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Israel Facing Dilemma Over How To React To Strikes From Iran; 7 Jurors Seated For Trump's Criminal "Hush Money" Trial; U.S. Congress Prepares Israel, Ukraine Spending Bill; House Sends Mayorkas Impeachment Articles To The Senate; USC Cancels Muslim Valedictorian's Commencement Speech; ADL: Anti-Semitic Incidents Hit Record High; U.K. Likely to Criminalize "Deepfake Porn"; A Year's Worth of Rain Falls on Dubai, Flooding Roads; Centuries of Cultural Heritage Wiped Out in Copenhagen Fire; Interview with Serena Williams. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired April 17, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up here on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REAR ADM. DANIEL HAGARI, IDF SPOKESPERSON: We will respond the way that we will choose at the time that we would choose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Israel's Goldilocks dilemma how to strike around and send the message of deterrence without starting a major war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Highly conflicted. You shouldn't be on vacation. He's rushing this trial.
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VAUSE: With seven of 12 jurors selected in two days, the defendant in a New York criminal trial complaints the judge is moving too quickly.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The big thing is I want to vote on Ukraine. More to the point, I want Ukraine to get the aid.
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VAUSE: Better late than never with the Republican controlled lower House likely to vote on a long stalled funding bill for Ukraine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Israel's war cabinet is set to meet again in the coming hours to try and decide on how best to respond to Iran's missile barrage last weekend. On Tuesday, the only official word on Israel's plan came from the head of the Israeli military who warned around will face the consequences for its actions.
Iran is now facing consequences with the United States and the European Union announcing plans to impose a raft of new sanctions on Tehran. According to the U.S. National Security Adviser, President Joe Biden is working with allies and partners including the G7 for a comprehensive response, which includes sanctions targeting Iran's missile and drone programs, as well as group supporting Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
More are those sanctions from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
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JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: The attack by Iran and its proxies underscores the importance of Treasury's work to use air economic tools to counter Iran's malign activity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Iran says it fired more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria earlier this month.
Meantime, Sources tell CNN the U.S. is expecting a limited response by Israel's military to the Iranian strike. U.S. intelligence suggesting a small scale attack inside Iran is most likely is although has given no official word on his plans or when a strike will occur. The IDF again confirming its retaliation is simply a matter of time.
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HAGARI: We respond the way that we will choose at the time that you choose. We don't just have defensive capabilities that were proven on Saturday night. We have offensive capabilities, and we will know what to do and when to do and how to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The debris of Iranian missiles and drones is now littered across Israel testimony of a flawed attack and failed ambition. For the most part, the world has only seen Iranian missiles on the backs of trucks in military parade.
But on Tuesday, the Israeli military displayed what it says is part of the wreckage of while more than 100 ballistic missiles fired by Iran. CNN's Jeremy Diamond was there and has this report.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is just one piece of an Iranian ballistic missile that the Israeli military says Iran fired towards Israel over the weekend at 36 feet long. This is just the fuel tank for that missile. The Israeli military says more than 120 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel in this attack only a handful of them actually making it through Israel's air defense systems.
And the Israeli military believes this missile was likely intercepted and you can see the holes in the sides of this fuel tank. This missile was actually found in the Dead Sea. It was recovered and it was taken to this base in southern Israel.
But now Israel says it must respond. It must reestablish deterrence. They say this attack cannot go unanswered. The only question now is how the Israeli military will respond. And when.
And so when you see that video, you can really just get a sense of the size and the scale of these missiles and the destructive power that they could potentially deliver. I'm told that the warhead on top of that missile would typically weigh about a half a ton, a half a ton of explosives of destructive power.
And so you can just think if these missiles had indeed made it through Israel's air defense systems, the kind of destruction that they could have caused. We also spoke with the Israeli military's top spokesman Daniel Hagari. He told us that the timing and the mode of this Israeli response to this Iranian attack would be decided by them at a time of their choosing. But he did say that it would come. Jeremy Diamond CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Retired U.S. General Wesley Clark is the CNN military analyst and former NATO Supreme Allied commander. He joins us this hour from Little Rock, Arkansas.
General Clark, it's good to see you sir.
GEN. WESLEY CLARK, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Thank you.
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VAUSE: One of the big factors here for Israel in deciding the best response to Iran is reaction and capability of Iran allies and proxies. I want you to listen to IDF spokesperson, Colonel Peter Lerner, here he is.
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LT. COL. PETER LERNER, IDF SPOKESPERSON: Iran, throughout the course of the years has been very, very active in our region. But they came behind the scenes and backstage. On Saturday night they came to the front stage together with their proxies, with Hezbollah, with the Houthis, with Hamas, and operating from Iraq. They have encircled Israel in a ring of fire. That's unacceptable.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: This long been an expectation that a decade's long proxy war between Israel and Iran would sooner or later become a hot war. Are we at that moment? It doesn't seem quite that it's there yet. But at the same time, it also seems to be just one miscalculation away.
