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Israeli Prime Minister Speaks At U.N.; Israeli Prime Minister Compares Hamas to ISIS; Israeli PM Speech; Hong Kong Protests

Aired September 29, 2014 - 13:00   ET

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

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: Well, I suppose it's the same moral universe where a man who wrote a dissertation of lies about the holocaust and who insists on a Palestine free of Jews, (inaudible), can stand at this podium and shamelessly accuse Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

In the past, outrageous lies against the Jews were the precursors to the (INAUDIBLE) slaughter of our people. But no more. Today, we, the Jewish people, have the power to defend ourselves. We will defend ourselves against our enemies on the battlefield. We will expose their lies against us in the court of public opinion. Israel will continue to stand proud and unbowed.

Ladies and gentlemen, despite the enormous challenges facing Israel, I believe we have an historic opportunity. After decades of seeing Israel as their enemy, leading states in the Arab world increasingly recognize that together we and they face many of the same dangers and principally this means a nuclear armed Iran and militant Islamist movements gaining ground in the Sunni world. Our challenges to transform these common interests, to create a productive partnership, one that would build a more secure, peaceful and prosperous Middle East. Together, we can strengthen regional security. We can advance projects in water, in agriculture, in transportation, in health, in energy, in so many fields. I believe the partnership between us can also help facilitate peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Now, many have long assumed that an Israeli-Palestinian peace can help facilitate a broader rapprochement between Israel and the Arab world. But these way -- these days, I think it may work the other way around. Namely, that a broader rapprochement between Israel and the Arab world may help facilitate an Israeli-Palestinian peace. And, therefore, to achieve that peace, we must look not only look to Jerusalem and Ramallah but also to Cairo, to Amman, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and elsewhere. I believe peace can be realized with the active involvement of Arab countries, those that are willing to provide political, material and other indispensable support.

I'm ready to make an historic compromise, not because Israel occupies a foreign land. The people of Israel are not occupiers in the land of Israel. History, archeology and commonsense all make clear that we have had a singular attachment to this land for over 3,000 years. I want peace because I want to create a better future for my people. But it must be a general went peace, one that is anchored in mutual recognition and enduring security arrangements, rock solid security arrangements, on the ground. Because, you see, Israel withdrawals from Lebanon and Gaza created two militant Islamic enclaves on our borders from which 10s and thousands of rockets have been fired at Israel. And these sobering experiences heightens Israel's security concerns regarded potential territorial concessions in the future.

Now, those security concerns are even greater today. Just look around you. The Middle East is in chaos, states are disintegrating and militant Islamists are filling the void. Israel cannot have territories from which it withdraws taken over by Islamic militants yet again, as happened in Gaza and Lebanon. That would place the likes of ISIS within mortar range, a few miles, of 80 percent of our population. Now, think about that. The distance between the 1967 lines and the suburbs of Tel Aviv is like the distance between the U.N. building here and Times Square. Israel is a tiny country. That's why in any peace agreement, which will obviously necessitate a territorial compromise, I will always insist that Israel be able to defend itself by itself against any threat.

And yet, despite everything that has happened, some still don't take Israel security concerns seriously. But I do and I always will because, as prime minister of Israel, I am entrusted with the awesome responsibility of ensuring the future of the Jewish people and the future of the Jewish states. And no matter what pressure is brought to bear, I will never waver in fulfilling that responsibility.

I believe that with a fresh approach from our neighbors, we can advance peace, despite the difficulties that we face. See, in Israel, we have a record of making the impossible possible. We've made a desolate land flourish. And with very few natural resources, we've used the fertile minds of our people to turn Israel into a global center of technology and innovation. And peace, of course, would enable Israel to realize its full potential and to bring a promising future, not only for our people, not only for the Palestinian people, but for many, many others in our region. But the old template for peace must be updated. It must take into account new realities and new roles and responsibilities for our Arab neighbors.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is a new Middle East. It presents new dangers but also new opportunities. Israel is prepared to work with Arab partners and the international community to confront those dangers and to seize those opportunities. Together, we must recognize the global threat of militant Islam, the primacy of dismantling Iran's nuclear weapons' capability and the indispensable role of Arab states in advancing peace with the Palestinians. All this may fly in the face of conventional wisdom but it's the truth. And the truth must always be spoken, especially here in the United Nations.

Isaiah, a great prophet of peace, taught us, nearly 3,000 years ago in Jerusalem, to speak truth to power. (INAUDIBLE.) For the sake of Zion, I will not be silent. For the sake of Jerusalem, I will not be still, until our justice shines bright and our salvation glows like a flaming torch. Ladies and gentlemen, let us light a torch of truth and justice to safeguard our common future. Thank you.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So, there you see the Israeli delegation warmly applauding the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, who delivered a very, very strong statement there at the United Nations general assembly. Strong statement basically equating ISIS and Hamas, going after the United Nations itself saying Israel's ready to engage in the peace process but very strong words against the Palestinian authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, for suggesting the other day in his speech in New York that Israel was engaged in genocide against the Palestinians.

