
blaming. Where do we stand right now?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Trump and Congressional Leaders, Democrats and Republicans are really heading towards this make-or-
break moment this afternoon when they meet at the White House, as the federal government is barreling towards a shutdown.
Right now, Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on how to solve and avert this shutdown? What Democrats are demanding is they want to see major
changes to health care that specifically centers around the extension of Obamacare subsidies. Those tax credits are set to expire at the end of the
year, and people in the coming month will start to get notice of their premiums when many premiums are expected to skyrocket.
Democrats want to solve that now by extending these tax cuts or tax credits permanently, but Republicans are not giving into that demand just yet. And
just within the last hour, there was quite a notable moment when our colleague Manu Raju asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries if the
Republicans offered assurances that they'd be willing to negotiate on matters whether that would be enough, and he simply said, no. Here's what
he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFFRIES: Our position in the spending bill that has been introduced by House and Senate Democrats is a permanent extension of the Affordable Care
Act tax credits. Enough with the games that Republicans have been playing connected to the health care of the American people, and no one can trust
their word on health care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Now, the House already passed a stop gap funding bill that would fund the government through November 21st. Now that needs to get passed in
the Senate, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune needs seven Democrats to get on board. Right now, there is only one who has said that he would vote
to avert a shutdown, and that is Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
What Republicans are hoping is that ultimately, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will cave in this matter that happened back in March when
lawmakers were faced with another government shutdown.
[11:25:00]
But Schumer and other Democrats got on board to help that pass. But at this moment, the Democratic base really wants to see their leadership up on
Capitol Hill a show more of a fight against President Trump and his policies, and they are hoping that that is what they will do with the
shutdown.
But if the government were to shut down in a little over 36 hours, this would have vast impacts on the federal workforce. There's expected to be
hundreds of thousands likely who would be furloughed, many working without pay, such as members of the military, air traffic controllers.
And then there is that larger threat from the OMB that if they go towards a shutdown, that they could potentially have mass federal workforce layoffs
that is something very different from past shutdown. So, a lot to consider as these lawmakers are really trying to hammer out a deal in the coming
hours.
Big questions about whether that meeting at the White House will result in a breakthrough, or if it will simply harden Democrats and Republicans in
their positions?
GIOKOS: All right, Arlette Saenz thank you so much for that update. A Michigan town is in mourning after a man rammed his truck into a church and
opened fire with an assault rifle. It happened Sunday morning in Grand Blanc Township. At least four people are dead and eight injured after the
attack at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Police say the suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford, also set the building on fire. When police arrived, Sanford was running from the church. Two
officers exchanged fire with him. Minutes later, Sanford was dead, but the pain for the community was just beginning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM RENYE, POLICE CHIEF, GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP: They were shielding the children who were also present within the church, moving them to safety,
just hundreds of people just practicing their faith, just extreme courage, brave, and that's the type of community that we are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, several people are still missing. The FBI has taken over the investigation. CNN's Leigh Waldman is covering this tragedy for us from
Grand Blanc. Take a look.
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The FBI is leading this investigation, and what they're calling an act of targeted violence here. We know that
they began searching at the suspected gunman's home yesterday. They're obtaining search warrants to look through his digital footprint to hope to
shed any kind of light on a motive into this attack.
What we know about him at this point is he is a Marine Veteran who served between 2004 and 2008 and served in Iraq. According to his social media, he
was an avid outdoorsman, but we don't know at this point any insight into the possible motive ahead of this attack. What we do know is four people
have lost their lives, unfortunately, Becky, two of those from gunshots.
They updated us and said there was two more victims found after they continued to search through that burnt down Chapel just up the road from
where we are. The Chapel, like I mentioned, completely destroyed, but they're working tirelessly to try and uncover more of those victims. Take a
listen to what the police had to say there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. KIM VETTER, MICHIGAN STATE POLICE: Investigators are tirelessly combing through evidence under difficult circumstances and working to identify each
victim as quickly and accurately as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALDMAN: And what we also know is there's eight others who have been injured in the gunfire that erupted once that suspect drove through the
front doors of that church before he used an accelerant and set that church on fire. We also spoke with a local area church as well.
