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Israeli PM: We're Facing Conflict on Two Fronts; Concerns in UK Over Indian COVID Variant; Future of Olympic Games; Interview with Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN). Aired 10-11a ET

Aired May 14, 2021 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[10:00:26]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNNI ANCHOR: Well, Israeli troops lined Gaza's border after attacks from both sides continue to ramp up. We are live in Israel,

in Gaza and in the West Bank this hour.

International aid continues to pour into India as concerns rise about the global spread of the variant that was first discovered there.

And more than 350,000 people signed online petition to cancel the upcoming Olympic Games. What impact this public pressure might have.

Those stories are ahead.

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ANDERSON: A very warm welcome. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD.

This hour, Israel facing a campaign of escalating tensions on two fronts. That is the message from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

First front, Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSIONS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: In the last 24 hours, another 30 have been killed, including more than a dozen children. A total of 119 Palestinians and eight Israelis

now having lost their lives to the barrage of Israeli air strikes and Hamas rocket fire in the last five days.

A staggering 830 people in Gaza and 200 in Israel wounded this week. But Gaza itself once again in piles of rubble. U.N. telling me just before we

came to air that damage like this has put 10,000 people out of their homes.

This image showing Israel's Iron Dome defense, Israel intercepted hundreds of rockets from Hamas this week.

Well, meantime, Israeli near the Gaza border, the spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry telling me yesterday that a cease-fire is not on the

table.

Well, let's start on the ground at the Israel-Gaza border with CNN's Nic Robertson.

Nic, describe the scene there after what's been another brutal 24 hours.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, Becky, I talked to you about the scene here in the last couple of minutes as we were

setting up waiting to talk to you. The siren went off. We heard the sound of intercepts in the sky above us, the Iron Dome kicking off.

We took cover behind one of the tanks. That incident has passed. We've come down to some of the tanks that are lined up here.

But these are tanks, the armored vehicles and mechanical diggers I can see up the hill there that have been lined up just outside of Gaza. These are

the troops that were here last night when there was that heavy artillery fire that the IDF, Israel Defense Force spokesperson says was targeting

Hamas tunnels. He described them as a network of underground, sort of metro system he described them in a way that he says Hamas uses tactically to

move around the battlefield. So, they were targeting those last night.

Let me recap a couple more minutes back from that intercept you heard that I was just talking about. We heard about a minute before that a fighter jet

go over the sky over towards Gaza. That fighter jet went over to Gaza about ten minutes after another round much rockets had been fired and intercepted

by the Iron Dome. So, while these tanks here and troops are static, they are not going anywhere at the moment the action is in the sky above them.

Rockets are still coming out of Gaza. The fighter jet, Israeli fighter jets still flying over and Iron Dome intercepting those rockets as they come

out.

Now, the U.N. inside Gaza say that civilians there have been trying to seek shelter in designated, U.N.-designated safe places like schools. It's a lot

more people than the schools can really cope with so these facilities are stretched. They say people have been fleeing that overnight artillery

barrage where the IDF say they fired hundreds of artillery rounds, dozens of tank rounds into northern Gaza, targeting the Hamas tunnel network.

But the U.N. is saying that's causing civilians to flee, causing distress and as we know so far from medical authorities in Gaza, 119 people killed

so far, 31 of them children, 19 children and here in Israel, another casualty last night, a lady died. That brings the death toll in Israel to

eight, Becky.

[10:05:03]

This is a very active situation here. These troops stood by, standing by. For how long we don't know, Becky.

ANDERSON: Well, that's the big question, of course. By all indications, at least we're told that a ground invasion of Gaza by Israeli forces does

appear unlikely in the next few days.

Can you explain further?

ROBERTSON: I think there were a number of reasons for this, Becky. You know, when there were ground incursions in these conflicts in the past,

there have been a greater number of troops that have been present. There's been a greater political will on the side of the Israeli government to put

troops in harm's way. That's a big political consideration.

There's a sense that there are other Hamas targets that they can and they say that they will go after. So, at the moment they are able to get the

targets they want, the tunnel network without putting troops into even greater danger by moving them into Gaza.