CLARK: I don't think we're there yet. I think where we are, is that Israel will respond in some way. I think it's unlikely that Israel is going to go inside Iran at this point, with a kinetic attack, it may use some kind of cyber attack in there it may hit Iranian outposts in Iraq or elsewhere. It's under a tremendous pressure from the United States, not to respond in kind to Iraq.
But there's something else here too, and that is the fact that Iran is either hazards very close to having nuclear capabilities. Israel knows it. Knows I can't take that out, even if they were to strike Iran without U.S. assistance, and U.S. says they won't help.
VAUSE: Yes, and it seems to Israel, that no may be convinced of the need for restraint. U.S. officials are saying the Israeli war cabinet is planning a narrow and limited military response. That's at least at the moment.
But here's the chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee describing what he sees will be Israel's response.
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YULI EDELSTEIN, KNESSET FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE COMMITTEE: Different options are on the table. They've been presented to the war cabinet, they've been discussed. And as I've said, the moment the retaliation will come, it will be quite clear to the Iranians and the rest of the world that Israel will continue defending itself whenever necessary, from whatever aggressor will be facing.
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VAUSE: So he's talking essentially about a message of deterrence as well as strength and resolve. Can that message to be delivered in a narrow response and unlimited one as well?
CLARK: Well, that's a big question. Israel wants to say that, and the United States wants Israel to say it. The question is, what does Iran think about it? What does Russia think about it? And what do the Arab allies and friends think about it?
And the answer is they see a seismic change in the region, because Iran has now struck into Israel proper. And Israel is probably not going to have a major strike inside Iran. So the balance has changed.
I hope Israel doesn't lose its deterrence. But it's certainly going to be more dependent on the United States and Arab friends than it has been in the past.
VAUSE: And U.S. as he says many know that it's playing no role, or whatever Israel decides to do, opting instead to impose sanctions on Iran toting U.S. missile and drone program. He's part of a statement from the National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. It reads these new sanctions and other measures will continue a steady drumbeat of pressure to contain and degrade Iran's military capacity and effectiveness and confront the full range of its problematic behaviors.
The U.S. already has an arms ban on Iran, as well as an almost total economic embargo. companies doing business with Iran face sanctions, or inputs from around a ban, that heavy sanctions on Iranian financial institutions. So it was a total ban on selling aircraft or repair parts to Iran.
It's already one of those heavily sanctioned countries in the world. But yet, it's still firing missiles and drones and supplying arms to proxies like the Houthis. So what will these extra sanctions actually achieve at this point?
CLARK: Not clear. But one thing the United States really doesn't want to seal off Iran's oil exports. We know where they're coming out through Dubai and Oman, and they're being doctored up with chemicals. And sometimes you can't tell where it's coming from.
But the United States doesn't want to face steeply rising oil prices. You cut off a million, a million and a half barrels a day of oil and the global market. You're going to have an impact on prices. And this is what the Americans don't want. The other sanctions unless you're willing to sanction third country parties who were dealing with Iran, you're not going to be much more effective than you've been thus far.
And as we know, looking at Ukraine, and the drones that have been and missiles that have been captured in Ukraine got American technology leaking all over former Russia and some bits coming through Iran, some of it is going to Iran.
So, I don't post much hope for sanctions, but it's a diplomatic measure. The real thing is will the United States you really extend its nuclear guarantee to Israel and will not be sufficient to keep Iran back from this ring of fire.
[01:10:100]
That's the question and then can Israel finish off Hamas in Rafah?
VAUSE: Yes, is dangerous times right now. Sir, it's good to have you with us. We appreciate your time and your insights. General Clark, thank you.
CLARK: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: Israel's war in Gaza has all but stallers Israeli leaders plan a strike on Iran. Even so at least 13 people were killed Tuesday after Israeli strike on a refugee camp in central Gaza. Hospital officials say seven children are among the dead. But despite the ongoing dangers there many from who'd been displaced by the war in the north and now trying to return to their homes. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has details. There is a warning some images you're about to see are disturbing.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Their day started with rear excitement and joy after months of hell. They thought they were returning to the homes they were forced out of months ago on foot and in carts. Thousands of displaced Palestinians on the move again, some of their most valuable possessions.
They said we can go back home to Gaza City today, Iman says, that her son and cats she took to the road. No one knows where the news came from. There was no official announcement from the Israeli military that civilians would be allowed back into northern Gaza. But a rumor enough for those left homeless shattered by war.
Now facing a looming Israeli offensive on Rafah where the majority of Gazans have been pushed into. People here say they don't even know if they have homes to go back to. Little Ahmad (ph) holds his tiny brother's hand and carries a bag of flour.
