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CNN This Morning

Liz and Noa Naftali are Interviewed about the Hostage Release in Gaza; Avoiding Politics at Thanksgiving; Altman Rehired at OpenAI. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired November 22, 2023 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Which includes those two key pillars.

What do we know about the sort of - how they're going to operationalize the hostage releases. We know there's sort of, you know, the details, 50 over a four-day period, hostages released out of Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. But I asked Mohammed al-Khulaifi, you know, how are they going to make that hostage release work and how are they going to ensure that both parties in this deal stick to the parameters, the details of the deal. This is what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED AL-KHULAIFI, QATAR MISTER OF STATE: Within the four days pause, in each day there will be an obligation on each side, on obligation on the Israelis and an obligation on Hamas, making sure that they are going to fulfill those obligations each day. So, on each day we aim to have a number of releases because the number is big. So, we try - the - we've managed to get the parties to agree on the releases systematically. In other words, there will be an organized schedule allowing the releases in each day. And each party is quite familiar now with their obligations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And that - and that's important, at least ten hostages to be released by Hamas. And if they - if they fulfill that over the four- day period, then there is an opportunity for more to be released over a period of days. You know, every ten that I'll released, that increases this truce period potentially. And they need to see a list every day of the names of those who will be released because at present we do not know who we are going to see released by Hamas on the first day, for example. That being, as we are reporting, likely 10:00 a.m. local time on Thursday. So, you know, it's important that the negotiators have a clear understanding of who's going to be released, both from Gaza and from the Israeli prisons. The cessation of hostilities, you know, keeping these pauses complete over those periods, that's important. That's an obligation.

On the other side, Kaitlan, and I think this is really important, on the aid coming in through Rafah, this is something they've been able to achieve, which is has been really difficult, there is fuel included in those aid shipments coming through Gaza. And that aid, that fuel, is specifically for humanitarian infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip, both in the south and the north. Hospitals, education facilities. This is much needed. So, they've wrapped this hostage release around a humanitarian opportunity as well. That is why they are calling it a humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip.

They hope that this will hold. They hope to get some success in these first four days. And then they hope that they can add layers to this going forward.

Kaitlan.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, and that fuel going in, obviously, has been a key sticking point.

Becky Anderson, we'll still wait to see what these logistics look like.

Poppy and Erica, obviously you heard Becky mention there that, you know, we've seen Israel release the names of 300 Palestinian prisoners who could be released. We have not seen a list from Hamas of which hostages could potentially be released. But that is something, obviously, these families here in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and Israel are waiting so desperately to find out whose name is on that.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Kaitlan, thank you.

A senior White House official tells CNN that three Americans could be a part of the deal to free dozens of women and children held by Hamas. That official noting that two women and a three-year-old girl who turns four on Friday are among the ten Americans who are unaccounted for. The toddler is presumably Israeli American Abigail Edan. Abigail's relatives tell us she was kidnapped after both of her parents were killed by Hamas on October 7th.

With us now, Abigail's great aunt, Liz Naftali, and her cousin, Noa.

Thank you both for being here.

LIZ NAFTALI, GREAT AUNT OF THREE-YEAR-OLD HAMAS HOSTAGE ABIGAIL MOR EDAN: Thank you for having us.

HARLOW: Is it your understanding, Liz, that Abigail will be a part of this hostage release?

L. NAFTALI: It is our belief. We have not had anything confirmed. There's no lists. But we believe that a three-year-old orphan, American Israeli, is -- should be a priority for release.

I keep thinking about these innocent children and that no child should be held hostage. No child should be in the middle of this and they should be released and they should come home right away to their families.

And Abigail's fourth birthday is on Friday. And no child should spend their birthday as a hostage somewhere in the dark.

And so we don't have any confirmation, but it is our hope and it is our belief that she will be one of the first hostages to come out.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: You have had -- we were talking briefly early this morning - you have had a fair amount of communication, regular communication, with U.S. officials, your family in Israel. How much confirmation or how much communication, rather, have they had with officials especially over the last 24 hours? Anything?

[08:35:08]

NOA NAFTALI, COUSIN OF THREE-YEAR-OLD HAMAS HOSTAGE ABIGAIL MOR EDAN: They have had communication. Unfortunately, until we see Abigail with her family, we - we can't know anything or be sure of anything.