So at the moment, there doesn't seem to be political will on the side from Israel, there doesn't seem to be either the build up forces to do that. So,

put it in the historical context it doesn't seem as if it's around the corner. I put that question to the IDF spokesman earlier today and there

isn't a simple answer. He doesn't know because they don't know what's going to happen over the next few days.

But the clear impression at the moment is read the situation, read the historic context. It doesn't seem to be in the cards immediately.

ANDERSON: Nic, can you just get your cameraman to just open up a little bit so our viewers can just see what is the set up there. I mean you talked

about the troops on the ground being static. Walk away from the camera if you will so our viewers can get a sense of the picture on the ground.

ROBERTSON: Yeah. Sure. Let's do that. We'll just pan around and give a shot of some of the tanks here.

Obviously, Becky, we're in a operational position so our shots won't give you a big panorama of what's happening here but show you some of the tanks,

some of the armored personnel carriers. There are a lot here to a layman like me and to many of our audience who aren't familiar with battle scenes.

But as our team here is experienced in and around Gaza and have seen these sort of situations before, it does in the past have taken a lot more than

these Mark IV tanks lined up in this field. We will point the camera up here you might be able to see those big diggers up there. Those are the

diggers that go in. They can push up sand berms quickly.

So the equipment is here. But equipment and men doesn't make an incursion, political will does.

ANDERSON: Nic Robertson, in the Gaza-Israel border. Appreciate it. Nic, thank you. And we'll be back in -- during the show, next hour.

He mentioned two fronts of conflict here. So I want to take to you that second front, violence on the streets across Israel and the West Bank.

Thursday marking another tense night in numerous cities. You are looking at these scenes in Israel as rioters take to the streets.

Today in Jerusalem, protesters have been going on outside the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. It was the site of violence earlier this week and a

major factor in triggering these past few days of escalating attacks between Israel and Hamas.

Well, senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman now joins us now from the West Bank where protesters have been, Ben, clashing with Israeli police

in solidarity with those in Jerusalem and, indeed with those in Gaza.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. We're in Bethlehem, at a place where I've attended many similar events. This one,

you mentioned another front. Actually there are three fronts. There's Gaza. There's the communal violence within Israel proper and what we've seen is

an outbreak of clashes in the West Bank as well.

According to the Palestine Red Crescent, more than 100 people have been wounded in cities across the West Bank. We understand from the Palestine

Red Crescent, four people have been killed.

Now, here, basically, this has been the scene for several hours, burning tires, occasionally Israelis are firing rubber bullets. We understand some

small caliber live fire. I think somebody has just been wounded here.

[10:10:01]

In fact, they are coming our way. Let's step aside. It's a woman who has been hit by what probably rubber bullet but I don't know. Hard to say.

Now, we've spoken to many of the young men here. And they say they are doing this, this is in solidarity with Jerusalem, with the situation in

Gaza and with their relatives on the inside, the Palestine-Israelis and Israeli cities who have risen up as well. So, this is definitely sort

avenue combination, a new intensity of events around this region from the river to the sea, so to speak -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Ben, when you say you've spoken to a lot of what you just described as young men, I'm not sure you've spoken to young women as well.

But you've spoken to the people on the street who are telling you this is in solidarity with Palestinians in Jerusalem and, indeed, in Gaza.

Are you hearing a different narrative? You're so experienced in the hostility sadly of this area over the past the two or nearly three decades.

How different does this feel, if at all?

WEDEMAN: It feels different in the intensity. The intensity and the scope of it all, how many things are happening in so many places is really the

difference.

And I think, you know, as people watch what's going on in Gaza, and they see the death toll there rising by the hour almost, the feeling is that

even though there's a very high price to the rockets coming out of Gaza in terms of Israel's retaliation, their feeling is they are giving the bully,

so to speak, a black eye, and it's sometimes hard, when I go back over my recollections of covering these things, back to the early '90s it all does

seem to blend into a mist of confusing words and images.

But this time around it really does feel different, Becky.

ANDERSON: Ben, thank you.

That's the story of the West Bank. We have also, of course, been speaking to Nic Robertson on the Israel-Gaza border.

As we mentioned Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is dealing with a campaign on what he describes as two front, Gaza and unrest

across Israeli cities.

