Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Third Group Of Hostages Released; 17 Hostages Released On Day 3 Of Truce; 120 Aid Trucks Enter Gaza Through Rafah Border Sunday; Biden Has Spoken With Israeli PM. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired November 26, 2023 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:01:37]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you for joining us.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield alongside my colleague Wolf Blitzer in Tel Aviv. Wolf, we'll get to you in a moment.

We're staying on top of breaking news.

Following an agonizing 50 days held by Hamas, today jubilation in the streets of Israel as another 17 hostages are now returned and safe. It's the third exchange of hostages as part of a four-day truce in hostilities between Hamas and Israel. And right now the 13 Israelis released as part of today's deal are being treated at hospitals.

Among them, a 4-year-old American, Abigail Edan, the first American released since the start of the truce. She was also the youngest American captured by Hamas on October 7th.

An additional four foreign nationals including separate from the deal arrived in Egypt a short time ago. That group includes three Thai nationals and a Russian-Israeli dual citizen.

Let's send it over to Wolf, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Fred, thank you very much.

I want to just continue our special coverage and we have a team of our correspondents covering all the latest developments.

CNN's Matthew Chance is joining us right now. He's over at the Schneider Children's Medical Center here in Tel Aviv where we understand many of the hostages will be treated.

Matthew, what more are you learning right now about the conditions of the hostages released today?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, we're not being told about the medical condition of those hostages. We know there are nine children amongst the Israelis that have released in this latest, the third group of people to be released from Gaza under this hostage deal.

The majority of them, if not all of them, and it's not exactly clear, are expected to come here -- I'm talking about the children now -- here to the Schneider medical facility which is on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, in a suburb called Petah Tikva. And you can see right behind me is that hospital. And there's also a helicopter landing pad which is just a few meters from where I'm standing now, the green lights on the ground there. Behind it, you might be able to make the ambulances. They're sort of preparing to receive those former hostages when they come here.

We don't know exactly when they're going to arrive, but amongst them we're told by the Hostage Family Forum, which is the support agency that's been set up to help these hostages' families.

Saying that Abigail Edan, the joint U.S.-Israeli citizen, 4 years old, she had a birthday on Friday inside Gaza as a hostage, is one of the people expected to be brought here by helicopter in the next few minutes also, perhaps 20 or 30 minutes away. We don't exactly know.

The world that she comes back to though, Wolf, is going to be dramatically transformed from the one that she was snatched from back on October 7th.

CHANCE: Her family members say that Abigail may not be aware that she is now an orphan because both her mother and her father were killed on October 7th in the kibbutz of Kfar Aza where they all lived where Hamas gunmen sort of broke in and, you know, undertook that rampage in which so many people were killed, (INAUDIBLE) not to say about other kibbutzim and elsewhere as well.

Other children also returning potentially to the Schneider medical facility into a transformed world. We're talking about the children of the Almog children.

[14:05:00]

Shen Goldstein Almog is the mother of three children -- all four of them are being released right now -- well they've been released now. They're in Israeli custody making their way to us as we speak. They've lost their father and they've lost a sister as well.

We're also expecting to see later on -- I've been in contact with the father of this family. Hagar Brodutch and her three young children, age 10, 8 and 4.

I've spoken to the husband Avihai and he, you know, he thought he lost his wife and his three children. You know, they were held hostage in Gaza. And I spoke to him earlier and he said he was very relieved that they were on the list and looking forward to seeing them for the first time in more than 50 days, Wolf.

BLITZER: Matthew Chance reporting from the Schneider Medical Center -- Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva right outside Tel Aviv. Matthew, thank you very much. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is joining us from Urim, Israel. Jeremy, what more are you learning about the process to get these hostages home and safe?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, we are learning a little bit more information about the reason why these hostages returned to Israel not through that Kerem Shalom crossing further south between Israel, Gaza and Egypt where we've been the past few nights witnessing those convoys of newly-freed hostages entering Israel for the first time. But instead entering central Israel via -- near Kibbutz Be'eri which is, of course, one of the sites of the terrible massacres on October 7th which is right behind me effectively.

