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Biden, Harris to Meet in Situation Room About Hostage Talks; Israeli President Asks Slain American Hostage's Family for Forgiveness; Fury in Israel as Protesters Demand Netanyahu Make Deal. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired September 02, 2024 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, you are live in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

This morning at the White House, I'm President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a critical meeting with the U.S. hostage negotiating team in hopes of crafting a ceasefire deal to free the people Hamas took captive during the October 7th terror attack on Israel.

97 hostages are still being held, including seven Americans. Of those Americans, four are believed to still be alive. This weekend's discovery of six hostages killed in a Hamas tunnel underscores the sense of urgency. Israel calls it, quote, cold blooded murder.

Minutes ago, a funeral began for the young man on your far left, Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg Polin. Israel's president apologized to the family in his eulogy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISAAC HERZOG, ISRAELI PRESIDENT: As a human being, as a father, and as the president of the state of Israel, I want to say how sorry I am. How sorry I am that we didn't protect Hersh on that dark day. How sorry I am that we failed to bring him home. How un his life and in his death, Hersh has touched all of humanity deeply. He has changed our world and woven his essence of light and love into the story of the Jewish people and into our human story forever.

JON POLIN, FATHER OF HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: This morning, I saw a clip of a vigil that took place in New York last night. How appropriate that the crowd was singing, Ani v'ata nishane et ha'olam, you and I will change the world.

The 23 years of life that we had with you were a blessing. We now will work to make your legacy a similar blessing. You were a really great guy. I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: For the families of the hostages, it has been nearly 11 months of torment and agonizing disappointment.

I want to bring in the parents of 20-year-old Edan Alexander. He is an American member of the Israeli Defense Forces and has been held hostage since the Hamas terror attack on October 7th. Adi and Yael Alexander join us now from New York.

How is the family holding up? Yael, I'll go to you first and your response to what's taking place in Israel right now.

YAEL ALEXANDER, MOTHER OF ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE: Hi, good morning, Jim. What happened in Israel now that everybody at the streets, there was a strike today, everyone was just screaming and being with the family and just to make sure that they're going to seal the deal, they're going to bring our loved ones home, safety, like, right, they're doing whatever they can just to make a noise.

It's not a political issue. It's humanitarian issue. And to see all the crowds in on the streets, we are not alone. You know, we are fighting this fight for 332 days. It's almost 11 months that our son is not with us, is not with the family, and we are going to do everything in our power to make it happen and to bring him home and to bring the other hostages home.

ACOSTA: Well, I just want to say you are definitely not alone. We're all thinking about you. We're all praying for their safe return.

I do want to play a little bit of what President Biden said just a few moments ago about all of this. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Mr. President, do you think it's time for Prime Minister Netanyahu to do more on this issue? Do you think he's doing enough?

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: So you hear the President there saying he doesn't think the Prime Minister is doing enough. What is your thought on that?

ADI ALEXANDER, MOTHER OF ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE: I think he's absolutely right. From the get-go, the U.S. government -- we're in touch with U.S. Government. As you know, we met Jake Sullivan yesterday for 15 times and we don't see the same sense of urgency and the same dedication from the Israelis as we see from the Americans. And this is devastating. And it's actually very surprising.

[10:05:00]

ACOSTA: Do you think -- what more could be done?

A. ALEXANDER: First of all on Netanyahu's government, they have to stop to move the goal post of the negotiation. They have to stop to undermine the negotiating team itself, and they have to seal the deal. Enough is enough. Y. ALEXANDER: Exactly. They need to bring the hostages back. That's it. It's 11 months. We don't have time. Like we saw on Saturday what happened, they murder them over there. So, they need to understand. That's why we urge them since the beginning that it's -- they don't have time. They live in hell.

ACOSTA: And when you say that Netanyahu keeps moving the goalposts, what do you mean by that?

A. ALEXANDER: I mean by that to ramp up additional demand and the Philadelphia crossing as a sticking point of the negotiations. This is unacceptable. They put a proposal back in May, end of May. Just stick to this proposal.