Neri Zilber is a journalist who is joining us now from Tel Aviv.

What is the message from the Israeli government right now?

NERI ZILBER, JOURNALIST: Well, the message from Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government is that they are going to work to quell the unrest

inside Israel. They are going to work to crush Hamas in Gaza, and that the only solution really in their minds is force. We've heard that verbatim

from the prime minister in recent days. And we should remember too that it comes amidst a drop back. The fourth front is domestic Israeli politics.

ANDERSON: Benjamin Netanyahu thanking Joe Biden for backing Israel's right to self-defense. There seems to be surely Israelis have no appetite for a

cease-fire is what we were told this time yesterday.

I just wonder if you could describe what the political mood is at present?

ZILBER: Well, that's a great question. So we mentioned the fourth front. There was high political drama yesterday evening, domestically in Israel. A

key opposition figure, Naftali Bennet of the pro-settler Yamina Party actually broke with the opposition yesterday and said that efforts that

were ongoing to form an alternative government that would topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was off the table. It was off the table

precisely because of the unrest we're seeing inside Israel, and in the Gaza strip.

Bennett himself said that he didn't have confidence that any alternative government that lent itself, that was leaning on left wing parties and Arab

Israeli parties which was muted would have the capability really to quell the unrest. And so, he dramatically broke with those efforts yesterday and

any effort to topple Netanyahu seems remote for types.

[10:15:00]

It doesn't mean Netanyahu has an alternative government so Israel may be looking at yet another election, a fifth election in the span of two and a

half years. Instability in terms of security, instability in terms of politics in Israel.

ANDERSON: What would be diplomatically expedient for Israel at this point, sir?

ZILBER: Diplomacy -- I mean, the Israeli government has made clear that it wants space and time to do what it feels is necessary in the Gaza Strip. It

wants the backing of the international community. That's always been the case.

But we should mention the Biden administration has been fairly supportive of the Israeli efforts in Gaza, at least not tacitly trying to stop it that

we know of. It's obviously requesting for calm and for stability to be restored but really to my mind, this is an internal Israeli situation both

inside Israel in terms of its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza strip, now perhaps in the West Bank. But really the international community should do

what it's been trying to do which is request calm from all sides including Israel, including the Palestinians.

I'm not sure either side is opening its ears and quite ready to listen.

ANDERSON: Thank you. That's the perspective there of Neri Zilber, who is a journalist in Tel Aviv.

So we have been in Israel. We've been on the West Bank, and the border with Gaza.

Next hour, in Gaza, I'll be speaking to a representative of the Norwegian Refugee Council to get the view on the ground there. We will be getting a

behind the scenes perspective on what is a flurry of diplomatic activity with the U.N.'s representative on the ground in Jerusalem and with a new

U.N. Security Council meeting on the violence set to take place 48 hours from now. The view of one member state pushing for a joint declaration on

the hostilities, a statement that the U.S. has to date blocked.

And, finally, from Washington, a U.S. congresswoman who is weighing on America's actions at the U.N. and its perspective on what's going on at

present.

Back here in the region, we will also be live at a Hezbollah rally in Lebanon. That's a packed couple of hours. Do stay with us for what. We're

going to get you up to speed on some of the other news that's on our radar, of course, as well this hour.

And India is important. Only days before a big step towards more freedom in England and Wales, new COVID variant causing an it and its origins is

India. We will get to London live for you.

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ANDERSON: After a three-week hiatus, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally addressing the COVID crisis there today during a virtual meeting

called the virus a, quote, invisible enemy with many face. India will fight and win.

Mr. Modi has been severely criticized over his absence from the public stage and for what critics call his mishandling of India's response during

its second crushing wave in the past few weeks.

During that time, COVID has exploded across the country, killing the tens of thousands and infecting 24 million people.

Sam Kiley is in New Delhi with more details from Mr. Modi's address.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, several weeks into India's catastrophic second wave which in the latest statistics is

still showing daily official death toll of some 4,000 people, with some 350,000 plus people being diagnosed after testing for COVID as new patients

every day.