Our house has gone. I lived in a tent, Ahmad (ph) says. I just want to go home. If I die, so be it. Death has become reality. The youngest here have been forced to accept. And on this day they've had to accept that there will be no going home.
The crowds were turned away. The word panic is people run back. They say Israeli soldiers opened fire as young men tried crossing the checkpoint with women and children. Seceral with injured among five year old Sally. She was in her mother's arms when she was shot in the head.
Two young men tried to cross with us her mother Sabrine (ph) says, soldiers started shooting and firing everywhere. My daughter was so scared. I was holding her that I put her on the ground to walk. She wasn't responding. Then I saw all the blood on my hands.
The Israeli military's not commented on Sally's injury. They said the North remains a warzone and returns not permitted. Sally clings on to life unconscious on the hospital floor with the muffled cries of another injured child next to her.
And at a hospital nearby another young boy back from a different nightmare when no child should ever endure. 11-year old Nemir (ph) was out getting aid for his family when he says he was shot and detained for two weeks. Taken to Israel where he underwent surgery. Still in pain and shock. He shows the camera his horrific scars.
The day they took me the soldier kicked me with his boot he tells his mother over the phone. My head still hurts. He kicked me with the metal tip of his boots. I was shot in the stomach lying on the floor. He hit me with no mercy. I'm waiting for the day to grow up to be a resistance fighter and hit him like he hit me.
The Israeli military's not responded to CNN specific questions on Nemir's (ph) account. This is the first time in 15 days he's hearing his mother's voice. I've missed you so much. He cries. They didn't let me see you. I wish I hadn't come back , Nemir (ph) says. I wish I had died. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN London. (END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: On the second day of Donald Trump's historic hush money payment to a porn star trial, seven jurors were selected. The former U.S. president the first to ever face a criminal trial has been charged with 34 counts falsifying business records.
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Lawyers for both sides question prospective jurors on Tuesday as they look for potential bias. CNN's Kara Scannell has details reporting in from New York.
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KARA MCGEE, DISMISSED POTENTIAL JUROR: It's this very like massive sense of gravitas and important because you -- you know that this is history in the making.
KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): The perspective from one dismissed potential juror as dozens more filed into a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday. Seven jurors have now been seated. The seated jurors include an Irishman in sales, a female oncology nurse, a female English teacher at a charter school, a female software engineer, a male owner of an IT business and two male attorneys.
The jury selection strategy for both parties taking shape. Trump attorneys spending the afternoon digging into the social media posts of some potential jurors. Two restrict for cause, one for a social media posts referencing Trump and quote, lock him up.
When a prosecutor asked the jury if he still believes Trump should be locked up, the jury answered no. Trump was seen craning his neck toward him and flashing a smirk. Judge Juan Merchan issued a stern warning to Trump after he visibly reacted to a juror's answers about a video she posted on social media.
He warned Trump's lawyer your client was audibly uttering. I will not have any jurors intimidated in the courtroom. That juror was questioned outside the presence of the others about a video she posted on social media showing an outdoor celebration quote spreading the honking cheer around Election Day 2020. She said it was a New York celebratory moment. Trump's lawyers suggested she was biased.
The judge said he believed the juror could be fair and didn't excuse her. Trump's attorney Todd Blanche, telling those in the jury pool quote is extraordinarily important to President Trump that we know we're going to get a fair shake.
One juror said he finds Trump fascinating because he quote walks into a room and he sets people off one way or the other. Blanche seemed amused with the response. Another juror said she learned for the first time Tuesday that Trump has been charged in three other cases.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass address prospective jurors asking them to set aside any strong feelings. He asked each to consider if they would be able to look defendant Trump in the eye and return a guilty verdict, if the case is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Trump appeared to look at the jurors tilting his head once or twice as they were answering yes, according to pull reports. Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.
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VAUSE: Coming up here on CNN, could the U.S. House Speaker be on borrowed time, with far right MAGA Republicans threatening to house by Johnson for the his support for a funding bill for Ukraine?
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VAUSE: U.S. senators are scheduled to be sworn in Wednesday as jurors for the impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
[01:20:00]
House Republicans delivered two articles of impeachment Tuesday to the Democratic controlled Senate which is expected to quickly dismiss the charges maybe hold a speedy trial either way it ends without conviction.
Mayorkas is the first Cabinet Secretary could be impeached nearly 150 years, with House Republicans saying he failed to do his job to stop the flow of undocumented migrants crossing the southern border. When his constitutional experts say the evidence does not reach the bar of high crimes and misdemeanors.
U.S. House speaker Mike Johnson may soon be out of a job with far right MAGA Republicans threatening to oust him over his plan to advance several foreign aid bills without tying them to the issue of border security. He tells out on CNN's Manu Raju reporting in from Capitol Hill.
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REP. THOMAS MASSIE (R-KY): I asked him to resign.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Republican Congressman Thomas Massie announcing today he would support Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene's resolution to oust speaker Mike Johnson, accusing him of betraying the conservative cause. Johnson firing back.
