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CNN This Morning

FBI: Car Explosion At Canadian Border Not Terrorism; Happening Now: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; Soon: Qatar Gives Update On Israel-Hamas Truce; Son Of Holocaust Survivor Elie Wiesel Reflects On Hostages Held By Hamas, Rise Of Antisemitism. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired November 23, 2023 - 08:30   ET

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

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[08:32:27]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: We are learning more this morning about that deadly explosion at the Rainbow Bridge near Niagara Falls. It killed two people in a speeding Bentley. The FBI and New York's Governor say it was not a terrorist act, but rather just a tragic accident. The crash created hours of havoc at the U.S.-Canadian border yesterday one of the busiest travel days of course of the year.

Athena Jones is live from nearby Buffalo with More. Good morning.

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Poppy. I'm actually right here at that border crossing where this tragic accident occurred. It caused a lot of confusion and fear for several hours yesterday happening on one of the busiest travel days of the year and shutting down all four bridge crossings -- all four border crossings at one point into, into between the U.S. and Canada.

Listen to what the governor and the FBI Special Agent in charge had to say about what they concluded about this incident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I first thought it was an airplane look like slow motion. And I said my God, it's a car. And it's a vehicle and it's flying through the air.

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): At this time, there is no indication of a terrorist attack.

MATTHEW MIRAGLIA, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: I feel at this point that this might be just something that occurred. There's no larger picture here to look at.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So, there you also heard from a witness describing the scene. Let me show you what happened behind me. The vehicle they believe was a 2022 Bentley. So very expensive car traveling at a high rate of speed from the U.S. side of the border after leaving a casino, we can see on the ground where it ramped up against this barrier, hit a curb, ramp against the barrier drove a lot of mud and sort of smearing of the ground. And you can see it launching over and landing behind that gray structure over there.

And so that car was incinerated, it made it difficult for authorities to even determine how many people were in the vehicle.

HARLOW: Yes.

JONES: And the governor, Governor Kathy Hochul saying that all was left, but the engine. And so, you can imagine how much fear and concern this caused. But of course, the FBI, the ATF, all of their state and local partners converge on the scene very, very quickly and remarkably, were able to reach the conclusion. They scoured this man social media and said that there didn't appear to be anything there. They were able to conclude that this wasn't a terrorist act. There were no links to terrorism and it appears to be just a terrible incident.

But the Governor did say you know, it's still not clear. They'll still be an investigation into what exactly happened. Authorities believed that this man had planned to go to a concert by the rock group Kiss in Canada, and that when that concert was canceled, decided to come instead to a casino on the New York side. He and his wife were traveling in that car together.

[08:35:05]

So really just a tragic, tragic event happening on Thanksgiving Eve.

HARLOW: It absolutely is.

JONES: Poppy?

HARLOW: And what is security like this morning? And is the bridge even open again?

JONES: The bridge is not yet open. As you can see behind me there's not a huge security presence here. There were a lot more cars even just last night a few hours ago when we arrived. So, all three other bridge crossings have been reopened. So, this Rainbow Bridge is still -- we were told that this investigation is being handed over to the local police as a traffic investigation now that it's no longer a federal terrorism investigation.

And so, we understand this is still a crime scene and so it could take a while before, before this bridge is reopened. But there are several other routes now between Canada and the U.S. so, so tourists and travelers should not find themselves trapped on either side.

HARLOW: Make it there for the Thanksgiving meal. Hopefully.

Athena Jones, thank you for the update.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Those iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons flying high above New York City right now. The parade kicked off just moments ago. And if you're thinking that sounds earlier, you're right and new earlier start time for the first time in its 97- year history. The NYPD is ensuring parade goers there are no credible threats. They say there were no active contiguity concern.

CNN's Brynn Gingras is live along the parade route with more on the security perhaps everything that went into pulling off the annual event. She's got the best seat in the house today. Good morning, my friend. Happy Thanksgiving.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Happy Thanksgiving to you and Poppy, guys, you can hear that band behind me the parade is now coming our way. Draw your attention to that for a minute. But also want to quickly draw your attention to all these police officers that you can see scattered along the parade route every few feet, just one of the security measures that we have been seeing and usually see at this major iconic event. Recently, I actually just saw some bomb sniffing dogs walk along the parade route as well.