And the main reason why is because one of those hostages, 84-year-old Alma Abraham, we're told, was in serious medical condition and required immediate evacuation. We're now told actually, Wolf, that she was medically evacuated by helicopter directly from the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military and onward to a hospital in Israel.

The rest of those 12 Israeli hostages then entered directly via the route near Kibbutz Be'eri and boarded a convoy of vehicles there which we saw coming right down this road, Wolf, on their way to the Hatzerim Air Force Base nearby. From there they're being taken by helicopter to hospitals like the one where Matthew was just reporting from.

But what we also know, Wolf, is that these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal. And that is why they have -- there's a whole range of preparations that have been made for them. Medical, psychological, social services all made being available for them at these various hospitals.

But of course, as Matthew was just saying, many of them are also returning to a different reality where most of their family members -- most of them have either had a family member killed or still captive in the Gaza Strip.

And that's also an important point to remember. As some of these Israeli hostages are freed, many of their family members are so elated to see them home, and yet they still -- some of them in some cases still have families hostage in Gaza.

BLITZER: Jeremy Diamond, reporting for us. Jeremy, we'll get back to you. Thank you very much.

I want to bring in CNN's Nada Bashir right now. She's joining us from Jerusalem.

Nada, as part of today's agreement, 39 additional Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel are set to be released. Do we know when they might be freed?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have now seen (INAUDIBLE) carrying last night, some of those 39 prisoners now leaving the (INAUDIBLE) close to the crossing and is now arriving in central Ramallah where we have seen, once again, huge crowds gathering. Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank, gathering to welcome and celebrate the release of these prisoners.

All of those prisoners and detainees released today on the third day of that truce between Israel and Hamas are teenagers, one as young as 14 years old. The majority of them, once again, were held under administrative detention, no charges laid against them, no ongoing legal process.

And of course, as we have seen over the last three days, this has been for many Palestinians, particularly in the Occupied West Bank but also of course, in Jerusalem a huge moment of hope for those detainees and prisoners, but also for their family members and loved ones.

Now of course, we have seen over the last few days a bit of uncertainty as well around the release of these detainees and prisoners, that list of who is set to be released on each day is -- it is uncertain on what time the list is released.

BASHIR: We've seen parents and family members gathering in local municipality centers, waiting to hear if their loved ones will indeed be on the list.

[14:10:00]

And of course, under the terms of that truce agreement, a total of about 150 Palestinian women and children currently held in Israeli custody are set to be released. This, of course, if the terms of the truce agreement are upheld and we continue to see the release of Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas in Gaza.

We spoke to some of those teenagers who were released yesterday. 33 of them were released yesterday. Many of them spoke to us about the conditions they faced inside those prisons and about the mistreatment they faced inside prison. The hope is for many Palestinian families across the Occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, that they will continue to see their loved ones being released tomorrow, potentially even more if there is an extension potentially, of that truce agreement.

BLITZER: All right. Nada Bashir reporting from Jerusalem, thanks very much.

I want to go to CNN's Oren Liebermann right now. He's joining us just north of Tel Aviv. Oren, I understand you're at a hotel where we're told some of the displaced members of Kibbutz Kfar Aza are staying. What's happening there right now.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, many of the families from Kfar Aza who are displaced in the attack and can't go back to their homes have come here to this kibbutz about 10 or 15 miles north of Tel Aviv. And this is where they've set up a big screen to watch the unfoldings on Israeli TV. Watch the pictures as their loved ones, their friends, their families came out of Gaza for the first time in some seven weeks.

We had a chance to speak with one of the women here whose husband was murdered in the terror attack on October 7th. And she said the last seven weeks have been seven weeks of hell. To finally see some of those she knows coming out of Gaza, that is the

first bit of light she said she's seen in her life over the course of the past seven weeks.

So an incredibly emotional moment here as each new picture came up, each new little clip of video of the newly-freed hostages making their way out of Gaza and into Israel. There was more applause, there was more cheering, more hugs and for the first time in so long for many of these families, there was more happiness.