Nonetheless, Narendra Modi hasn't spoken now for weeks. He's broken his silence very briefly during a virtual meeting with farmers groups. He

acknowledged India lost a lot of loved ones to an enemy that he said that had many face. He did say also the central government was building a large

number of hospital, extra hospital facilities and installing oxygen manufacturing plants, concluding ultimately that India was a country that

has never lost hope and would not lose hope.

What he didn't say, though, what has been called for from opposition politicians and even members of his own party, particularly in state

legislatures is a nationwide organized coherent lockdown. Thirty-five of the 36 states and territories within India have got some kind of curfew and

lockdown in place, but it's not organized, it's not centrally organized and structured, and that is something that epidemiologists have been calling

for.

They are predicting that the second wave may have peaked over the next week to 10 days. But there's every indication that he's continuing to kill and

continuing infect people in very large numbers particularly in the south of India and also in nearby Uttar Pradesh.

I'm in New Delhi which is continuing to suffer from catastrophic shortages of oxygen. Not as bad as they were but the death toll is significant and

significant all across the country as the public health services, Becky, continue to be overwhelmed -- Becky.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: That's Sam Kiley.

As India grapples with it's COVID catastrophe, the U.K. has a serious case of nerves over a highly infectious variant first detected in India.

Confirmed cases of it have more than doubled in the U.K. this week to more than 1,300.

Now, do keep in mind, England and Wales is days away from the next step of freedom from COVID restrictions. London says nothing changed. But Cardiff,

where the devolved government for Wales is based says it's pausing some of its easing plans.

Well, CNN's Cyril Vanier is standing by for us in London.

And I just wonder how the government in London is likely to respond to what it sees as this athlete, if, indeed, it does consider it a threat at this

point. Explain.

CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely. The U.K. government does consider this a threat. In fact, just yesterday, the British Prime Minister

Boris Johnson acknowledged he was anxious about this, Becky, and he will be giving a press conference in about an hour and a half to explain what

solutions, what measures are going to be put in place to make sure this does not get out of hand.

You mentioned the numbers in your introduction: 500-plus case last week, more than 1,300 this week. That number, 1,300 cases of this variant is not

overwhelming. But the rise, however, it has more than doubled since the previous week.

This is a surge we're talking about and it needs to be contained right now, before it gets out of hand. U.K. government has clearly said this. It seems

right now that what we're headed towards is tweaking the vaccination program and surge testing.

So surge test is when you deploy mobile testing units and send more tests to the communities where the variant has been surging. So that's especially

the north of England, some parts of the southern suburbs of London as well, and surge testing has already is being deployed to those areas.

It seems vaccination program could be tweaked as well so that vaccines could be offered to younger age groups. Normally are not yet eligible for

their vaccines in those specific areas to try and contain this before it gets out of hand, because as you said we're just three days away from

England re-opening.

[10:25:11]

Most limits on social gatherings disappearing and the English who have had such a hard time of it do not want all their progress be jeopardized by

this variant, Becky.

ANDERSON: Cyril Vanier on the story for us -- thank you, Cyril.

As you are seeing, the tragedy engulfing India is having a spill over effect, and for some Australians in permanent residence trying to get home

from the COVID ravaged country, Australia putting in criminal charges for several weeks against travelers coming back from India. That's being tough.

"Reuters" quoting a government source saying nearly half of the 150 passengers booked on Australia's first repatriation flight from India

weren't allowed to board. They either tested positive for the virus or a close contact did.

Well, criminal hackers may be putting hospital patients at risk in Ireland with a significant ransomware attack on the country's healthcare system.

The Irish health service executive says all IT systems have been shut down while security experts assess the threat. These attacks usually involve

infecting computers with malicious software and demanding ransom to restore them.

Here's the impact this attack is having: one maternity hospital in Dublin had to cancel all outpatient cases on Friday, only seeing patients who need

urgent care. Ireland security breach comes a week after the U.S. largest fuel pipeline network was targeted with a similar attack, triggering panic

gasoline buying on the East Coast of the U.S.

Well, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson.

Still ahead tonight, why United States is delaying the U.N. Security Council meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and what President

Biden is saying about easing the violence. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, Gaza has come under heavy fire from Israeli warplanes and now artillery fire as well. This Israel says in response to the firing of

rockets into Israel by Hamas. Israel defending itself from a group that does not recognize the state of Israel and seeks its destruction.