They were treating at least five people for smoke inhalation who came from that church as well. Our thoughts are obviously with everyone who is
injured and who lost their lives in this tragedy here.
GIOKOS: All right, still ahead a consequential meeting at the White House, happening right now as the U.S. President and the Israeli Prime Minister
discuss the war in Gaza and how to end it. We'll take a closer look. Plus, as Israel pushes ahead with its military campaign in Gaza City, we'll bring
you the story of a beloved teacher who is missing after an air strike hit her home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. You're watching "One World". I'm Eleni Giokos, live in Abu Dhabi. And here are some of your international headlines we are
watching today. Donald Trump is sitting down with the Israeli Prime Minister to discuss the U.S. President's 21-point peace plan for ending the
war in Gaza.
Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House just a few moments ago. Trump is optimistic and says he believes an agreement is near, but the Israeli
response has been far more muted. The clock is ticking toward a U.S. government shutdown. There are only about 36 hours left until the
government runs out of money.
Democratic Leaders are heading to the White House in just a few hours to see if the two sides can reach a last-minute agreement, but either side
seems very optimistic. At least four people are dead after an attack on a church in Michigan. It happened Sunday in Grand Blanc Township. Police say
the shooter rammed his truck into the church, opened fire and set the building on fire. The suspected gunman was killed in a gunfight with
police. Several people are still missing.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has suspended his re-election bid. It's the latest twist to the city's Mayoral Race. Saurim Mamdani, self-described,
Democrats, Democratic Socialist remains the front runner and Democratic Nominee, but two senior aides to Andrew Cuomo say Adams exit could help
consolidate badly needed support for the Former New York Governor's struggling campaign.
All right; we've got more now on that high stakes White House meeting underway between the American and Israeli leaders. Donald Trump is pushing
for Benjamin Netanyahu to accept his 21-point plan proposal appearing optimistic ahead of the meeting, and of course, this plan was presented to
Arab states at the U.N. last week.
Sources say the Israeli Prime Minister expected to push for changes, but Benjamin Netanyahu's far right political allies already voicing concerns,
laying out a series of non-negotiable demands on social media. For more on this now, for the White House meeting, I want to bring in Firas Maksad,
Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Eurasia Group.
And Firas, we were talking a little earlier, and you were saying that the timeline could shift here, where Prime Minister Netanyahu is going to try
and delay and delay. But you importantly said this could be the beginning of the end of the war. In your mind, if, if the 21-point plan remains the
way it is, without any changes do you believe Hamas would agree to it? And do you think that you can implement this plan without gray areas?
[11:35:00]
MAKSAD: Thank you, Eleni. I think that there's enough in this plan for Hamas to accept. Mind you, this is still subject to change in negotiations.
When I left New York on sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last week, the Arab countries that had met with President Trump were very much working
on amending those drafts, those recommendations, those 21 points, putting in their own versions and changes.
And this was still very much an active text. We know since then that Witkoff, the American Envoy, but also Jared Kushner, had been actively
engaging the Israelis a six-hour meeting just yesterday, the Israelis had also put in Prime Minister Netanyahu some amendments there.
Particularly wants to water down the language when it comes to American assurance that pathway, that crucial pathway to a possible Palestinian
State, which MBS the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia very much wants as a precondition for potential normalization with Israel, something that is a
key objective of the second Trump term.
So, there are a lot of moving parts to this, but I do think that there's enough there for Hamas to accept. Particularly it does not outright ban
Hamas it calls for the disarmament of Hamas. Keeping perhaps a window open for some political role Hamas small as it might be in the future.
But more crucially, it also very much guarantees safe passage for those Hamas leaders that agree to support this, whether they want to leave Gaza
or stay. The truth is that this is going to be a very hard deal to accept, both for Netanyahu and for Hamas, but Hamas has been in a tough position.