In the Israeli military presser tonight, the spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari pointed out that for all of the hostages released tonight, they have a family member either killed or still hostage in Gaza. And that gives you a sense of the pain that this community here has been through and how important this day was and whey they all came together to watching what was unfolding here.

They all know this is just part of the process, they say there are still members of the Kfar Aza community who are held hostage in Gaza. And they hold their breath for those releases as they do for the release of all the other hostages who are still held by Hamas in Gaza, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Oren Liebermann in Shefayim, just north of Tel Aviv. Oren, thank you very much.

President Biden meanwhile says -- and I'm quoting him now -- he's hopeful more Americans will be released.

Let's go to CNN's Priscilla Alvarez. She is over at the White House watching all this unfold. Priscilla, what else is the president saying on a day when we saw the youngest American held by Hamas finally freed and safe?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the president, Wolf, welcomed the news. He celebrated that Abigail Edan, who is the youngest, 4 years old, was released.

She's the first American hostages, part of this group of hostages that have been released by Hamas.

And he talked about what she had endured, both during captivity and also on October 7th when both of her parents were killed. Her siblings, though, still alive.

Now, the president said she had endured terrible trauma and what she had gone through was, quote, "unthinkable". The president though did not yet have details on her condition.

But of course, White House officials have been working furiously behind the scenes and around the clock to try to secure the release of hostages and especially American hostages.

The president expressed some confidence that there would be additional releases including Americans, in particular two American women who they're trying to seek the release of. The president also hopeful that this pause in fighting could be

extended. U.S. Officials have said that Israel has agreed that, if Hamas were to release ten hostages, that they would add a day in the pause in fighting.

And so the president speaking to that and telling reporters that he's hopeful that there could be more hostages out and more aid going into Gaza. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Critically aid is going in and hostages are coming out. This deal is structured so that it can be extended. Keep building on the results. That's my goal. That's our goal, to keep the pause going beyond tomorrow so we that continue to see more hostages to come out and surge more humanitarian relief into those who are in need in Gaza.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now, the president said that he also plans to speak to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Today, we are awaiting more details on that call. But for now, the president making clear that he is celebrating and welcoming the news of Abigail Edan now being in Israel.

BLITZER: Yes. Some really good news indeed. Priscilla Alvarez, thank you very much for that report.

One U.N. Aid agency says the aid trucks moving into Gaza right now are still just a "drop in the ocean", his words, when it comes to what is actually needed for the people in Gaza. I'll speak with someone from that agency to get more on what conditions are like inside Gaza. We'll do that when I come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: As part of the temporary truce agreement, up to 200 trucks of badly-needed aid per day are now crossing into Gaza.

[14:19:49]

BLITZER: Let's bring in Juliette Touma, she's the director of communications for UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. Julia, thank you so much joining us.

Your own spokesman on the ground said that the aid getting through is just, in his words, a drop in the ocean. I know you were just in Gaza. Give us your thoughts. Just how great is the need right now.

[14:20:00]

JULIETTE TOUMA, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, UNRWA: Huge, huge needs, Wolf. And also very, very visible.

In one of the visits to one of our shelter, it was overcrowded. 13,000 people literally on top of each other. People keep coming in in search mainly for protection, including just in the past few days, right.

And we cannot cater for those needs because we are simply overwhelmed. We're currently hosting 1 million people. This is unprecedented. It doesn't happen. The United Nations normally does not do this.

And so any supplies that are coming in are going to be extremely helpful and we hope to get more.

BLITZER: So important. What are the challenges Juliette, of getting that aid to the parts of Gaza where it is needed the most?

TOUMA: So the needs are everywhere. They're overwhelming everywhere. The assumption that some areas are less in need or more in need is not accurate.

2 million people have been impacted by this war. 1.7 million people were forced to flee their homes. Some families are hosting relatives and friends. A million people are in UNRWA shelters. So they need everywhere.

And what's also needed is to support the private sector to get back on its feet. When we were driving around in southern Gaza, every single shop was closed, the pharmacies were closed. There were just a few vegetable stalls.