Well, this activity from Israel at this point is stoking fears that a ground invasion is imminent, or incursion, at least. The U.N. Security

Council planning to hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to address the increasing violence.

[10:30:04]

The U.S. has blocked a proposed meeting for today, saying it preferred direct diplomacy rather than an international forum.

So, United States for now at least avoiding the diplomatic spotlight amid calls for the White House to help end the violence. The American president

also calling Israel's actions justified. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There has not been a significant overreaction. The question is how -- how we get to a point

where they get to a point where there is a significant reduction in the attacks, particularly the rocket attacks that are indiscriminately fired

into population centers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: My next guest is U.S. Democratic congresswoman who has introduced legislation aiming to hold the American government accountable

about the aid it sends to Israel. It sends almost $4 billion in aid, almost entirely in the form of military assistance to buy weapons and fund

research.

Betty McCollum says it is time to the end the source of conflict - occupation, tweeting, the Israeli government forcing Palestinians out of

their home in Sheikh Jarrah is a form of state-sanctioned violence.

Well, Betty McCollum joining me now via Skype from Washington.

And just, I think, anybody who was listening to the U.S. President Joe Biden there will get a clear sense that this is so complicated for the U.S.

and such a difficult issue for the U.S. president to contend with.

What did you make of his comments?

REP. BETTY MCCOLLUM (D-MN): Well, I was -- I'm disappointed if we are blocking actions at the U.N. We need an immediate ceasefire. We need Hamas

to stop firing its rockets, and we need the Israeli government to not escalate this violence any farther.

So, disappointed. Glad that the U.N. Security Council is meeting on Sunday. But that will be too late for far too many women and children, both in the

occupied areas of Gaza and the Palestinian area, as well as in Israel. People will continue to suffer.

We need Hamas to stand down. We need the Palestinian authority to exert as much control as they can over Hamas. And we need the Israeli government to

also call for a ceasefire.

ANDERSON: So, let's be quite clear. Hamas designated as a terrorist group, has been firing rockets, thousands of rockets into Israel. They say they

are in support of Palestinians in Jerusalem. We know that there's been a build up to what is now this conflict between Israel and Hamas -- that

based on actions in Jerusalem in the past couple of weeks.

And, of course, Israel will defend itself by using air strikes as it has always stated in defense of its security in the face of these rocket

barrages from Hamas. Let's be just quite clear where we stand at present.

Ahead of the meeting at U.N., Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday he hoped waiting for a few days would allow for, quote,

"diplomacy" to have some effect and to see if indeed we get a real de- escalation.

I did speak to the Israelis yesterday who said they are not interested at this point in a ceasefire.

What did you make of Antony Blinken's comments? At this point, why is the U.S., do you believe trying from provide this window as it were before this

meeting now scheduled for Sunday?

MCCOLLUM: Well, I can't speak for the administration. What I can say is the violence is not decreasing. It's not only the violence of Hamas firing

rockets at Israel, which is wrong, Israel escalating the situation. But what we're seeing happening now in Israel with Israeli citizens who are

both Arab and Jewish now with extreme groups within those factions taking to the street, ruining people's lives, building businesses -- taking

businesses that have been built up, tearing them down, and synagogues being attacked.

I mean, it's just wrong. And we need to be an honest broker in there and just tell everybody that they need to stop. But we have to remember the

root cause of this. And for far too many years the federal government here in the United States has turned a blind eye to the expansion of

settlements, turned a blind eye when Israel passed its Jewish state law which made Arab citizens who are citizens of Israel become second class,

very similar to Jim Crow laws as we outlawed and worked hard to ban here in the United States.

[10:35:20]

So, the occupation is the underlying problem here. And the United States has to be an honest broker in ending this occupation and also making sure

that Palestinian basic human rights are protected.

So, no, taxpayer should not go the demolition of homes, should not be going to take children from their homes in the Palestinian area in the middle of

the night and taking them to Israeli military detention centers.

I don't want any of our tax dollars going there. I do support, however, Israel's Iron Dome program which is in the defense bill -- I'm the chair of

the Defense Committee -- to protect civilians in Israel.