HARLOW: Remind people why you're wearing the number 46 on your shirts. Liz, last time you were with us at this table, a couple days ago, it was 41.

L. NAFTALI: Yes. So, 46 represents the amount of days that these hostages, these innocent civilians, were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. And we put this, Rachel Goldberg, the mother of Hersh, in solidarity, because she started this, and other families, as these hostage families have been working together, that we are all cognizant when we talk to people like yourselves that these children, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, fathers, brothers, sisters were taken, innocent civilians, 46 days ago. They have been in the dark. We, as you understand information-wise, we are in the dark. But they are truly in the dark. And we wouldn't people to understand that these are 230 people. They're not numbers. So, when we talk about ten coming out, ten coming out, these are ten people that belong to a family. The first ones will be children. And later they will be parents and grandparents. And so this is just that reminder that this is real and for 46 days these people have been gone.

HILL: You talk about putting this on in solidarity of Rachel Goldberg, Hersh's mother.

L. NAFTALI: Yes.

HILL: How important has this unfortunate community that you are now a community of families of hostages, but how important have you been to one another over these 46 days?

N. NAFTALI: I don't think that anyone can understand until they are in this position the amount of difficulty, of torture, of terror that these families are going through. And -- and we are able to be there for each other in these dark times and advocate for one other and our loved ones.

HARLOW: Just to remind our viewers who may not know the totality of your story and Abigail, what she endured. Both her parents were murdered on October 7th by Hamas. She is an orphan. And she is an orphan with her two siblings, six and 10 years old, Michael and Emalia (ph), who I know are being cared for by other family members. Hoping, believing that Abigail will be released, can you talk about what that family reunion will be like and their lives going forward?

L. NAFTALI: Well, I think the one light and hope that this family has now, including the six, the ten-year-old, the grandparent, the cousins, is that Abigail comes home and is embraced and is part of their healing. I mean, like you said, they're six and 10. What they saw will be with them the rest of their lives.

HARLOW: Yes.

L. NAFTALI: I mean, no six and 10-year-old should ever have to experience anything like that. And -- but Abigail coming home, and this family that has been very close, they live together in the same community, the aunts, the uncle, the grandparents. So, what is it going to be like? It's going to be hard. They are never going to have their parents again. But what they do have is love and they have warmth. And this is -- we have a beautiful family. And so I look at the positives because that's all we have right now. And the most important thing is that Abigail comes home, like Noa said, and that she is part of a family and -- and that she comes home really quickly and that her fourth birthday is with her siblings.

HARLOW: On Friday?

L. NAFTALI: On Friday.

N. NAFTALI: We don't want them to lose anyone else.

L. NAFTALI: And I'll just add that, like, Abigail's like a symbol of this. We talk about it. It's easy. It's so easy to understand what a three-year-old - they're little. And what she has been enduring and the life. And there is 230 more that are all different ages. There's a nine-month-old child that turned 10 months. There are so many children --

N. NAFTALI: There are women and men in their 80s. These are our grandparents. These are our aunts and uncles. These are our parents. These are our children. And we need them back with their family after everything we've gone through.

L. NAFTALI: And that's why we're here. And thank you for giving us this opportunity -

HARLOW: Oh, of course.

L. NAFTALI: Because we need people to really understand that this is about humanity. These are human lives. These are people like ourselves.

HARLOW: We all pray that we're sitting here tomorrow morning and there is a happy reunion -

N. NAFTALI: (INAUDIBLE).

HARLOW: That has already, hopefully, taken place for Abigail.

Thank you, Liz. Thank you, Noa, very much. L. NAFTALI: Appreciate it.

HARLOW: Yes.

HILL: Just ahead here this morning, the co-founder of OpenAI, Sam Altman, we're learning overnight returning to the company now as CEO just days after being fired by the board of directors. More on that.

HARLOW: Also, rescue efforts in India entering their seventh day. Crews are racing to save 41 construction workers trapped underground since Sunday when a highway tunnel they were building partially collapsed.