So while humanitarian aid is extremely, extremely helpful, what we need right now is also a boost of the private sector because in the long-term humanitarian aid cannot do it alone.

BLITZER: What are you expecting Juliette to happen with the aid to Gaza once this temporary truce is over?

TOUMA: It's hard to predict. It's hard to predict anything Wolf. The velocity and the volume of this war and the siege of this war have been phenomenal, quite frankly. So it's hard to predict. What we hope for however is for this temporary pause to continue for aid to continue to come in, for fuel to continue to come in which is really excellent that we've had fuel coming in and also cooking gas for the first time since the war began.

So we hope that the pause continues, it materializes into something much more long term like the humanitarian ceasefire we've been calling for and that aid continues to flow and bit by bit supplies for the markets.

BLITZER: Juliette, can you also give us an update on the state of hospitals in Gaza, particularly the Al Shifa Hospital that was the focus, as all of us know, of some serious fighting?

TOUMA: Yes. Well, our colleagues from the World Health Organization have been to the hospitals. My own colleagues from UNRWA helped them with the evacuation of the babies. If you remember last, last week. The hospital turned into a death place and it's no longer functional.

There continue to be some people in the hospital. There were a few ambulances that were sent to the north of Gaza as part of this pause and as part of the aid that has been coming in but it's almost non- functional.

BLITZER: Juliette Touma, the director of communications for UNRWA. Thank you so much for joining us. And good luck to you. Good luck to UNRWA. We appreciate all you're trying to do.

TOUMA: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thanks very much.

Coming up, there's word coming in right now that several countries including the United States are working to extend this temporary truce between Israel and Hamas beyond the agreed-upon four days.

We'll head live to Cairo for details right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:28:23]

BLITZER: We're continuing to follow our breaking news. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Tel Aviv. The third group of hostages released by Hamas is now safe here in Israel. Their release ends more than seven weeks of captivity in Gaza.

Among the 17 hostages handed over to the International Red Cross today is the first American freed under this temporary truce, 4-year-old Abigail Edan is now safe, thank God. She was the youngest of the Americans captured by Hamas back on October 7th.

CNN's Larry Madowo is in Cairo for us.

Larry, I understand there's word that Egypt, Qatar and the United States are working behind the scenes right now to try to extend this temporary truce. What's happening on that front?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, that is a possibility that has not been expressly confirmed by either the United States, by Qatar or Egypt. But we know, President Biden said for himself today that it's his desire to extend this truce until the hostages are released.

The Qatari foreign ministry has also said that they're working to build on the momentum of these past three days to make sure that this truce can go on for longer. And any such extension would be a delicate process involving the mediation of Egypt and Qatar with the agreement of the United States but also the buy-in especially of Hamas and Israel. That they would have to agree to this.

Hamas understandably would want more detainees released from Israeli custody. And on the other hand, the Israelis would want all the hostages released, as many of them as possible.

MADOWO: We know that it was built into this deal that for every ten hostages released, another day of a pause in fighting is gained.

[14:30:01] So if Hamas can release ten more hostages every day, they can extend this is essentially until all the hostages are released. That will be useful to them if they can increase the number of detainees from Israel that are released, we haven't had an announcement for that, but it's a possibility that there's a lot of diplomatic efforts to try and get to work.

But we know any of these things can fall apart at a moments notice, one party could say that they don't like how the other party is violating it. Get to work. But we know any of these things get to work.

But we know any of these things can fall apart at a moments notice, one party could say that they don't like how the other party is violating it. At least there is an effort to do that. In this -- will probably hear it today or tomorrow when this four-day truce, Wolf, is supposed to end.

BLITZER: Larry, what's the status of that desperately needed aid getting into Gaza?

MADOWO: We know that today, more trucks have come into Gaza. It seems to be happening at a faster clip than what we've seen over the past few days. Friday was a record, the largest humanitarian convoy got into Gaza. Saturday hit a new record, and will try to do the same today.