The Iranian allies, the Iranian axis, is in disarray in the region. They have misread the political lay of the land before they did not accept the
Witkoff plan a temporary ceasefire earlier in spring, only to come back to want to accept it later in summer, when it was no longer on offer.
So, there is a real possibility that Hamas refuses this. Very important one of the provisions of those 21 points is, if Hamas does refuse, well, that
gives Israel the right, together with the Arabs and that international trusteeship for Gaza to work in areas where Hamas no longer controls Gaza.
And that will set up a very clear distinction of what life is like under the internationally governed Gaza versus that one that remains under Hamas
control. And I think that is kind of the fallback scenario for President Trump and the Arab allies who want Hamas to accept this deal.
GIOKOS: So, Firas I mean, we also saw the social media post on -- you know Trump Gaza. We heard, you know, a lot of talk about displacing
Palestinians. I mean, there's been just so much rhetoric around this. And then this plan is completely different to what we've heard in the past.
And it says, you know, Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. The IDF will gradually hand over territory it currently occupies as a replacement
security forces established control stability in the strip. Again, very different to what we've been hearing.
And I just wonder if this is a red line for Netanyahu and for Israel, because we've even heard from Smotrich quite recently, he was saying the
demolition phase is over, and frankly, you know this is -- Gaza is going to be annexed or taken over in so many words. What is your sense on how
Netanyahu is going to accept this specific point?
MAKSAD: Yeah, well, first on one hand, we've got the politics of Israel, which can be very complex, that very much can also influence outcomes. And
then sort of, we've got broader strategic views of what is in the national security of Israel.
If we look at this, the IDF, the Israeli military, has been engaged now for almost two years in this war in Gaza. It's very much a game of whack, a
mole. I remember a year and a half ago, when we're being told that if only the Israeli military can commence its operation in Rafah to finish off the
two remaining brigades of Hamas, the war would be over.
Here we are about a year and a half later, and now we're talking about Gaza City. Those that I know on the ground very much tell you that Gaza City
won't end this war, that the central camps of Gaza might be next, and that's where Hamas still has thousands of fighters, and many of the
hostages are there.
That's, by the way, why the IDF Chief of Staff very much did not want to go into and very much, very publicly resisted this Gaza City campaign that
Bibi and the far right and his coalition have been pushing for. So, the broader idea here is that the IDF can go different places in Gaza is going
to have a very different time holding on and governing the entirety of Gaza.
And so, in fact, if we're to look at this through the prism of Israeli national security interests, rather than the interest of Netanyahu or his
coalition government, having an international trusteeship with Arab and Muslim countries, and that backing of the United States take care of the
day after in Gaza, in addition to security and reconstruction, actually should be a no brainer for the Israelis.
[11:40:00]
The question is whether, will Bibi Netanyahu be able to see past his immediate political existence, to recognize what is broadly in the interest
of Israel and certainly in the interest of the region and where Donald Trump wants to wants to go.
GIOKOS: Exactly, Netanyahu's political survival. I think that's going to be something that's going to be debated quite a bit, I think, in the next
while, as we wait for this high-stake meeting to conclude, and we are anticipating a press conference a little later in the day. Firas Maksad,
thank you so much. Always good to speak to you, sir. Much appreciated for your insights.
Hospitals in Gaza say dozens were killed over the weekend as Israel ramped up airstrikes. Among those now missing is a prominent teacher whose home
was hit. The only clues to her whereabouts are a series of voice messages sent from her phone. Paula Hancocks has the details for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gazan rescue workers search for a well-known and much-loved teacher in Gaza City Ghada Rabah. She may
have been under this rubble for days. Having evacuated with her family, she returned with her brother, Husam to their home in Tal al Hawa in the
southern part of the city to pick up belongings.
When she arrived, she sent photos and voice notes to a WhatsApp group of fellow teachers celebrating the lack of Israeli tanks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Minutes later, she sent this desperate note to her siblings, saying, Israeli drones targeted the area, hitting her brother,
Husam.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Palestine, Red Crescent, workers retrieved the bodies of Rabha's brother and others in the street, but Rabha was nowhere
to be found. A friend said Rabha called her. She heard her say hello, but then the line went dead.