[08:40:07]

The workers are trapped about 200 feet underground. And so far rescuers have been able to drill about halfway through the rubble to bring them food and water. Officials believe they are on the brink of a breakthrough after days of uncertainty.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: All right, the clock is ticking. Maybe you're already brining a turkey as you prepare to sit down with your family tomorrow. Maybe you'll be chatting with your loved ones about all sorts of things. If you want to keep the peace at the Thanksgiving table this year, new data suggests that perhaps you steer clear of the politics.

HARLOW: Shocking.

HILL: It is shocking, isn't it?

HARLOW: (INAUDIBLE) this morning.

HILL: CNN's senior data reporter Harry Enten is here.

No politics, that is the plan?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yes. Things to avoid, folks. If you're thinking about talking politics, don't do it. Don't do it. That's my one piece of advice. Hope to avoid talking politics this year at Thanksgiving, 61 percent of all Americans. And a rare thing in which we agree bipartisanly. Look at that, 64 percent of Democrats, 57 percent of Republicans.

And I will note, interestingly enough, that talking politics at Thanksgiving has become less popular.

[08:45:06]

Look at this, back in 2016, 43 percent of Americans were for it. Now just 29 percent that, no, I'm against it, 53 percent, now up to 61 percent in 2023.

And, guys, I think this is part of a movement, a larger movement, generally speaking, of talking politics with people you don't necessarily agree with. We increasingly don't want to do it. So, talking politics with people you disagree with.

Back in 2016, interesting and informative, look at that, 51 percent. You look now at 2023, it's just 36 percent. Stressful and frustrating, we're up to 61 percent now.

HILL: Wow.

HARLOW: That's just unsurprising. We need -- everyone needs to watch that "SNL" skit, do you remember last year with Adele?

HILL: Oh, yes.

HARLOW: Anyone remember this?

HILL: Yes. Yes.

HARLOW: We are going to play that for you tomorrow, OK?

HILL: (INAUDIBLE).

HARLOW: Turkey, main course, people can agree on this?

ENTEN: Yes.

HILL: Maybe?

HARLOW: Except for my vegetarian daughter who is like, mom, what are you making? And I was like -

HILL: Tof-urkey.

HARLOW: Yes, I guess.

ENTEN: So, what should the main course be on Thanksgiving? Seventy- three percent say it should be turkey, 25 percent, your daughter included, perhaps something else, 2 percent, don't know.

I will point out that I am part of this 25 percent. So last week I decided to try and do something a little bit different.

HARLOW: Wow.

ENTEN: I went out to Brooklyn to this place, Jive Turkey. They can send you turkeys on Thanksgiving. And I tried a fried turkey here. You can see this. I thought it was pretty decent to be perfectly honest with you. It's certainly something a little bit different. There I am. I'm probably the only person to eat fried turkey in a suit. There I am eating that leg. I feel like I'm on the football game afterwards, you know, biting into that turkey.

I will note, here we go, how do you prefer your turkey cooked? Most people say roasted at 63 percent, smoked, that's another option, at 22 percent. I come in with the fried. I think fried is the best way. You guys?

HILL: I like it when someone else cooks it. That's how I like my turkey.

HARLOW: Don't you love to cook? You're such a good cook.

HILL: I do love to cook, but I don't like to cook a turkey.

HARLOW: Tell them what you're making, the cranberry -

HILL: Oh, I'm trying a cranberry tart.

HARLOW: Yes.

HILL: We'll see how it turns out.

HARLOW: I was inspired by Erica.

ENTEN: I think we can all agree, though, what's your favorite pie on Thanksgiving?

HILL: Hmm.

ENTEN: How about pumpkin? Thirty-four percent. That's a pretty good one. But, you know what, I like being part of the minority here, so I'm going to go cherry at 4 percent, or maybe a little Carvel ice cream.

HILL: What Harry really wants is a Carvel ice cream cake. It's his favorite, everybody.

ENTEN: It is.

HARLOW: Thank you, Harry. Happy Thanksgiving.

ENTEN: Thank you. You as well.

HARLOW: Ahead for us, OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman is back as CEO of that company just days after being fired by the board of directors. Now the board is out, new board is in, and guess who called it all? Kara Swisher. She's with us next.

HILL: And before we go to break, we do want to update you on this landslide in Alaska. We're learning at least three people have died, three others remain missing. This after the mud and debris slid across a highway in a remote community on Monday. It's actually believed nearly three dozen people have been displaced. Officials blame that landslide on heavy rain and 80-mile-per-hour winds.

Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:52:17]

HARLOW: Welcome back.

New this morning, yet another twist in the Sam Altman saga at OpenAI, just days after its board fired him, allowing him and some key deputies to be hired by Microsoft, he is back at the top of OpenAI.

HILL: The company saying in a statement that it had reached an agreement in principle to rehire Altman and has also met demands to revamp the board of directors.

CNN contributor Kara Swisher joining us now. She is also, of course, the host of the "On" and "Pivot" podcast.

Good to see you this morning, Kara.

So, you know, you kind of called it.

KARA SWISHER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: Good to see you.

HILL: You saw this - or you saw this coming. You had the reporting that it was coming. The fact that we are in this place this morning, Sam Altman coming back, a new board, what does it mean?

SWISHER: Well, it's kind of a new board. One of the old board members, D'Angelo, who used to be a Facebook executive and he started Quora, is still on it. They brought in Bret Taylor, who was the chairman of Twitter and sold that to Elon Musk. He was also at Facebook, I believe. And Larry Summers. I don't know where he came from, but there he is. Obviously, the well-known economist.

HARLOW: Harvard, Treasury Department.

SWISHER: And - Harvard, yes. Yes, so it's -- they replaced the board that was there, which was a very small board, because they hadn't replaced previous people who had left. So, I expect it to get bigger. I expect Microsoft to have seats on the board. I guess they -- they might try to find a woman, maybe. You know, three white guys is kind of Silicon Valley for on brand but -

HILL: Might be a nice addition, yes.

SWISHER: I think it's going to be a much - yes, it might be. It's -- it will probably be a ten-person board or nine or ten at least. And - and it changes it considerably in terms of who -- what kind of people are on it and it's - it's much more professional, much more techie.

HARLOW: That's fair, but boards really matter to be a check, right, on companies?

SWISHER: Yes. Well -- sure.

HARLOW: And so I - I think we all - OK, we all understand - we all understand what a debacle this was.

SWISHER: Yes.

HARLOW: My question to you, Kara, is something that you tweeted about last night was, did the board -- previous board at least succeed in raising public awareness of its fear of how fast AI was moving or too rapidly in their view? Yes, the cost was incredible. But was that important? SWISHER: Well, I would say it was damaging. I would say it was

damaging and it put more powerful companies in charge. I think it did exactly the opposite of the things they were saying. I think it's going to accelerate now quite a bit.

You know, there's ways to make points about this. Leaving the board and making a statement or something like that could have been effective. I thought this was just a ridiculous randelay (ph) of nonsense. I called it a goat rodeo. It was a waste of time. And they still haven't said why they fired Sam Altman, who's now the CEO again. And if you're going to put allegations like that out there, you certainly should have them in public.

[08:55:00]

HARLOW: Can I ask you about that, Kara? This morning, "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting that Altman and the previous board have agreed to internal investigations into his firing, his actions, all of that.

SWISHER: Sure.

HARLOW: Why is that important for humanity?

SWISHER: Yes. Oh, I don't think it's important for humanity. I think it's just a cover. It's a fig leaf. They -- this board is lost. And so they'll look at it. I think a lot of this stuff was well-known. I think it was just a matter of, you know, someone said, is this a bigger issue or is it petty? I think it's more petty and egos than anything else. And I think he was moving faster than they liked. And instead of dealing with it, they did this dramatic thing. And, I don't know, I felt like there was nine other ways do this. But this is the way they went. They couldn't even decide on a -- adding new board members previously. So, you know, it was a dysfunctional board and now we have one that presumably, once it gets bigger, will be more functional.

HILL: We'll see. Once the women are added, Kara, then we'll see what happens.

SWISHER: Yes. Yes.

HILL: Kara Swisher, appreciate it, and thank you for being so helpful with us all week long on this story.

SWISHER: Thanks.

HARLOW: And Happy Thanksgiving, Kara. Have a good one.

SWISHER: Thanks. No problem.

HARLOW: Thank you.

SWISHER: Back at you.

HARLOW: Thank you. Sources tell CNN the truce in the Israel/Hamas war will begin tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. local time, that is 3:00 a.m. here on the East Coast. The latest on the hostage deal, much more of this breaking news ahead with "CNN NEWS CENTRAL," next.

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