When we have -- and eventually the numbers will rely on from the Palestinian Red Cross, that can confirm with the U.N., the coordination of the U.N., that these trucks that came in from the Egyptian side to the Gaza, through the Rafah border crossing, got checked with the Israelis, and then allowed to unload into Palestinian trucks, made their way across the strip.

So far, they say at least 100 trucks made it to northern Gaza, which is important, and there's been a lot of relief of so many people in the spas of fighting -- go back to markets, try to get some essential supplies, and people are grateful.

BLITZER: Larry Madowo, in Cairo, we'll stay in very close touch with you, thanks for the reporting.

I'm joined now by Aaron David Miller, he's a former State Department Middle East negotiator. He's now a senior fellow at the Carnegie endowment for international peace.

Aaron, always good to see you, always good to talk to you.

What is your take away first, of all, on how this three-day hostage release has played out, at least so far? And the significance of today's release of a four-year-old American girl, hostage?

AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: You know, given the fact that Israel and Hamas are not negotiating directly, given the fact that there is no trust and confidence between them, and in fact a day or two, Wolf, they may end up resuming an effort to kill each other.

The reality is, I think it's going remarkably well. And that's because both Hamas and the government of Israel are under great pressure. Hamas clearly wants to buy time, and trade hostages for the possibility of constraining or even delaying the ground campaign, and the Netanyahu campaign understandably is under tremendous pressure from hostages families to redeem those people from the battlefield. In this case, from being cruelly abducted by Hamas, on October 7th.

So, this is a process that seems pregnant with real possibility. Complications, but possibility, and I expect that in fact it will be an extension for a few more days. We'll wait and see, whether not that proves to be true.

BLITZER: Aaron, earlier today, just a little while ago, President Biden said this release is, in his words, proof that this is working. And we just learned, by the way, in the past few minutes, that President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu actually spoke once again today.

Do you think it's likely this deal, this temporary truce, will be extended?

MILLER: I do. Again, because I think it's to Hamas's advantage to dragon play this out. It's to Mr. Netanyahu's advantage to produce results under oppressive pressure from hostage families.

And President Biden, Wolf, look, I think Biden has a clear moral interest in seeing these hostages released, and also, it doesn't take much to read between the lines to understand that the administration is pressing to continue this process, not just to get Americans in the rest the hostages out, but to surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza, the administration is under great pressure on that front, and also to see if they can constrain if not delay further ground campaign from on the part of the Israelis.

I think that's a clear motivation, on the part of the administration. Secretary Blinken is reported to be traveling to Israel. The Qataris were there, the Egyptians will be present, so I think the focus is shifting from ground campaign to an extended period of negotiation to release hostages.

BLITZER: Yeah, we're told that Secretary Blinken is going to be here in Israel within the next couple of days or so, for important talks with the prime minister and other Israeli leaders. Israeli officials, Aaron, are signaling they do plan to resume their military offensive when this temporary pause or, truce, when we want to call it, expires, with the Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, actually saying yesterday, and I'm quoting him now, any further negotiations will be held under fire.

[14:35:19]

Is that a negotiating tactic, you think? Or is it possible Israel will end this truce after the initial four days, and resume all the airstrikes and the military activity in Gaza? MILLER: I mean, according to General (INAUDIBLE), Wolf, there's 177

hostages that remain, 61 women and children, and 116 if I'm doing the math right adult males, including Israeli soldiers. You could see another six days, if you get a day of humanitarian pause for each of the 61 women and children, you could see another five or six days.

I don't think Hamas is going to be willing, frankly, to trade the adult males, certainly not the 30 or 40, or however many, IDF troops that they hold. It's an insurance policy. And the Israelis are going to be pressing greatly frustrated I think, to resume a ground campaign. If Hamas ends up remaining in Gaza, as a consequence of the Israeli action, or a formal cease-fire, and meanwhile Hamas is getting prisoners released from Israeli prisons, which is boosting its stock on the Palestinian street, giving it enormous credibility, this could not -- this could not well for the government who's -- that's committed to eradicating Hamas' military infrastructure, what above ground, and below grounds. It gets very uncertain after four or five more days of negotiations and hostage releases.