Let's discuss what we just heard. Jim Sciutto is here, our Chief National Security Correspondent; Aaron Miller, a former negotiator -- a peace process negotiator for the State Department is here as well. Jim, I want to play a little clip. The prime minister of Israel is saying the United States has a problem ISIS, Israel has a problem with Hamas in Gaza but they are basically the same thing. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NETANYAHU: To protect the peace and security of the world, we must remove this cancer before it's too late. Last week, many of the countries represented here rightly applauded President Obama for leading the effort to confront ISIS. And yet weeks before, some of these same countries, the same countries that now support confronting ISIS, opposed Israel for confronting Hamas. They evidently don't understand that ISIS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Strong words from the prime minister of Israel and clearly addressing an American-European audience and trying to make that comparison between Hamas and ISIS.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: No question. He also made the comparison between Iran and ISIS. And this is something that we heard during the Gaza War where they attached the ISIS label to Hamas and other groups, Boko Haram, et cetera, to say that you have this kind of global alliance of Islamic extremists and, really, the only way to react to them, frankly, is force, justifying Israeli action.

But, at the same time, undermining, as he has done since the beginning of the nuclear talks with Iran, any hope of negotiating -- negotiated solution on Iran's nuclear program. Of course, the trouble with that is if you paint all of these things with the same brush, you're basically saying you can't negotiate with anybody, whether it's Iran or Hamas or elsewhere, which takes away chances for a peaceful negotiation with the Israeli-Palestinian problem, Iran's nuclear program.

It's -- and I think, also -- and I wonder if Aaron agrees but ISIS is a particular kind of thing and Hamas is a particular kind of thing. Both of them use terrorist tactics but are they from the same -- do they have the same mentality? I think a lot of the folks in the region would question that.

BLITZER: And he made a strong point, he tried to make a strong point, the prime minister of Israel, Aaron, that these negotiations that the U.S. and the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, in Germany, they're having with Iran to eliminate the nuclear weapons' capability. He says there can't be any finessing as this part of the deal. It's got to be resolved. Iran cannot have any capability whatsoever. Clearly, making Israel's position very clear. It seems to be pretty concerned what the U.S. and the others are engaged in right now as this end of November deadline approaches.

AARON DAVID MILLER, VICE PRESIDENT FOR NEW INITIATIVES, WOODROW WILSON INTERNATIONAL CENTER: I think that's right. You know, Netanyahu has drawn his own red line, although that is to say no enrichment. Well, I suspect, if you did get to the point where you had a serious deal that would fundamentally undermine the retire Iran's capacity, he's -- that red line would turn pink. This was vintage Benjamin Netanyahu. One of my former bosses, Madeleine Albright, once compared Netanyahu to the American Newt Gingrich.

BLITZER: Yes.

MILLER: Whether she was paying him a compliment or not, I don't know. But he's very good at what he does. He's articulate. And. let's be clear, this is the world that he feels most comfortable in. The world's threat of security even invoked the Nazis as -- and this conflation between the master race and the master faith which, in some respects, is extremely compelling as he describes the new challenge. One additional point, he's siding, in effect, with some of his key Arab indirect allies who also see the conflation between Hamas, ISIS, and who also fear Iran. So, in that respect, and I heard stop applause, Netanyahu's message, coming when it does, has much more resonance, frankly, than, perhaps, at any other time he's been to the United Nations. And he knows it.

BLITZER: Because when it comes to Iran, the Israelis don't have relations with Saudi Arabia. They don't have relations with the United Emirates and others. But when it comes to Iran, they seem to be on the same page, as far as that sensitive issue is concerned.

Richard Roth is over at the United Nations. We're going to speak to him in a moment. We'll take a quick break. The prime minister of Israel also strongly condemning the United Nations for what he called the double standard when it comes to Israel and much more of our special coverage.

I'm Wolf Blitzer here in Washington. Once again, we want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting reaction to the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. A very strong speech at the United Nations General Assembly. You saw it live here on CNN and CNN international just moments ago. Bobby Ghosh is joining us. He's a CNN global affairs analyst, managing editor of Quartz.

Bobby, I guess, as we heard from Aaron Miller, vintage Netanyahu. What jumped out at you? BOBBY GHOSH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, as is often the case

with -- although this is an international audience, this is often the case the speakers are directing their attention to their domestic audience. And the sense I got was that Netanyahu was talking more to Israelis, more to shore up his own credibility with Israelis because that sort of suffered a little bit during the Gaza campaign. To the rest of the world, what he said would sounds awfully familiar. He said it before. Others from his administration have said it before.

BLITZER: I want to play a little clip, Bobby. Listen to this. This is what the prime minister said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAEL PRIME MINISTER: Make no mistake, ISIS must be defeated. But to defeat ISIS and leave Iran as a threshold nuclear power is to win the battle and lose the war. To defeat ISIS and leave Iran as a threshold nuclear power is to win the battle and lose the war. Ladies and gentlemen, the fight against militant Islam is indivisible. When militant Islam succeeds anywhere, it's emboldened everywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So he's basically making the point that Iran is a much greater threat to the region, threat to the world potentially, than even ISIS is right now. And I know -- and we were talking about this earlier, Bobby, their - the Arab countries in the region, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, two of the coalition partners that the United States has assembled in this -- these air strikes against ISIS who will agree with him on that?