Israeli strikes destroyed her home; her family and countless students she has helped over the years fear the worst. The IDF did not respond to CNN
for comment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love this teacher Rabha.
HANCOCKS (voice-over): An outpouring of grief for a woman who secured scholarships outside Gaza for her students, a tireless advocate for
education.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (FOREIGN LANGUGAGE)
HANCOCKS (voice-over): She drew this picture just three weeks ago with a poem that reads, was spinning in circles searching for safety. Her brother
Ismail believed she was hiding in her home when an Israeli strike destroyed the building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
HANCOKCS (voice-over): It is a perpetual reality of the past two years, officials in Gaza believe thousands of civilians are still trapped under
the rubble across the Gaza Strip. There is no closure without confirmation and no time to grieve while still under fire, Paula Hancocks CNN, Abu
Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
GIOKOS: Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is testing how far it can go in a spate of incursions into European airspace and its planes and drones,
speaking via video link to the Warsaw Security Forum, Ukraine's Wartime President proposed a joint effort to repel Moscow's aerial threats.
Mr. Zelenskyy's comments come as Denmark closes its airspace to all civilian drones before European Leaders head to Copenhagen for a Summit
later this week. With more on this, here's CNN Clare Sebastian.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's a couple of key themes that I think Zelenskyy really wanted to emphasize today in his virtual address to
this Warsaw Security Forum. He obviously has been warning since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, that Russia, if not defeated, would not
stop at Ukraine.
And he is essentially citing as evidence these incursions into NATO airspace by drones and jets, which Russia, of course, continues to deny. He
said, Russians never just stop at one country. History has shown this many, many times.
And there's a secondary point that I think is critically important that he really wanted to hammer home, is that, given these incursions, these
threats, as NATO sees it to its security, Ukraine possesses the expertise and experience that NATO and European allies need at this point. And this
is something that he also wanted to emphasize in his address today. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODRYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Ukraine proposes to Poland and all our partners to build a joint truly reliable shield against Russian
aerial threats. And this is possible, Ukraine can counter all types of Russian drones and missiles, and if we act together in the region, we will
have in our weapons and production capacity for these. If Russia loses the ability to strike in disguise, it will be unable to continue the war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: So, this argument that he has again been using, really since the beginning of the war, that giving Ukraine aid will lead to it having these
battle tested expertise will essentially pay this dividend, really now coming into sharp focus, and especially as we see in Europe, European
countries coalescing around the idea of a drone wall.
This is something that 10 EU countries signed on to last week. I think these arguments are particularly powerful, and we're going to see European
Leaders meeting later this week in Copenhagen, a Summit that has been given greater urgency, of course, by these threats which have affected Danish
airspace.
And so, I think Zelenskyy really wanting to emphasize this point that supporting Ukraine really does pay back in terms of this expertise that
Europe and NATO allies now so sorely need.
GIOKOS: Europe pulls off a stunning victory at the Ryder Cup, beating Team USA on its own turf, last minute fight to become champion. That story just
ahead. Stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
GIOKOS: Palpable tension on the last day of the Ryder Cup. Europe, won the tournament after fighting off an incredibly -- an incredible rally from
Team USA. I want to go straight down to CNN World Sports Don Riddell, who's been covering it all from the links in Farmingdale, New York.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: It has been an exhilarating day of Ryder Cup Golf here at best page black in New York, but for the victorious European
team, it was absolutely excruciating. Needing only 2.5 points to win a famous victory on U.S. soil they might have thought it would be an easy
afternoon, but the Americans had other ideas.
Smarting from being totally outplayed over the first two days. They came out swinging, energizing the crowd with early points from Cameron Young,
Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schaueffle, Bryce and DeChambeau fought back from five holes down to post to morale boosting
half, and suddenly nothing seemed quite so sure.
The U.S. team, seemingly from nowhere, now on course to pull off the most remarkable comeback in all of sports history. But the Europeans got it done
by the skin of their teeth. Shane Lowry won a half point to retain the cup. Another half from Tyrrell Hatton won it outright in the penultimate match.