Y. ALEXANDER: They need to move on and to show us that they want the hostages back now, like I don't know. I don't know if it's going to happen.

ACOSTA: Right. And I do want to share some of the essay that you both wrote for The New York Times. We can show this to our viewers. It's not just the fear of losing our son that now keeps us up at night. It's the fact that his murder is becoming the more probable outcome. And we have no faith in Mr. Netanyahu's will to change that.

As a parent, reading that just breaks my heart. How do you find the hope that Edan is still alive?

A. ALEXANDER: First, we have some eyewitnesses that were released back in November that he's alive. So --

Y. ALEXANDER: We're just sticking to this hope that he's a strong, he's a strong kid. He was a professional swimmer in high school. He's like -- he's full of life and he's a good -- like, he's amazing, Edan, and I'm hoping that he's strong and he knows that we are fighting for him and he's, will come back home.

ACOSTA: And we're looking at some pictures of Edan now, and he just looks like a remarkable young man. Tell us a little bit more about him.

Y. ALEXANDER: Edan, I don't know. He's got this beautiful smile. He love like to be with friends. He love to party. He love to be at the beach. He love to go to restaurants. Like this is Edan, you know? When we've been here in New York, he, we went to art shows. Like whatever we can to live life, like Idan for us. And I'm hoping it's going to happen soon, like we can reunite the whole family and we will continue.

ACOSTA: And what has it been like being a part of this community now? I suppose, if other families who are in the same situation, how do you support one another, lean on one another to try to get through this?

A. ALEXANDER: Yes. We are all big family. And with the loss of Hersh on Saturday, we are devastating. We were crying, we are broken, we are -- you know, we --

Y. ALEXANDER: Yes, this is really tough.

A. ALEXANDER: This is really, really tough.

ACOSTA: But at the end of the day you have to have hope in all of this.

A. ALEXANDER: Absolutely. The hope, this is what holding us up.

Y. ALEXANDER: Hope is mandatory, like Rachel Polin.

A. ALEXANDER: Hope is mandatory, like Rachel said, and that's it.

Y. ALEXANDER: We don't have a choice. We are going to continue fighting until they all come back.

ACOSTA: And what would be your message to Prime Minister Netanyahu? You've been very critical of him. What would be your message? If you could say something, if he were watching, if his team was watching, what would you say?

Y. ALEXANDER: He promised us something on the White House in front of Biden and Sullivan last July. You want to tell what it is?

A. ALEXANDER: That he will proceed the deal. But our message, do not delay it. Do not delay the deal. More military pressure brings more dead hostages. Let's execute the deal and cross the finish line.

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ACOSTA: All right. Well, Yael and Adi Alexander, parents of Edan, thank you so much for speaking with us. As I said earlier, we're all thinking about you and your family and all of the families and praying for the safe return of those hostages. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

A. ALEXANDER: Thank you for having us.

Y. ALEXANDER: Thank you.

ACOSTA: All right. We'll be right back.

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ACOSTA: The outrage in Israel is surging this morning after the bodies of six hostages killed in Gaza were recovered over the weekend. Mass protests and a nationwide strike are gripping Israel as calls are intensifying for a deal to return the remaining hostages.

[10:15:01]

The families of the victims are not only blaming Hamas, but their own government as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIL DICKMANN, COUSIN CARMEL GAT KILLED IN GAZA: We know that Hamas has agreed to a deal at some point, and Israel was the one putting on more and more terms and actually postponing the deal, and right now we know the decisions that our Prime Minister Netanyahu has made it impossible for Carmel and other hostages to return and put their lives in grave danger, and that's what killed them.