MIKE JOHNSON, U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: I am not resigning. It has not helped the House Republicans advance our agenda.
RAJU (voice-over): All in the aftermath of a series of deals Johnson with Democrats, including to keep the government open. We authorize a key surveillance law. And now brushing aside warnings from his right flank as he seeks to advance billions in aid to Ukraine. And now Congressman Greene is on the attack. REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREEN (R-GA): There are others behind Massie as well.
RAJU (voice-oveer): Johnson's defenders warning Greene and Massie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It'd be a very bad idea.
REP. MARCUS MOLINARO (R-NY): The concept of another motion to vacate is an utter waste of time.
CARLOS GIMENEZ (R-FL): I think it'd be horrible, I think be horrible for our conference. I think it's horrible for the country too.
RAJU (voice-over): Johnson soon can only afford to lose one GOP vote along party lines, meaning he would almost certainly need Democrats to save them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's unlikely I would support vacating it. We'll see. I mean, the big thing is I want to vote on Ukraine.
RAJU (voice-over): The GOP revolt comes as Johnson announced his long awaited plan to advance a foreign aid package after sidelining the Senate's $95 billion plan for more than two months. Johnson's new plan split up Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel aid into separate bills and add to it other policy measures such as a potential ban on TikTok.
But through an arcane procedural move, the House could end up sending those bills to the Senate in one big package angering hardliners who don't want to spend a dime more on aid to Ukraine.
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): I'm not a big fan of this, you know, well, I like the individual votes, not a big fan of putting them all back together.
RAJU: Does it makes sense to just put all these up and cobble it all together?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a word. No. What are Republicans getting out of this?
RAJU (voice-ove): Plus anger on the right since the plan won't include border security measures the speaker previously demanded.
REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): The fact is not having the border in this plan is a wholly unacceptable, it's just it's not acceptable.
RAJU (voice-over): Yet, despite these words from Donald Trump last week at Mar-a-Lago/
TRUMP: I stand with the speaker.
RAJU (voice-over): Greene says she still wants Johnson out.
RAJU: His comments on Friday didn't change our approach?
GREENE: No, no. And as a matter of fact, there's more people that are probably going to be angry from whatever happens this week.
RAJU (voice-over): Manu Raju, CNN Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: David Sanger is a CNN political and national security analyst as well as White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times.
His latest book has just been released, "New Called Wars: China's Rise, Russia's invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West." Now available, we're all good books are sold. So David, welcome back, and congratulations on the book.
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL ANALYST: Thank you, John. Great to be with you.
VAUSE: OK, so it seems on Ukraine, the U.S. House Speaker Republican Mike Johnson has had an epiphany. Here he is.
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JOHNSON: We have terrorists and tyrants and terrible leaders around the world like Putin and Xi and Iran. And they're watching to see if America will stand up for its allies and in our own interest around the globe. And we will.
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VAUSE: Republicans have stalled this funding bill for Ukraine, you know, almost seven long months. And there are a myriad reasons why maybe a Trump in spite of love for Russia, and Vladimir Putin, isolationism, whatever the reason, though, the cost of Ukraine has been staggering. And there's also been reputational damage for the U.S., once you improve it, you'll be less than reliable as an ally.
So from your point of view, what's been the biggest cost here for this delay package of funding for Ukraine?
SANGER: Well, I think there are sort of three John and I deal with some of them at the at the end of new Cold War. So the first is we entered this fight the United States did back in Ukraine, even though they are not a member of NATO, and saying we are there as long as it takes.
And now the praise to the United States has changed. It is now we are there as long as we can. And that's a big difference. And the difference is that we've now seen a section of the Republican Party, and some Democrats particularly on the left, who are really not sure they want to be spending the money to go pushing back on Russia.
[01:25:04]
Now, you got to make a fundamental decision here. And I think that's what you've been hearing the speaker have a hard time with. Either you believe that if Russia takes all of Ukraine, it won't stop there. And we'll move on into the rest of Europe. And you'll be sucked in later. Because as a member of NATO, we would be required to come to the defense of a NATO country, or you believe that Vladimir Putin would just stop at Ukraine's borders. And it would be ugly, but you know, we'd sort of all learn how to live with it.
And that's the fundamental choice that people have to make, and they're not making it.
VAUSE: Well, Democratic support for this funding package. Excuse me, it's pretty much a given. So only a few Republicans are needed if there is a vote to get it through. Here's Democratic Congressman Adam Smith.
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REP. ADAM SMITH (D-WA): I want Ukraine to get the Yes, we've waited months longer than we should have for highly questionable reasons. Now we're down to the last minute Ukraine's hanging on by their fingernails.