It is a famous European win by 15 points to 13. But this was a day of drama that was impossible to imagine before they teed off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RORY MCILROY, TEAM EUROPE: I wanted to win an away Ryder Cup so badly. We haven't done it in 13 years. And I think, you know, there's a lot of us
that experienced a bad whistling stress belt in 2021 and to come here and completely flipped the script to play the way we did over the first two
days. America came out fighting today, and they played great today, but we've had enough in the time to get the job done.
JUSTIN ROSE, TEAM EUROPE: Honestly, when the people stay like people, chanting, singing late at night, sun's gone down, to have people share this
moment with us, you realize you were playing for a much bigger spear. We know we are. We know we are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: So, it is a really famous victory for the Europeans, an absolute heartbreaker for the Americans. Europe traveled over the Atlantic to pull
it off. And you know what they say, the last mile is often the hardest, and they would certainly agree that was the case today. Back to you.
GIOKOS: Don Riddell, thanks so much for that report. Now clearly all of Team Europe's golfers celebrated their Ryder Cup win, even after some of
the frustrations from players and caddy confrontations to fans heckling the European team, even a cup of beer was thrown at Rory McIlroy, his wife, and
he addressed the intense drama after the win. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCILORY: It should be off limits, but obviously it wasn't this week. But Eric is fine. She is a very, very strong woman, and you know, she handled
everything this week with class and poise and dignity like she always has. And I love her, and we're going to have a good time celebrating tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With all that in mind, everything you go through, how satisfying is it to turn around to someone and say quote, shut the -- and
then stick it to two feet. Very -- satisfying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:55:00]
GIOKOS: OK. And finally, this hour before Netflix and the rise of content streaming giants, there were actual brick and mortar video shops you know,
like Blockbuster would you remember that? It depends how old you are?
Now, while they may be long forgotten, rental stores have not gone away in Paris just yet, as people in the city of lights fight to keep the lights on
at these old school shops, our Saskya Vandoorne has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is one of Paris' last remaining video rental stores, tucked away in the 11th Audi small.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): With row upon row of DVDs, JM video is a haven for film lovers, even attracting Hollywood stars like Hugh Jackman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Casablanca, I love this movie.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Killian Murphy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh Scarecrow, one of my all-time favorite films ever.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): And Brad Pitt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I tell you what, just really nice being in here like he's really surrounded by all these great films.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I forgot all about it.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Founded in 1982 JM Video was once one of thousands of video rental shops in France. Now just 10 remain, two of which are in
Paris. But faced with rising rents, dwindling demand and ever-expanding competition from streaming services, the shop is in a fight for its life.
THEO BANCILHON, MANAGER, JM VIDEO: We've seen a decline that's been constant for quite a few years, it's more than ever the case today, and
especially more than ever since COVID which generated new habits and a new relationship with streaming platforms, especially among our customers.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): And choice isn't the issue. JM Video offers more than 50,000 films. That's more than the combined catalogs of all the major
streaming services.
VIRGINIE BRETON, CUSTOMER: So, it's one of the only places in Paris where there's a real film collection. You can do verticals. You can do you know,
you can do real research. You can find things that can't be found anywhere else.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Despite introducing new initiatives to bring in customers, it hasn't been enough to keep JM Video afloat. In September, the
shop launched a crowdfunding call, raising around 30,000 euros in less than three weeks, but that's still short of the 35,000 needed to meet immediate
needs and 65,000 to secure the shop long term.
And while DVD rentals might feel like a relic from the past, JM Video's manager believes they're also a refuge from the current streaming era and
an important repository for film's future.
BANCILHON: We're a kind of beacon in the night, a somewhat iconoclastic place that actually goes against the new ways of consuming a certain
culture. It's true, and at the same time, that's precisely what makes us important.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: What a brilliant story? I remember the DVD days. In fact, I even remember the VHS days. That is how old. Well, thank you so much for
watching. Stay with CNN. My colleague, Bianna Golodryga will have more "One World" live from New York right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