As you guys said, no credible threats. But of course all these security measures taken as we are in sort of a high state of alert with law enforcement saying, you know, of course there is work being done behind the scenes that well -- as well, to make sure that these three and a half million people who come to this annual event have a good time and are safe doing it because that's when of course it's all about these people, these men and women of the NYPD federal local state law enforcement working to make sure all (INAUDIBLE) have great time. They are totally hyped up of course.

And now let's go back over here, Steve, because really quick, you can see that bands coming down the very start of this icon and great 97 years, guys, and it's a great day for it.

So Happy Thanksgiving to you guys --

HILL: Happy --

GINGRAS: -- we're happy out here we are safe. All as well.

HILL: I do have one quick question before we leave you Brynn. So, we know it started a little earlier. There are also a few new balloons this year. Who should we be on the lookout for?

GINGRAS: Yes, OK, so there, you're going to actually see one of the newest ones as soon as you tune in. That is Snoopy, Beagle Snoopy. It's a different variation of the Snoopy that we typically see. And guys, I know you have kids I seen that Leo with Netflix tune into that movie, but one of those parade balloons is Leo and then there are some great performances not only by bands, but also, we're going to see Cher, we're going to see En Vogue, we're going to see a lot of great performers. It's going to be a fun day, guys. I wish you could be out here with me.

HILL: Me too. Cher, she has a new Christmas album by the way. I wonder that's why she's in the parade. How do I know that? Never going to tell.

Brynn, have a great day. Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you.

HARLOW: Nice to see some joy.

HILL: Yes, it is.

HARLOW: (INAUDIBLE). Back to our top story we are waiting for word from Qatar on when the pause in fighting and the release of hostages held in Gaza will start after that deal was delayed until at least tomorrow. Will bring you what officials are saying, next.

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[08:42:16]

HILL: While we were waiting to hear from Qatar on the timing of the truce and the hostage release between Israel and Hamas. This after the Israeli government said the deal had been delayed now until Friday.

Kaitlan Collins is live in Tel Aviv with more on this -- more on this for us. Kaitlan any further updates on the timing at this point?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We're still waiting to hear and of course, this is something that could determine what the next several hours are really going to look like when this hostage deal could get kicked off as we are waiting to see not only for the hostages to be released, but the pause and fighting to happen in Gaza, the surge of that humanitarian aid. And so, we are waiting to hear from these Qatari officials who we know have been having conversations with people like Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the head of the Mossad who has been in Doha, essentially, non-stop having these conversations. That was when we got word late last night that the deal was not going to be implemented today, as we had expected, as we had heard from sources that there was supposed to be about a six-hour window for when those hostages were going to be able to be released. And they were expected to go through Egypt and then make their way here to Israel where they would be reunited with their families. They'd be assessed by doctors, they'd be speaking with senior Israeli military officials. None of that has happened yet.

And so, we are continuing to wait to find out more guidance on the timing here. And I should just note, the timing guidance that came down last night when the National Security Agency here in Israel said that deals actually not going to be kicking off on Thursday. It won't be happening until Friday. That is something that even surprised officials on the ground here. And what it seemed to really come down to was a miscommunication and a lack of communication between Hamas and Israel on who exactly was going to be coming out of Gaza, which hostages, were going to be on that initial list, really that test run of what this entire hostage deal could look like. And that is something that officials are downplaying, they're saying that it is not a big hiccup here, that it is not going to derail this deal. We're still waiting for more information if the deal is still expected to start on Friday.

But of course, as we're waiting on the technical details of this, it's the families here that are hanging in the balance, that are waiting for news about their loved ones. They're trying not to get their hopes up, even though they feel closer to an actual agreement to get their loved ones homes and they've ever been since October 7th, since they were kidnapped into Gaza. We spoke with one of those family members just a few moments ago, his brother, his sister-in-law, his two nieces were kidnapped from their kibbutz on October 7th, they have heard nothing about them. And this is what he said about the idea that his brother may be separated from his sister-in-law, because of course we know the initial part of this deal is expected to only include women and children.

