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CNN International: Netanyahu Faces Mounting Pressure to Accept Peace Plan; Zelenskyy Asks U.S. to Lift Limits on Firing Into Russia; North Korea to Halt Sending Rash-Filled Balloons to South Korea; Japanese Company Invests in Whale Hunting Vessel. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired June 03, 2024 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAY DICKMANN, COUSIN HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZA: I'm here to support my government in taking this deal, the deal that Netanyahu suggested, our prime minister, that will get all our people back home. We are all here in support for the return of all hostages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: The two far right Israeli ministers are threatening to resign and topple the government if Netanyahu accepts the peace plan.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now from Abu Dhabi. That really sort of, you know, really exemplifies the Prime Minister's situation, doesn't it? This far right pushing for a stronger war. And then many of the families of the hostages saying we've just got to reach any sort of peace deal right now.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. There are many very different contradictory voices within Israel at this point, Max. And you have Benjamin Netanyahu having to balance all of those voices.

He is under pressure from the families. He's under pressure from many people within Israel as well that believe that this is the time for a deal to be done. The opposition leader, Yoav Lapid, saying that this should be pushed forward, that the deal is on the table and it should be taken.

But then on the other side, these far right ministers have said that if there is a ceasefire and the objectives have not been accomplished, those objectives being the complete destruction of Hamas, then they will pull out of the coalition. And that would bring the coalition down in Israel.

Back on Friday, the U.S. President Joe Biden, when announcing this proposal, acknowledged that there is very differing -- there are very differing views, saying that there are many even within the coalition who will not support this. But pointed out it is time to end the war.

And we are hearing that from many different sectors. We have, in fact, for months been hearing that from many different sectors.

But there is a sense that this is a key time. Experts and analysts saying if it doesn't happen, if it doesn't have a positive reaction from both Israel and Hamas at this point, then there are concerns where the next deal may come from.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: If this proposal is not accepted, there will not be another. The Israeli negotiation team and the Israeli war cabinet exhausted their maneuvering space, meaning there will not be a more forward leaning proposal than the one they got. And if Hamas says no to this, I think the whole issue of a hostage deal and a ceasefire will be off the table for a very long time. And this war will likely escalate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: So as far as the U.S. is concerned, certainly from the Biden administration point of view, the ball is in Hamas's court. They are waiting for some kind of response from Hamas. There have been a flurry of phone calls over the weekend from the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling some of those who could put pressure on Hamas, Qatar, for example, Egypt, two key mediators within these talks over recent months, who would be able to encourage Hamas to accept the deal that is on the table -- Max.

FOSTER: An in terms of the mechanics of how this will play out, you've obviously got the White House and President Biden expressing their support for this peace deal in a really public way. How does it play out in terms of timelines if we were going to reach that point?

HANCOCKS: So the Biden administration has been very transparent, very clear. They even tweeted the three phases of this proposal as they see it. And we've heard from a U.S. senior administration official that this proposal is very similar, in fact, almost identical to a proposal that Hamas had put forward in the past. So the expectation is that both sides, Israel and Hamas, would agree to move forward to the proposal. From Hamas's point of view that would then go back to the mediators, the Qataris and the Egyptians, and then they would be able to look at the exact timeline and when that six week ceasefire could start.

Now, many sides want it to start almost immediately to try and stop what is happening in Gaza at this point. Certainly, we've heard from many countries supporting this proposal, notably as well, so they can get some humanitarian aid into those who desperately need it within Gaza as well.

So what it needs is the definite yes from Israel and from Hamas. And at that point, then those mediators, Egypt, Qatar and also the United States can get back together and set out an exact timeline of when the ceasefire would start.

FOSTER: OK, Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi. Thank you. Meanwhile, New York held its annual Israel Day parade on Sunday amid

heightened security. Officials were concerned about the possible violence after recent clashes between protesters and police in the city.

[04:35:00]

New York congressmen and families of American hostages held in Gaza called for their release during the parade. One of the organizers says more than 60,000 people showed up, some chanting, bring them home now and others holding signs of support for the new peace proposal.

Now, Ukraine's president is continuing his Asia-Pacific trip with a visit to the Philippines. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., for agreeing to participate in the upcoming Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland. Mr. Zelenskyy also says Ukraine intends to open an embassy in the Philippines this year. And President Marcos said his country would help Ukraine in any way possible.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy wrapped up his surprise meeting at Asia's top security conference in Singapore, where he met with the country's president and prime minister. Zelenskyy is making personal appeals to leaders in the region to join the peace conference in Switzerland.

He also met with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Singapore. He thanked the U.S. for giving limited permission to fire U.S. weapons into Russian territory. But he says Washington needs to lift more restraints so Ukraine can properly defend itself.

CNN national security correspondent Natasha Bertrand joins us now from Singapore. What chances are there for Zelenskyy to convince the Americans to be more flexible, Natasha?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I mean, originally it was a red line for the U.S. to allow Ukraine to use American-made weapons to strike inside Russian territory at all. And now we see that they have loosened those restrictions after many of its European partners already did so, as well as amid pressure from NATO countries and the NATO secretary generals.