BLITZER: Yeah, there's so much uncertainty right now. Aaron David Miller, as usual, thanks so much for your analysis.

We are following all these important developments in Israel and Gaza right now, where a third group of hostages was in fact, fortunately, released today. I sat down with the Israeli president Isaac Herzog to discuss that, and more, and we'll have much more of my exclusive interview coming up, right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:46:37]

BLITZER: We continue to follow the breaking news. The third group of hostages released today by Hamas is now in Israel. It will soon be arriving at the hospitals outside of Tel Aviv. Our Matthew Chance is at one of those hospitals.

Matthew, first of all, what do we know, what's the latest?

CHANCE: Well, we're still waiting, Wolf, in short, for the helicopters to arrive, to bring those hostages, released hostage is, of course, to these medical facilities. We are outside of a Schneider Medical facility, which is just outside on the outskirts, rather, of Tel Aviv.

We're expecting the majority, if not all, of the nine children that are released in this latest group, that's their group of hostages, to be set free under this hostage deal, including four-year-old joint U.S. Israeli citizen Abigail Edan. She had her fourth birthday on Friday, and her family, what's left of them, to put it frankly, some of them are here, and they've issued a statement saying the following, we've got no words to express our relief and our gratitude. They also say they thank President Biden and the United States, and the Qatari government for the diplomatic assistance that they've been making this happen, and they continue to stand with the families of all the hostages still held in captivity. So that's the statement coming from the Edan family. But you also have to bear in mind that Abigail Edan is coming back to a reality where she doesn't even know, according to her family, that she is now an orphan because both her father and her mother were murdered on October 7th, in Kfar Aza the kibbutz where they all lived when Hamas attacked.

And so, it is a massive challenge, psychologically, for the families and for the individuals concerned, to set people along the road to recovery. That's going to begin here at this Schneider medical facility on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Wolf.

BLITZER: And we -- our hearts go out to that sweet little girl, Abigail Edan. It's a heartbreaking story when you just think about the enormous details of what this sweet girl is about to go through, learning that her mom and her dad were killed on that awful day, October 7th, when the Hamas terrorist invaded that area inside Israel.

Matthew, thank you very much. We'll get back to you.

And we'll have more of our live breaking news coverage from here in Tel Aviv, right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're following the breaking news.

Earlier today I sat down in Jerusalem with the Israeli President Isaac Herzog for an exclusive interview, where I pressed him on what Israel would need first in order for a two-state solution to be on the table.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: I want to look back a little bit. Several top Israeli military and intelligence officials have taken responsibility for the failure to anticipate this Hamas terror attack against Israel. But we haven't heard the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu take personal responsibility as the leader of the military and the intelligence group.

Would it help Israelis if he were to do that, to acknowledge and take full personal responsibility?

PRESIDENT ISAAC HERZOG, ISRAEL: This is an issue that will definitely come as a major issue following the war, meaning -- and we said it, I said in the second day the war, in front of the Knesset. There will be soul-searching, there will be delving into the responsibility and assuming and taking responsibility, there will be a major debate in Israel, and, of course, in a modern democracy, it's only natural that these things must take place.

But right now, as we are in war and our soldiers are there and tens of thousands of soldiers, and as our nation is mobilized to overcome this enormous challenge, and there are so many bereaved family, and grieving homes and, sat homes which I am, and my family are visiting constantly.

[14:50:06]

And what they all say to us, please, keep the arguments and the discussions for the day after, and I think that's correct.

BLITZER: So basically your bottom line message to Israelis who say they don't feel safe right now, as a result of what happened on October 7th, your messages to them, they say the states failed them.

HERZOG: Well, first of all, it's a big topic in our public life. As an open democracy, we put everything and discuss everything, and Israelis are known for being very frank and honest on all the issues that have affected their lives, so it's true, there many people told us, we lost faith in our country, we lost faith in our military, but I think we're also seeing, following the immediate trauma and the horrors of October 7th, is also a nation rising up as a lion, a nation which was attack in the worst terrorist attack since World War II. Rising up as a line, just like what United States did following 9/11, people fall clinging together to each other, supporting our military forces, who are risking their lives in order to take this evil out of our face, and enabling a better future.