GHOSH: Well, the Arab leaders certainly will. I think Arab people will have slightly more mixed reactions to that. He's tried this before. They've been - they've been doing this for months. The Israeli position is that ISIS equals Hamas equals Iran. It's a hard sell. Hamas is a different kind of terrorist group from ISIS. Iran is a different kind of threat from ISIS and to a different group of people. So it's a little bit of a hard sell. I don't think anybody would argue that Iran represents a threat, Hamas represent as tremendous threat to Israel, but to conflate all of these into one pile and say a Shiite state and a Sunni terrorist group are all part of the same problem, that's a little bit of a -- that's a little bit of overkill, I think.

BLITZER: Let me bring Richard Roth, our senior United Nations correspondent, in to this conversation.

Richard, we strong -- we heard strong words from the prime minister basically condemning the U.N., at least the U.N. human rights council, for what he called a double standard, investigating Israel's human rights treatment of Palestinians, especially what happened over the past several months in Gaza, but ignoring, he says, Palestinian human rights violations in launching rockets at civilian targets in Israel and then hiding behind civilians in Gaza.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, using photos and he has used props before, Benjamin Netanyahu strongly returning fire to what President Abbas or the Palestinians said last week here at the U.N. He said, in effect, these are the war crimes you should be investigating, referring to the pictures he showed of Hamas rockets being fired right near children and civilians. Not just throwing out accusations that Israel is committing war crimes. He said rather bluntly, defiantly and raising his voice inside the hall, we did not target civilians. We sought to avoid anything like that.

He also added the usual Israeli criticism of the human rights council based out of Geneva, which was supposed to be reformed and revamped several years ago but still seems to single out Israel for its resolutions. He said, in effect, don't get me started, when talking about that group, which tends to want to investigate Israel for war crimes in Gaza and elsewhere. And as you may have heard, Wolf, he managed to bring up the name of Derek Jeter, the New York sport - the New York shortstop for the New York Yankees, who just retired, saying that if Iran really preaches that it's not favoring terrorism, well, then Derek Jeter isn't the shortstop of the New York Yankees, which he isn't any more. Last game yesterday.

Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: I know you're a big baseball fan, a big Yankees fan as well.

All right, stand by, Richard.

Aaron Miller, you served six presidents, I believe. Negotiating a peace process, which is very illusive, if you listen to the prime minister today, those of us who would like to see the peace process resumed, the two-state solution emerge, Israel alongside Palestine, it sounds like that is really, really unlikely any time soon given this rift that has developed between the Palestinian Authority Leader Mahmoud Abbas, the president and the prime minister of Israel.

AARON DAVID MILLER, WOODROW WILSON INTERNATIONAL CENTER: You know, I've been pretty annoyingly negative in my own assessment of the chances for this thing. But, you know, Woody Allen was right, success in life is not just showing up, it's showing up at the right time. And right now you have a set of distractions. Abbas actually didn't reiterate his normal call for commitment to negotiations. And, in fact, he said, going back to the table would be a mistake. You've got ISIS. You've got Iran. The Obama administration is focused elsewhere. Perhaps after the midterms, perhaps in 2015, there will be another opening. But, no, nobody ever lost money betting against the Israeli/Palestinian peace. And you're likely not to lose money this time around either.

BLITZER: That's pretty depressing when you think about it.

From the U.S. perspective, Him, and you speak to these officials all the time, how -- what's the likely reaction to Netanyahu. I know he's coming to Washington. I think he's going to meet with the president at the White House on Wednesday. How does that conversation going to go because over the past six years they've worked together, the U.S./Israeli military, the military relationship is good, the intelligence relationship is good. I sense, though, that the personal relationship between the prime minister and the president is sort of businesslike, shall they say, in the diplomatic community.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Not very warm - not very warm and fuzzy.

BLITZER: That's correct.

SCIUTTO: Not - to use another diplomatic expression.

BLITZER: That's right.

SCIUTTO: I think they've come to expect this kind of speech from Netanyahu. He does it every year at the U.N.G.A. They know his point of view. I think it does come at a very sensitive time, though, in the nuclear talks with Iran because by all accounts officials I speak to, things aren't going great. There's still a great distance and we are some two months away, a little over - two months away from the end of the extension of the interim deal. So you have a couple of months to work those differences out. And based on what's been leaking out, some of the solutions, Israel, we know, not comfortable with at all. There's been talk of, for instance, instead of destroying centrifuges, disconnecting some of the connections to centrifuges. I mean these kind of compromises is going to make Israel, a close ally, very nervous. So if you hear these comments now, I'm sure, in private, when he speaks to the president and U.S. officials, we'll hear - he'll hear them even more so.

BLITZER: Yes, I'm sure they will.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

BLITZER: All right, Jim Sciutto, thanks very much. Aaron Miller, always good to have you. Bobby Ghosh is going to stick around. Richard Roth is working his sources at the United Nations.

Up next, the streets of Hong Kong full of protesters. We'll have a live report. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)