Of course, it's possible that yet again, the administration shifts its posture to allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory using American-made weapons or simply in other areas along the border.

But for now, the U.S. says that its policy has not changed, that they do not want Ukraine to use long-range American weapons, those ATAKMS, for example, to strike deep inside Russian territory because they don't want to see the conflict escalate and spread beyond Ukraine.

They say that they are allowing Ukraine now to use the weapons to strike just narrowly over the border there so that Ukraine can basically defend itself against these missile attacks that Russia is launching from Belgorod from right across the border. So that, for now, is the policy. And Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, he spoke to reporters a little bit earlier today, and he said that he does think that that's going to make a difference for the Ukrainians amid this major Russian offensive on the city of Kharkiv. But again, that he does not believe that now is the time for Ukraine using those weapons to strike any further into Russian territory.

But Secretary of Defense Austin, you know, he met with Zelenskyy, and they discussed the battlefield needs yesterday here in Singapore, the need for additional air defenses, which Ukraine has really been struggling to find. Those air defenses are running short, really, and not only in the U.S., but also among the U.S.'s allies, so kind of scrambling to find every last air defense system and munitions that they can to help protect their skies.

And also, Zelenskyy, of course, he met with Asian leaders here. He's trying to expand that international coalition of people of international partners that support Ukraine and their fight against Russia.

But importantly, he was not able to meet the Chinese, who are, according to the U.S., supporting Russia's defense sector and fueling the war in Ukraine.

He did, however, get important buy-in from the Philippines, as you mentioned. He made a surprise visit there earlier today. The Philippines, a key Asian partner that says it will be attending that peace summit that Ukraine is holding in the next two weeks in Switzerland.

FOSTER: OK, Natasha in Singapore, thank you so much for joining us.

South Korea says it may suspend a landmark military agreement with North Korea over the recent barrage of trash-filled balloons sent across the border by Pyongyang. North Korea claims it's halting that operation for now.

The South Korean military has reported about a thousand of the airborne waste deliveries floated into the country since last Tuesday, littering places with things like cigarette butts, paper and pieces of cloth.

CNN's Mike Valerio has more now from Hong Kong. Just -- we were talking last week about how they were going to test the contents of these balloons to try to figure out exactly what was in them. Did we find out anything more from that?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, we did. And so far, nothing hazardous. And I know the chatter online for so many people across the ocean has been, all right, whether or not this was human waste. And Max, thankfully, South Korean military authorities have said this appears to be fertilizer.

But the point is made, you know, bringing back to why this is happening. Groups in South Korea and the South Korean government for years now have sent flash drives and deliveries via balloons with K- dramas, with K-pop music attached to flash drives and sent them to North Korea as an example of like, hey, this is what life is like outside of North Korea.

[04:40:05]

North Korea is now saying this is filth to us. So we're going to send you filth back.

So in terms of the real world ramifications, Max, we started off the segment with you talking about a couple seconds ago. Now there's a military agreement that could be in trouble here. North and South Korea agreed in September of 2018 to pull back their respective militaries ever so slightly from the halfway point of the DMZ. South Korea said it did that to build up trust.

But now, with nearly a thousand trash balloons descending upon the people of South Korea, the government is saying our trust is pretty much gone. So we're waiting, Max, to see what tomorrow is going to bring in the South Korean cabinet, potentially abandoning that military agreement. So that's the diplomatic dimension.

The human dimension, just imagine living in greater Seoul and having a trash balloon come down on your car, your local school property, hazmat crews all over the place. Just listen to a snapshot of what we heard from our team in Seoul over the weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SONG KWANG-JA, YONGIN CITY RESIDENT (through translator): I had goosebumps. It felt like a childish prank. I was surprised to hear about it.

KIM MIN-HEE, YONGIN CITY RESIDENT (through translator): Why are they sending things like this? I'm worried that they might send something dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALERIO: Yes, so pretty unsettling, right? But this is where we stand. North Korea has said it is going to put this on pause. They feel as though they have made their point.

But these non-profit groups, these human rights groups, Max, they have said they're going to continue to send their balloons with materials from South Korea again and again and again. Because they feel as though this has clearly touched a nerve in North Korea. But that leaves all of us waiting to see how this is going to escalate, if at all, hopefully not, in the days ahead -- Max.

FOSTER: And we'll see. Mike Valerio in Hong Kong, thank you.

Now we told you earlier of two elections with historic outcomes. Mexico, which now has its first female president, and South Africa, where the African National Congress has failed to get an outright majority for the first time since the end of apartheid 30 years ago. Here's another one for the record books. India has just completed its

massive vote, held in stages. The country's electoral commissioner says a whopping 642 million people cast their votes. He added that slightly less than half were female voters, which is the highest in the country's history. The votes are being counted and results are expected tomorrow.

A Japanese company is doubling down on its investment in the controversial whaling industry with a brand new vessel. We'll step inside the mothership after this break.