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[08:45:01]

DANI ENGEL, FAMILY HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: It's harder because when I thinking that my brother may not be coming now, if at all because my brother who I had -- was my brother was with weapon. And on that Saturday morning. And he tried, I think that he tried to defend this family. And we're not certain about what is happening with a -- with him. We're not certain of anything but we team is, is hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: So, you can just see the anguish that so many families are feeling either not knowing who was going to be initially released or knowing that their loved one doesn't really fit the description what they've heard from Israeli officials about who is initially going to be coming out here. That is something that they're still waiting.

Though what is important here if this does kick off, and that is a big if it goes smoothly, and according to plan. What Israeli officials are hoping is that for every additional 10 hostages that Hamas is willing to release beyond that initial 50, they say they're willing to have an additional pause in fighting. That is something that Hamas certainly wants here. Of course, whether or not that happens, it really hinges on what we're going to hear Poppy and Erica in just the next few hours on the timing here.

HARLOW: Kaitlan, thank you so much for the reporting from Tel Aviv. Everyone just waiting for this thing to finally get started. We'll get back to you soon.

And as we wait for those details about when the truce will begin, Israeli doctors and medical professionals are ready to help with the multitude of needs. The freed hostages will have both physically and psychologically health professionals say they face a long recovery once they're reunited with their families. And as those families endure this agonizing wait, emotional support is coming in from those who know the trauma the hostages are experiencing.

HILL: Marion Friedman is a Holocaust survivor. You see her here holding a poster of a kidnap 10-year-old hostage. This was taken by photographer Blake Ezra here and recently told the Jewish Chronicle quote, I do know what it is to suffer and to be stashed away. I have been horrified by what is happening in Gaza and to me, it feels like a second holocaust.

Joining us now is Elisha Wiesel, he's the son of the late Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate, Elie Wiesel. It's good to have you with us today.

You wrote a piece for The Hill recently. And you know, we just heard those words from Marion. And you wrote, my father saw Israel as the only guarantee against a second holocaust. This morning as we see what's happening. How are you feeling about that?

ELISHA WIESEL, SON OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR ELIE WIESEL: Listen, you know, first of all, happy Thanksgiving.

HILL: Happy Thanksgiving,

WIESEL: This is a holiday of gratitude, observant and practicing Jews begin their day by reciting a number of prayers. And one of those prayers actually, the very first one that we say is thank God who gives the heart the ability to perceive the difference between day and night. And we have all of us the ability for moral action, to see the difference between good and evil. And what my father wrote about in night is in danger of occurring again today. And we have to make a decision on how to respond to that. There's a lot to be grieving about. There's a lot to be afraid about in the United States right now with regards to anti-Semitism. Incidents are spiking. Students on campus, feel threatened, receive threatening notes, have to listen to people protesting globalize the Intifada, which was a wave of suicide bombings, and they have to hear that that's going to be globalized on their campus. It's the same evil that we hear when we see tiki torches and Jews will not replace us just from a different side.

But how do we respond to it? That's our choice. And you know, my view is I was asked at synagogue the other day, is this Europe in the 1930s? Should sensible Jews get out like now while they can? And my answer to that is, God forbid, we love this country. We came here to contribute to it. Thank God we're here. And you know, my son, the other day has not been particularly practicing in his observance. He's 18 years old. When he -- when October 7th took place he put on his yarmulke, his head covering and walked out to his non-Jewish private school, you know, to make a statement.

HARLOW: You wrote about the story of the just man and the Jewish story of the just man. And for people who aren't familiar, just want to read part of that to them. He warned that hatred, which begins with anti- Semitism, inevitably threatened the whole world. And then you wrote, but as with the just man, my father's protests were ignored. Speak to that in this moment.

WIESEL: Listen, in 2014, two years before my father passed, he published an ad, which exposed Hamas, it basically accused commerce of engaging willingly in child sacrifice, of being on the wrong side of ethics and my father called on the Gazan people to do whatever they could to pick new leaders who would represent Islam as it should be. Not this horrible twisting of religion that we've seen under Hamas's leadership. We've seen what they do.

[08:50:01]

My father was pilloried for this by friends on the left in particular they said that couldn't be you, how could you possibly say something like that to accuse someone of child sacrifice? Of course, you know, a year later, when we found out that Hamas was firing rockets from schools, in the UN reports, it became very clear that what my father had said was right.

But there's, I think, we have a generation that grew up after 9/11. This new generation has not seen pure evil, and they don't know what to make of it, and therefore they're confused and lies permeate.