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VAUSE: And one of the most questionable reasons to oppose funding for Ukraine is budgetary. That simply cost too much. Here's a breakdown of this $63 billion for Ukraine and where it goes, $20 billion to restock weapons and munitions for the U.S. military. $14 billion is for Ukraine to purchase U.S. made weapons, another $15 billion for support services like military training and intelligence sharing. That leaves just $8 billion for direct assistance to the Ukrainian government.
You know, more than half of the $63 billion has been spent on U.S. weapons, or the war in Ukraine is paid for an upgraded material for the U.S. military. It's been a goldmine as well, for us weapon makers.
SANGER: You could look at it two ways. One is you could look at it as we're spending $63 billion. And to some of the Republicans, we should be spending that money on the border. And certainly we have more money to spend on the border. I'm not doubting that.
The other way you could look at it, John, is to say, if I could have told you two years ago, that for under 10 percent of the Pentagon's budget, you could test out in real life situations, the strengths and weaknesses of Russia's vaunted military, figure out what we need to do what we don't need to do, what works and what doesn't work. You probably say that was a bargain.
VAUSE: It's good point. Over the weekend and international coalition, the U.S., Britain, France and others helped defend Israel from an Iranian missile barrage. The Ukrainian President saw that and he saw double standards writ large. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Israel part of NATO or not? Here's the answer. Israel is not a NATO country. The NATO allies, including NATO countries have been defending Israel. They showed the Iranian forces that Israel was not alone. And this is a lesson.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Does he make a good point?
SANGER: He makes an excellent point. So, Israel is not a NATO member. So the question that he's essentially saying is, why did you have your missiles, your aircraft up in the air to defend them, but have set rules about not intercepting directly with American troops and arms Russian attacks on Ukraine?
And the answer at the end of the day is Russia is a nuclear power that we fear might use those nuclear weapons against the West and against NATO. And that's why President Biden made the decision that the U.S. would help Ukraine but not fight for Ukraine.
VAUSE: David, we'll leave it there. Thank you so much. David Sanger, CNN political and national security analyst as well as White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times and recently published author. Thank you.
SANGER: Thank you.
VAUSE: When we come back, why a prominent American university has canceled the commencement speech, which was set to be delivered by the valedictorian. More in that environment.
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[01:31:25]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
At university campuses across the United States, many valedictorians will soon have the honor of delivering the commencement speech to fellow graduates. But not this year at the University of Southern California, where academic officials have denied valedictorian Asna Tabassum that opportunity, even her participation in the graduation ceremony could be in doubt. So why?
Here's CNN's Nick watt reporting in from Los Angeles.
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NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Asna Tabassum, who is the daughter of South Asian immigrants, was invited to speak as the valedictorian at the graduation ceremony at USC and then that invitation was withdrawn.
And in these polarized and passionate times, there are, of course, strong opinions on both sides of this. But USC says this has nothing to do with free speech. This is purely about safety.
They say that over the past few days, the discussion around this speaker has some alarming red flags and they say that they've seen what's happened on other college campuses as people disagree over what's happening in the Middle East and they say that they can't afford to have similar violence and harassment at USC if this young woman speaks.
Now, I spoke to Asna Tabassum, who says that she does not believe this has anything to do with safety. She wouldn't tell me what she was planning to say in her speech. But she said it was going to be about hope. Take a listen.
ASNA TABASSUM, U.S.C. VALEDICTORIAN: Whether or not I planned to speak about Palestine, speak about any sort of conflict in general I think is beside the point. The point here is that the university preemptively made a decision not on the basis of safety, but on the basis of potentially other factors that I think impedes on my freedom of expression.
WATT: Now a number of individuals and organizations had asked USC to withdraw the invitation, they say because of social media posts by Asna Tabassum. Now on her Instagram bio, she links to a site which does call for the complete abolishment of the state of Israel and also called Zionism, a racist settler, colonial ideology.
She told me that she posted that link three years ago. She believed it then, she stands by it now and it should be seen not just in the current context for what's going on, but in the broader context of the history of the Middle East.
But groups like N Jew Hatred, which asked for her invitation to be withdrawn, they say that those kind of comments just feed into the cycle of violence see the Jewish students on American college campuses harassed.
Now, Asna Tabassum said that she is still planning to fight for the university to reinstate her as the speaker.
Nick Watt, CNN -- Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: New numbers out from the Anti-Defamation League. Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States soared to a record high last year. Cases of harassment, vandalism, and assault up 140 percent from 2022. The group says much of the increase has come since October when the Israel-Hamas war began.
For more on this, we head to New York and Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Jonathan, thanks for being with us.
[01:34:48]
JONATHAN GREENBLATT, CEO, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: Ok. So let's look at the numbers for the last year. Compared to the previous nine years, the rise is staggering. The U.S. recorded 8,873 anti-Semitic incidents for the entire year.
And October 7, the day Hamas fighters murdered innocent men, women, and children in Israel is a key data point. Because for that quarter of the year from then until the end of the year, there were 5,204 anti-Semitic incidents.