If I still can't believe that my government chose death and I urge you, Benjamin Netanyahu, choose life. Please sign the deal, seal the deal, go to ceasefire, and save the hostages that you can still save.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And CNN's Nic Robertson is in Tel Aviv. And, Nic, we were just hearing a similar message from the family of Edan Alexander just a few moments ago. I mean, it is it is remarkable this pressure that is building on the Israeli prime minister right now.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It is, and this pressure to show some contrition and to publicly admit sorrow, potentially even ask for forgiveness. That's not the nature of this prime minister to admit he got things wrong. And in his public speech, a short video clip recorded yesterday, he was very clear that the blame should be on Hamas.

Interestingly, what we heard from Israel's president was a much more heartfelt. message towards the families of the six who were killed, and in particular to Hersh Goldberg-Polin's family, because he was speaking at Hersh's funeral in Jerusalem just a few minutes ago. And he said, look, I am really sorry that we weren't able to bring them home and ask for forgiveness. It's the sort of thing that people want to hear from the prime minister at the moment, and they're not hearing it, and that's why the protests are out.

I have to say, the protests are smaller than yesterday. This area, we were here yesterday, around this time, and it was an absolute throng of people, a sea of people here. So, there are smaller protests around Tel Aviv, and no doubt they're absolutely going to continue.

But, yes, you're right, the country is not hearing from the prime minister the things that publicly they want him to say, and most importantly, not hearing that he's changing tactics to actually get the other hostages home safe and alive.

ACOSTA: And, Nic, tell us about this corridor that has been the main sticking point in the negotiations so far. Can you walk us through the importance of that?

ROBERTSON: Yes. It's hugely important. And the point that the prime minister makes is simply that if we're going to beat Hamas and defeat them and contain them in the future, we have to have control over it. And the logic is really simple.

Look, the Philadelphia corridor, as it's called, is that almost nine- mile long border between Gaza and Egypt. And a few months ago the IDF took control of it and they found massive tunnels underneath it into Egypt. And that's where Hamas gets a lot of its weapons from, smuggles them in from Iran or other countries through that tunnel in Gaza. The prime minister's point is, and his supporters in the cabinet, if you don't control that, then how are you going to be able to stop all the weapons coming in, in the future? The point that Hamas is making, and this is the big sticking point in the negotiations, is they don't want any Israeli troops inside of Gaza, including on the Philadelphia corridor in the terms of the deal.

So, the prime minister has, you know, changed his plans a little bit, offered a map that shows fewer Israeli troops along that border. But here's another point. Even his defense minister is saying, Mr. Prime Minister, you're micromanaging. This is your map. This is not what we need. We could get away without having any troops along that borderline just to get the ceasefire, just to get the hostages home. It is the biggest of all sticking points at the moment, it appears. Jim?

ACOSTA: All right. Nic Robertson, thank you very much.

Joining me now for more on this, former U.S. Ambassador for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations Stuart Holliday. Ambassador, thanks for joining us. The president and vice president are in the Situation Room as we speak, as we understand it. But just a few moments ago, the president was saying he does not think Prime Minister Netanyahu has done enough to get to a deal.

STUART HOLLIDAY, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR FOR SPECIAL POLITICAL AFFAIRS AT THE U.N.: Yes. I mean, first of all, my heart goes out to the families of Hersh and the other five hostages, and it just reveals the true wicked nature of Hamas. But it is true that they were close to a deal, and this issue of the Philadelphia corridor has really been a sticking point.

And that's why it's so important to work with the Egyptians and the Qataris to try to come up with a scenario in this plan, I'm sure that's what they're discussing in the White House today, that would give Netanyahu and his hardliners some sort of reassurance that that area would be under, you know, control and that they would have the ability to respond if there were actions that came out of that area.

[10:20:07]

ACOSTA: And some of this is because Netanyahu is getting pressure from his cabinet. It's hard. The families obviously want to see him cut a deal. Obviously, a lot of Israelis think he should cut this deal, but he must feel politically but there are some pressure points there.

HOLLIDAY: Well, he's felt this way for a while. You recall after October 7th, obviously he was in charge on that day. And for him, this is an existential struggle and he does not want to be the one that says, we're going to take our foot off the pedal.