So, my father was not believed, sadly, at the end of his life, but we all need to be clear eyed and see what's going on.

HILL: There is a lot of -- there's a generational trauma, you speak to the younger generation who hasn't lived through some of that. But there are people who have heard about it or witnessed it even from their loved ones who maybe were not comfortable talking about it. About the trauma. they've been through people like Marion, people like your father. The way that that is passed down, that is also at play with so many of these hostages and their families in this moment.

What are some words that you feel would bring them any comfort in this moment, as they're in this agonizing wait as they know what their loved ones are coming back to what they'll be dealing with for the rest of their lives?

WIESEL: Well, what a profoundly difficult moment to have this uncertainty. And, you know, we as a Jewish people receive a lot of instruction from the Talmud, which is one of our holiest books that is the arguing and writing over so many decades and centuries of our sages, and even they're conflicted on what to think about the ceasefire deal. You know, there's a there's a statement that to save one life is to save the world entire, there's also however, an injunction against effectively paying too much for hostages. You know, we've been at this a long time, the fact that 1,000 year, 1,500 years ago, we were writing about how to barter to get our hostages back tells you quite a lot about how long anti-Semitism has been going on. And there's an injunction against paying too much less we encourage our enemies.

You know, for the families, all I can say to them is we're with you. There's an incredible initiative going on right now in the community called Seats of Hope not seeds, but S-E-A-T-S as in the chair, seatsofhope.net were family celebrating Thanksgiving can show their solidarity by leaving an empty seat at their table with a printout of a particular hostage to keep them in mind. So, our hearts and our minds are with you in the deepest possible way.

HILL: Elisha Wiesel, beautiful words. Thank you very much.

HARLOW: Thank you so much.

WIESEL: Thank you. HILL: Well, as we've been telling you throughout the morning, we are waiting on this news conference from Qatari officials. This would be in regards to the timing of the pause and fighting which of course, would then lead to the release of hostages held by Hamas. Stay with us.

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HILL: -- pictures here of the 97 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade underway right now. Well chilly out there in many parts of the northern half of the U.S., some frigid temperatures makes it feel a little Thanksgiving-thy, though doesn't it?

[08:55:06]

HARLOW: Totally. Have you ever gone?

HILL: Yes.

HARLOW: Always wanted to go/

HILL: Yes, we used to, when my kids were little and we still live in the city our tradition the night before was we would go watch them blow up the balloons --

HARLOW: Yes.

HILL: -- by the Museum of Natural History.

HARLOW: So fun.

HILL: And then we would get pizza. It's a lot busier now if you try to do that. Just a word to the wise.

HARLOW: Do you know what happened yesterday? My husband had to take the kids to the Natural History Museum. They literally couldn't get there.

HILL: Because there were so many people.

HARLOW: Because of them blowing up the balloons. And I was like babe, take the subway.

Meanwhile --

HILL: Always take always take the subway.

HARLOW: Always take the subway. New Yorkers know that. Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is with us now. A little, a little cold out there but love to see a clear day for the parade.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And it's certainly warmer than it has been in previous years and at least it's not snowing. Focused on the good things here. So yes, we've got the temperatures in the 40s. It is a little bit breezy, maybe about five to 10 miles per hour. Nothing that's really going to inhibit the balloons. The key thing here is that the sun is out. So, it actually looks nice. You're able to see everything, you don't have rain or snow to contend with. Because it's quite a different story on the western half of the country. We've got this next system that's starting to slide in and it is bringing rain and snow to areas of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and eventually pushing into portions of Colorado. That's why you've got all these winter weather alerts in effect not only for today, but also a lot of them carry into tomorrow as that snow begins to spread farther east.

Denver for example picking up about one to three inches of snow out of that system, but it's also cold you seeing those temperatures drop significantly and that cold air is going to make its way east in the coming days. So, more and more places are going to see those temperatures drop. Take Denver for example. They topped out yesterday at almost 70 degrees the high was 68. They're looking at a high tomorrow of only 26 degrees mixed in with a few snow showers as well.

HILL: Wow. That's a little whiplash there. Allison, appreciate it. Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you.

HARLOW: Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. We are grateful for a lot and for you. We'll see you back here tomorrow. "CNN NEWS CENTRAL," is next.

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