Now, the number is more than the total for every year since 1979 when the ADL began their record-keeping. And it seems there's two ways to look at this. One would be to consider 2023 an outlier, with an expectation that once the war in Gaza ends, the numbers would fall. Or 2023 is the year when anti-Semitism got a foothold once again in civil society. And a growing number of Americans think that's fine.
So which way do you go
GREENBLATT: Well, first of all, what I've got to say is unfortunately this is simply not an outlier this is yet an -- this is an escalation for sure. but it is consistent with the trend we've seen over these past eight years.
And look, I thought after 2016 and that presidential election, when the numbers spiked, it would go down the next year. And then we had Charlottesville and it went up even more.
Then I thought after that it would go down. And then we had Pittsburgh and then we had Poway (ph) and then we had January 6th. And 2022 was the worst year we ever saw at ADL until again last year.
And if we look at this data, what's so alarming, it's not the 400-plus businesses that were targeted and vandalized it's not the over 1,000 incidents on college campuses. It's not even the 2000-plus acts of vandalism. It's that in every situation there is a child, a son, or a daughter, a brother or a sister, a dad or a mom, a grandmother or a grandfather, a person who has actually experienced this hate.
That's what makes it so troubling.
So look, I certainly would hope and pray that as things cool down in the Middle East, things would cool down here at home. But unfortunately, that doesn't jibe with the reality that were seeing, right?
VAUSE: While at the same time, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, at least their numbers say -- they say they recorded more than 8,000 complaints of anti-Muslim bias.
The numbers look similar, but what's the difference here in terms of, you know, what they're actually saying?
GREENBLATT: There's certainly a big difference. I mean at ADL we've received far more complaints than we actually publish because we verify all the data that we publish.
CARE doesn't do that. They report complaints. They may be valid and they may be not valid. I can't say. VAUSE: And on college campuses across the United States, the war in
Gaza has sparked a lot of protests in support of Palestinians mostly. So along with data from hate crimes, this report for 2023 includes data from verbal harassment and speeches on college campuses. So how much did that actually skew these numbers?
GREENBLATT: If I took out the incidents on college campuses, the number would be roughly 7,500 -- 7,600 anti-Jewish acts. That is still about double what we saw the year before.
So even without that the numbers would still be shocking and sickening.
But I do have to say you've got to look at these college campuses as I do and I've been to in the last few months, places like Harvard, Brown, Columbia, and many, many others. And what I hear directly from the students, the Jewish students is a sense of alienation, is a sense of isolation as they are intimidated and shunned and harangued and again, really targeted by their peers, not because of what's their view on the two-state solution, not because of what's their view on Bibi Netanyahu.
They are targeted because they are Jews. And that's what we find so, so appalling.
VAUSE: FBI director Christopher Wray warned last October that anti- Semitism in the U.S. was reaching record levels. Here's part of what he told the Senate Committee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: The Jewish community is uniquely, uniquely targeted by pretty much every terrorist organization across the spectrum.
And when you look at a group that makes up 2.4 percent roughly of the American public population, it should be jarring to everyone that, that same population accounts for something like 60 percent of all religious-based hate crimes. And so they need our help.
VAUSE: And many within the Jewish community in this country are living in fear. Friends of mine who have kids, now have security guards at daycare centers because they're afraid. Measures like that though combat the symptoms of this disease, to combat the hatred and the bigotry of anti-Semitism is a different challenge altogether. So what do you do?
[01:39:54]
GREENBLATT: Well, number one, I think you've got to get at hearts and minds. So we believe in anti-bias education. We believe in educating kids about the Holocaust and genocide more generally. We believe in making sure that young people understand truly where hate can lead you.
We know that that works. I've seen the data that suggests that Holocaust education can improve biased attitudes.
Number two, we need to have real talk about Israel in the Middle East. Again, you can have very strong views about Israel and about the Palestinians, but holding a people, your fellow Americans, collectively responsible for what happened to the other side of the world is wrong.
And then finally, I think we need to really examine and make sure we have consequence culture when people do wrong. So we've seen some situations at campuses where young people who violate the rules, who flagrantly harass their classmates don't face any penalties. This is simply got to change. If we don't have some degree of deterrence, the pattern will continue on and on and on.
VAUSE: Hillary Clinton said, you can't change what's in people's hearts, but you can change their behavior through policy.
GREENBLATT: Yes.
VAUSE: Jonathan Greenblatt, good to see you. Thank you for your time. Appreciate your insights. Thank you.
GREENBLATT: Always good to see you. Thank you, sir.
VAUSE: Take care.
A draft law for England and Wales could soon make creating sexually explicit deepfakes or deepfake porn without consent a criminal act, even if there was no intention to share those altered images.
CNN's Clare Duffy has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: In England and Wales where this new law has been proposed. Its already illegal to share non-consensual deepfake pornography, that violators of (INAUDIBLE) can face jail time.