And you see how the nation and the internal fabric of society is seeing an incredible lights. I'm very proud of my nation, I'm very proud of my Israeli sisters and brothers, all showing amends resilience and strengthen love, and affection, and dreaming about a better future for us, all including our neighbors.

BLITZER: We keep hearing from President Biden, and other world leaders for that matter, is that what Israel really need to do now, is to long term, is to work towards establishing a two-state solution, a new state of Palestine living alongside Israel, the state of Israel. Is that realistic right now?

HERZOG: First, I would say that we are extremely grateful to President Biden, the administration, Congress, both sides of the, aisle we are truly grateful, because the friendship in the unbreakable bra bond between the Israel in the United States has been clear, in front of our face. I've spoke at the joint session of Congress, on the 13th of July. It was an amazing, amazing, amazing personal experience, and a national experience.

You could see both sides of the aisle getting up, time and again, and applauding Israel on its 75th anniversary, and the vision, the great vision. And I spoke about peace with our neighbors, and I said that what undermines the ability to move to peace is terror. Terror cannot be accepted, cannot by any norms.

You can argue with Israel, you can criticize, we are democracy we have our own debates, believe me, but you cannot in any way directly or indirectly agree that there is any legitimacy to terror. There is none. That's the issue. That it's a moral issue, it requires moral clarity, which, of course, President Biden has shown, in his statements, in his visit to Israel, and of course, wielding a grand coalition to fight -- to fight evil now.

(CROSSTALK)

HERZOG: So how do we move on with the Palestinians? You tell me a two- state solution. First, we must get over the psychological element of this conflict. Why would any Israeli immediately rushed to a solution when he or she thinks that that state, one day they can be taken over by Hamas?

We have to be lucid. We have to show each other, especially we must, we Israelis, we demand to know how our safety and well-being will be preserved. It's a legitimate demand that we've always presented.

We thought that when we moved to a cease-fire with Hamas in Gaza, for years, time and again, rotating, another eruption, but in the last 2- 1/2 years, there was quiet, relative quiet. We had some explosions, but relative quiet. We enabled tens of thousands of Palestinians to go in and work from Gaza, in Israel.

And what many of them did? They gathered information, supplied it to Hamas, which help them all break into our border, torture, chop, rape, endlessly, rape, attack, chop, and burn our citizens. And then abduct some of them as well, to Gaza.

This is the issue. And one has to understand this issue. You can't just say two-state solution without supplying the entire basis for peace, and security for Israelis, and Palestinians.

BLITZER: I know your time is limited, so I just want to press you. At this stage, right now. You don't think it's realistic to even talk about a two-state solution?

[14:55:01]

HERZOG: So, I'm saying, because it's a battle which affects humanity at large because, it's a battle that has to deal with human beings, it has to deal with emotional issues that pertain to them. I don't rule out all options that could be reviewed as to the fate and what should be the vision. I definitely respect President Biden's comments on this, and I always believed in the ability to move to peace.

But I must say honestly, we must look at the reality honestly and lucidly, and say, does the solution secured the well-being and peaceful existence of Israelis as well as, of course, our Palestinian neighbors? We can't just go without dealing with the core issues. What about the enormous diatribe and propaganda in the Palestinian Authority as to how they educate their children, as to whether it's good or bad to be a terrorist, a suicide bomber? What about their glorifying these horrors of October 7th?

Is it not a topic to discuss openly when you sit down and negotiate with your neighbors? Can they really glorify the horrors that we have seen? Is this the culture? It's not Muslim. It's anti-Muslim. And is definitely anti-any basic rules of humanity.

Hamas is anti-LGBTQ. Hamas is any rules of liberal values. Hamas is torturing human beings and abducting young babies, okay? And this -- can one glorify this, or can one be honest and say we condemn this? We have an argument with you about our mutual future together, but we condemn this, and let's sit down and negotiate in a peaceable manner. We've never heard it from the Palestinians in the last few years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)