ACOSTA: Yes. Axios' Barack Ravid is reporting that President Biden is expected to basically say, take it or leave it to the Israelis. Your thoughts on that? Are we at that point where the president basically has limited options and he has to get tough and say, this is it, time to do this?

HOLLIDAY: Yes. But take it or leave it doesn't necessarily mean that there won't be, you know, some sort of creative way to try to give Netanyahu the ability to, you know, save face in this because, as we know, the Israeli government doesn't work well under external pressure. So, this will be critical and I do think this will be the opportunity for a best and final, if you will. And I think that this tragedy that took place, the killing of these six hostages, only accelerates that timetable

ACOSTA: And how much do you think the domestic political pressures here in the U.S. are affecting things in places like Israel right now? I mean, I was talking to a diplomatic source in the last several days who was saying there are a lot of hotspots around the world that are kind of on hold right now, because people are waiting to see what's going to happen in our election coming up in November. Is that playing a part in this, do you think, to some extent?

HOLLIDAY: It could. I think obviously having the vice president there in the Situation Room this morning, you know, demonstrating that she is, you know, playing a critical role in the national security decision-making is evidence of that, but also that makes this deal so much more important. Because if the deal gets done, it, you know, will be seen as the U.S. contributing diplomatically to, you know, at least, you know, a positive outcome in the short term.

Domestically, it also has risks. People view this as a good versus evil. Israel is a strong ally of the United States. It's a democracy. We can't be perceived as walking away from the Israelis. But you can see in the streets that the Israeli political landscape is broad. They're a broad range of views. And when we support Israel, we're looking at the totality of the Israeli public and hopefully working to a successful outcome.

ACOSTA: I mean, sir, I mean, one of the things that going through my mind, just looking at these protests over the weekend, speaking with the Alexanders just a few moments ago, obviously your heart goes out to them, but there's real palpable frustration with Netanyahu. Do you think he survives?

HOLLIDAY: Well, he survived a lot. You know, he's been written off. He has nine lives, politically. But, you know, he is at a point where, you know, this has been -- there was always the expectation that once this conflict settle down, that the Israeli public would probably call for, you know, new elections and move on from that, it's not in his interest. I'm not suggesting that he's prolonging the conflict, but he's always been --

ACOSTA: That's the suspicion. That's the worry that --

HOLLIDAY: I would like to think that's not the case. However, it is true that his political coalition is made up of people who do not want to make any concessions at all to the Palestinians. And so it is probably the stickiest, thorniest period in his long tenure as Israel's leader. ACOSTA: Yes. And Israel will point to this tunnel network below Gaza proving to be far more extensive than previously thought. There's some New York Times reporting on this. I mean, you know, for the side that says, no, we're not done yet, we've got to keep going, this is what they point to. Of course, it comes at a massive human cost.

HOLLIDAY: That's why any solution in the short-term is going to not take off the table the goal of eradicating Hamas and particularly getting Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7th attacks, either captured or killed.

ACOSTA: All right. Stuart Holliday thanks a lot, Mr. Ambassador, I appreciate it.

Coming up, Vice President Kamala Harris appears to be widening her lead over Donald Trump with a critical stretch of the White House race underway now. That's coming up next.

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[10:25:00]

ACOSTA: This morning, President Biden and Vice President Harris are meeting with the U.S. hostage negotiating team at the White House as pressure builds for a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military says it recovered the bodies of six hostages over the weekend in Gaza. Among them, Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

The former president took to Truth Social, talking about Donald Trump here, to blame the Biden administration, calling the vice president, quote, poor leaders.

Joining us now are CNN Political Commentators, Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and Republican Strategist David Urban. Maria, to you first, your thoughts on -- you know, I mean, is it possible that what's taking place right now in Israel and Gaza could impact this upcoming campaign?

[10:30:02]

I mean, you and I both know, David knows this, sometimes outside forces, outside events can impact an election. What do you think?