[04:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Hunting whales commercially has been a controversial subject, but Japan has continued the practice even amid a decline in demand for whale meat. One Japanese company has invested millions of dollars to build a massive vessel to re-energize the industry, despite warnings from activists that Japan may be trying to hunt beyond its normal fishing grounds.

Hanako Montgomery joins us now from Tokyo with more -- Hanako.

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Max. As you mentioned, whale meat is not very popular in Japan right now. In fact, consumption is at an all-time low.

But Japan is trying to revive the shrinking industry for really three key reasons. The first, because it says that actually whaling is sustainable, according to its own research. Since Japan left the International Whaling Commission in 2019, Japan is limited to hunting whales in its exclusive economic zone.

And it says, according to its own findings, its own research, that there is an abundance of whales in its territorial waters. Now, the second reason they've identified is that whaling has a long history and is very culturally significant in Japan. And this is partially true.

Some regions in Japan have been hunting whales for a very, very long time. Now, the third and final reason is that Japan knows and recognizes that whale meat is not very popular right now, but it thinks it can boost popularity in the very near future if it can change public perception. I spoke to some industry insiders about how they were looking to boost consumption.

This is what they told me.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Marvels of the deep blue are to others a meal. Whaling in Japan is poised for a major comeback with the launch of this vessel.

MONTGOMERY: This vast new whaling mothership, the Kangei Maru, costs nearly 50 million U.S. dollars to make. And it just goes to show how Japan is not only continuing to hunt whales, but also is trying to revitalize this shrinking industry in a very, very big way.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): We get a tour of the ship led by Hideki Tokoro, the president of Kyodo Senpaku, the whaling company that made it. He doesn't hide his fondness for whale meat and rejects the idea of changing his business model.

HIDEKI TOKORO, PRESIDENT, KYODO SENPAKU (through translator): We will not switch to whale watching unless it is eating whale while whale watching, which sounds very chic.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): This ship hunts whales in Japan's territorial waters before getting served in the country's supermarkets, school lunches, food carts and vending machines.

But public appetite for whale meat, just one percent of its former peak according to government data, is still far from satisfactory for Tokoro. And with the launch of this expensive new boat, Tokoro says bills are piling up.

But even if the new boat sinks him into bankruptcy, Tokoro insists there's no plan B. Internationally, whaling is criticized as a brutal and unsustainable practice that once pushed many of these mammals to the brink of extinction due to centuries of overhunting and may still carry environmental consequences today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The things that we're learning about whales is that they're not just consumers in this ecosystem, but by the fact of them consuming so much food, they recycle a ton of nutrients into the environment that actually helps to stimulate plant life growth.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): But Japan's fisheries agency says there's nothing wrong with whaling. They claim Japan should continue whaling because their research shows it's sustainable and whale populations in Japanese waters are increasing, allowing them to hunt even endangered species. Even if whale meat's declining popularity is a regrettable trend for the agency.

TKAAKI SAKAMOTO, DIRECTION, WALING AFFAIRS OFFICE, JAPANESE FISHERIES AGENCY (through translator): Since we are promoting increased consumption of marine products, I think it is unfortunate that consumption is decreasing.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Japan's whaling industry attempting to revive its shrinking business, betting on a future that may never materialize.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:50:04]

MONTGOMERY (on camera): Now, the concerns about Japan hunting whales beyond its waters, Max, like you mentioned. I asked the whaling agency, the fisheries agency and Kyodo Senpaku about these concerns, given the fact that this new ship can travel these long distances to the Antarctic, which is, of course, home to a very large whale sanctuary.

Now, both reassured me that there were no plans to go to the Southern Ocean to hunt whales in the near future. But, of course, given Japan's poor track record when it comes to protecting whales, activists are very hesitant to believe them -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo, thank you for that.

Still ahead, thousands of Real Madrid fans kept the party going in Spain's capital as the hometown heroes brought home a record 15th European Cup.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Another huge win for American gymnast Simone Biles as she took home a record ninth all-time national title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. She dominated the two-day event, turning in top cumulative scores in four key routines.

[04:55:00]

The national championships are the final event for U.S. gymnasts before the Olympic trials. Biles, who took a two-year break from the sport for her mental health, is eyeing a spot on Team USA, of course, for the Paris Games.

An historic win for golfer Yuka Saso, who took home her second career U.S. women's open title on Sunday. Saso's victory makes her the first Japanese national to win the tournament. Her compatriot Hinako Shibuno finished runner-up at one under par, whilst Americans Andrea Lee and Ally Ewing finished tied for third at even par.

The Edmonton Oilers will try to be the first Canadian team to win the NHL's Stanley Cup since 1993. The Oilers advance after they beat the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference finals 2-1. Edmonton will face the Florida Panthers for the Stanley Cup. The puck drops on Game 1 this Saturday.

Finally, a celebration they've become quite familiar with in the Spanish capital, as the kings of Europe, Real Madrid, brought home their record-extending 15th European Cup trophy, presenting the dazzling piece of hardware to thousands of fans in central Madrid on Sunday. Los Blancos received a hero's welcome and ticker tape parade one day after their 2-0 victory against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League final.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Max Foster in London. CNN "THIS "MORNING is up after the break.