And this new proposed law would be a step further. It would make it illegal just to create this content in the first place and violators could face fines, could face having criminal charges on their record for the future.
Now, this comes as the U.S. and the E.U. are also taking similar steps trying to get a handle on this, one of the most harmful applications of A.I. technology.
But I do think it's interesting that in this U.K. case, were seeing them go so after the people who are creating this non-consensual, deepfake pornography but not the platforms that are enabling them to create that content.
I do think that is sort of an avenue that lawmakers could or should be looking at as they -- as they seek to get a handle on this going forward. (END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: One company reportedly reviewing their response to the rise of explicit deepfakes is Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The social media giant says its oversight board is meeting to discuss its policies on deepfakes and if they're effective and appropriate. And even if they are being enforced consistently worldwide.
Meta has come under fire for at least two instances where explicit deepfakes of female public figures were spread on their platforms. The (INAUDIBLE) co-chair says the A.I.-created media specifically targets women and Meta will examine whether its protecting women worldwide in a fair way.
When we come back roads turned into rivers, entire neighborhoods under water. A look at the powerful storm that moved through Dubai.
Plus 400 years up in flames -- 400 years of history up in flames. After the break details on the devastating fire at one of Denmark's most famous landmarks.
[01:43:07]
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VAUSE: The desert city of Dubai has recorded a year's worth of rain in just 12 hours. About 100 millimeters or nearly four inches, enough to turn some roads into rivers. Dubai's hot and dry climate means the city's infrastructure is unable to cope with so much rain falling so quickly. The heavy downpour forced some drivers to abandon their vehicles and slowly wade through the floodwaters to some kind of safety. Some homes and businesses saw water flood their ground floors.
Here's CNN meteorologist Chad Myers with more details
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It was just round after round of thunderstorms here in Dubai, four separate rounds. It would come, and it would go and then come back again and then it would go again.
And look at the wind here. Not just heavy rainfall, but 99 millimeters in 12 hours created this. Not only here on the roadways, but also at the airport. The world's second busiest airport with 87 million passengers every year.
So there's the cloud cover, thunderstorm, another thunderstorm rolling on by. And now this weather is actually into parts of Southern Iran and even into Pakistan.
But here's -- here are the numbers as we go. 99 millimeters in 12 hours. The annual average is less than that, which means for the entire year, they should have picked only up about 94 millimeters. And we got this in 12 hours.
So just a tremendous amount of rainfall for anywhere in the world. But certainly in places that don't see that much rainfall at any one time.
In fact, after 24 hours, we were at 159 millimeters of rainfall before it finally stopped. And now that weather has finally moved into parts of Southern Iran and also even into parts of Pakistan.
Some of that could be piling up quite deep. We could see at least another 100 millimeters of rainfall to the East of there, into these slightly more mountainous areas of Southern Iran and into Pakistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Chad Myers, thank you.
More than 400 years of Denmark's heritage, its history and culture is gone, destroyed almost in an instant after fire burn Copenhagen's historic stock exchange building to the ground.
CNN's Isa Soares has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Huge fumes of smoke billows into the sky as a piece of Danish history goes up in flames.
On Tuesday, rescue services tackled the raging fire engulfing Copenhagen's old stock exchange. The fire was seen swirling around one of Denmark's most famous landmarks moments before its historic 56- meter spire collapsed.
Emergency services said the fire started in the morning, and just a few hours later, nearly half the building had been destroyed.
JAKOB VEDSTED ANDERSEN, DIRECTOR, GREATER COPENHAGEN FIRE DEPARTMENT: It's a very historic building, built back in 1620 by King Christian IV. So it's a very historic building in Copenhagen and a big part of the Danish inheritance.
SOARES: Although there have been no reported injuries, about 400 years of Danish cultural heritage had been destroyed. But this didn't stop employees, rescue workers, and members of the public from trying to rescue its artwork.
According to CNN affiliate BT Denmark, Brian Mikkelsen, a chamber of commerce director, was one of the people who helped rescue some of its historical paintings.
BRIAN MIKKELSEN, CEO, DANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (through translator): Some of the most important things that matter in history. For example, Christian IV, and Kroyer's paintings.
But it is the building itself which is an institution. And in itself is a signature of Danish business life for over 400 years.
SOARES: Danish government owned Channel TV 2 said valuables were being rescued by 40 firefighters inside the building.
But it still stunned onlookers who watched the flames burn, with some comparing the tragedy to Paris's Notre Dame fire in 2019.
ELISABETH MOELTKE, COPENHAGEN RESIDENT: This is our Notre Dame. This is our national treasure. I've been in there several times, and it's a magnificent building. So it makes me feel very, very emotional.
SOARES: That emotion over the historic building will still be felt for weeks to come as the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
But with Copenhagen's mayor saying they will do everything they can to replace its damaged heritage, the long road to restoration won't be easy.