But, you know, this unfettered $3.8 billion with no government oversight, this needs to come to an end.

ANDERSON: Well, let's talk about that, because the U.S., as you point out, provides nearly $4 billion in foreign military tides, the country benefits

from about $8 billion in loan guarantees.

Most of the money coming from the U.S. to Israel is in the form of military assistance. And you have called for more accountability for how this aid is

used.

Now, let's be clear, there are laws that prohibit the use of U.S. security assistance for illegitimate purposes and specifically restricts aid from

furthering entrenching Israeli occupation.

So, do you have any evidence that those laws are being broken? And how can they be better implemented, if indeed, they are being broken, going

forward?

MCCOLLUM: I want evidence that the laws aren't being broken. I want evidence that no U.S. taxpayers' dollars are helping to fund the detention

of Israeli children and military -- excuse me Palestinian children in Israel military detention centers. I want to know for a fact that no U.S.

aid dollars are contributing to the demolition of Palestinian homes.

So what I want is accountability and oversight, and that is something we routinely do with all the other aid money that we give, whether they are

allies or, you know -- we ask for clear oversight. So, that's what I'm asking for now -- clear oversight.

ANDERSON: With that, we'll leave it there. We thank you very much indeed for joining us, Betty McCollum, on CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you.

MCCOLLUM: Thank you. We want this stopped (ph) right now.

ANDERSON: A short time ago, I spoke with -- Lynn Hastings. She is the U.N. deputy special coordinator for the Middle East Peace process. Now, I asked

her what she makes of U.S. imposed delays for what is this U.N. Security Council meeting. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNN HASTINGS, U.N. DEPUTY SPECIAL COORDINATOR, MIDDLE EAST PEACE: We would like all parties to stop now. We at the U.N. are calling for that and

we don't see any reason for any delay.

ANDERSON: You would have spoken to the Israelis and, indeed, I assume, the Palestinians. You tell me having spoken to Hamas for example. If so, what

are those stakeholders telling you?

HASTING: So the U.N., again, before this escalation and now and afterwards will continue to speak to the Israelis and Hamas. As I have said, we have

staff on the ground in Gaza. We work with these types of organizations around the world to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided and

those discussions are ongoing.

Certainly right now as you pointed out, there doesn't seem to be much of an appetite for de-escalation. Both sides are trying to prove their points

and, obviously, well beyond that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: You can see more of my interview with U.N.'s Lynn Hastings who was on the ground in Jerusalem next hour on CONNECT THE WORLD.

I'll also bring you my interview wit h the Norwegian foreign minister called for now blocked U.N. Security Council meeting.

Well, there are growing calls across Japan to cancel the Summer Olympics. Just ahead, we'll have more on the COVID complication for this long-

postponed global event.

That after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:41:52]

ANDERSON: Well, this time yesterday we were discussing how the International Olympics Committee gave the go ahead for full games just over

two months from now but pressure to call those games off is now ramping up and anti-Olympics petition gathering some 350,000 signatures online is just

part of that pressure.

It's not only the public pushing back. A top Japanese CEO calling the decision to hold the games quota suicide mission and he's not the only CEO

from a big company to be speaking out. These are strong words.

Alex is with me.

What impact could these words have, this pressure have on this point?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORT: Those in Japan know you don't get a global CEO, Japan's leading ecommerce firm throwing around a phrase like suicide

mission lightly. He is on his own, they're not Olympic sponsor, Rakuten, will not have the final say on whether the Olympics go ahead.

But as the continuous drip, drip effect against these games going forward, Becky, there is a complete contrast to the stands of Olympic boss. One

person who is across all and did that interview with the Rakuten CEO is Selina Wang and she's in Tokyo for us, we're gong to speak to her live in

just a moment.

ANDERSON: See more of that in World Sports. Alex has go that.

I'm back after that with the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD.

Do join us.

(WORLD SPORT)

ANDERSON: I'm rolling up my sleeves because the hairs on my arms are standing up. That is the anthem we need for the summer as we come out of

this, if we're coming out of this. But we are. We are. I'm an internal optimist.

I love it. I love it. Thank you.

We'll be back with CONNECT THE WORLD after this.

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