Isa Soares, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: After the break, legendary tennis star Serena Williams speaks out on that iconic catsuit, you know, the one that sparked a controversy on the tennis court.
[01:49:48]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Italian officials have once again reopened an underground wartime bunker, commissioned by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, one of the three structures built to protect Mussolini and his family. Construction on the armored bunker began in December 1942, but was not finished by the time he was arrested in July 1943. The 50-minute guided tour takes visitors underneath the castle through the exhibition. Before they experience a recreated air raid.
The bunker has opened and closed to the public at various times since 2006.
Get ready. Brazil match is heading your way and Rio de Janeiro is now preparing for the 1 million fans expected at Copacabana Beach, where Madonna will perform a free concert, capping off her celebration tour. Mark the date May 4, entrance first-come, first-serve.
Good luck.
Nearly 6 years ago when Serena Williams made her return to tennis at the French Open and after the birth of her first child, it wasn't her game which caused a stir. But that cat suit. 23-time Grand Slam singles champion recently spoke to CNN's Amanda Davies about that and a whole lot more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: This, of course, was the place where Roland Garros you wore the cat suit
SERENA WILLIAMS, TENNIS LEGEND: Well yes.
DAVIES: It had such an impact. How do you reflect on that now. WILLIAMS: I didn't know it would have such an impact. Here I am just trying to be healthy. I was a new mom and just trying to be me. It was a great moment I didn't know it would cause such a stir.
DAVIES: What did it feel like when you put it on for the first time? Because it was different, it was different. It was so different.
Not what people were used to seeing on a tennis court.
WILLIAMS: You know, when I first put it on, it was in a fitting and I felt so comfortable first oh, my God, now, I'm getting like sad memories. I miss it. Stop. Let's change the subject.
Oh, no, now I'm like I want to go home, put it on, and of course, I want to play and slide around some clay like. Such good memories.
It changed the conversation, didn't it?
WILLIAMS: I mean, can you imagine I couldn't wear pants. That's weird. I don't know. You have you have to wear a skirt. I'm like, well, I wanted to make sure that my blood was always circulating and I had been in near-death experience.
So like I think there should have been and could have been and whether it was or not, I was in it and I wasn't getting out of it. Understanding around that whole outfit.
DAVIES: When you look at what Angel Reese has gone through, she's talked about what you've meant to her, but equally the challenges that she's faced in her college career. What would your advice be to her?
WILLIAMS: I love her. She's herself. She's unapologetically herself, and I think that's great. I think that's how it begins.
Also, I loved her outfit the one leg I was like, oh, I like that. I did that too.
I absolutely love what she does for women's basketball and, you know, and that she has had to go through a lot and her career hasn't even begun yet. She's just - were talking about college. This is a college young girl.
She's a woman, but she's still a girl. You know, like I feel like people put so much pressure on our young women, but it's these moments that make you really strong. And I think she's going to be proud of how she's handled all of them and how she continues to handle them.
DAVIES: What have you made of this moment for college basketball? And women's college basketball.
[01:54:49]
WILLIAMS: Yes. I think their moments' been happening. I think we just needed the right catalyst and the right people and I think that's kind of been happening over the past few years. And I think women's sport is having a moment that it should have always had. You know, I feel like tennis has had its moment and its been -- it's
international and it's huge. And it's always going to be there. Now it's like time to lift up other sports. Women's soccer, women's basketball, like there's so many other sports that women do so great. Let's put it on that platform that tennis is on.
And I feel like its women's basketball is getting there and its arrived and that's super exciting.
DAVIES: Could a WNBA team be added to your roster in the ownership stakes would you be interested.
WILLIAMS: I know, right. I absolutely would be. I think with the right market, you know. I think I would definitely be super interested in that
DAVIES: You very proudly embraced the ownership role in sports. I'm interested to know, Do you still think there is, do people feel the risk factor investing in women and women in sports still. Or are we now finally over that hurdle?
WILLIAMS: I mean, there is no risk, you know, there's women's sport is exciting. Women are exciting to watch. More people watched the women's basketball in college than the men's.
So I think that people are realizing that it's is exciting to watch. It's an overly safe bet to me when it comes to investing.
DAVIES: Were sitting here in Paris. The Olympics, just a couple of months away.
Is that something that potentially could take you out of --
(CROSSTALKING)
WILLIAMS: Oh my God.
DAVIES: do you fancy getting back on that tennis court.
WILLIAMS: First of all, thank you for saying evolution because that's what it is. I have evolved into the entrepreneur and a businesswoman. And I'm still a tennis player at heart and soul, but yes, I don't think this is going to get me out of my evolution but, you know, I do miss it. I miss it dreadfully.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with my friend and colleague Rosemary Church after a very short break.
See you right back here tomorrow.
[01:57:00]
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