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How a Religious Festival Turned into a Massacre; Pope Francis' Trip to Iraq Still on Despite Security Concerns; ICC Investigating Alleged War Crimes in Palestinian Territories; Violence against Afghan Media Workers; Pfizer Sending Vaccines in Exchange for Medical Data; Interview with Yuli Edelstein, Israeli Health Minister, on Vaccination Program. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired March 03, 2021 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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BECKY ANDERSON, CNNI HOST: Very good evening. It's 7:00 pm in Abu Dhabi. From CNN's Middle East broadcasting hub, I'm Becky Anderson. Hello and
welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD.
CNN has learned the U.N. Security Council will discuss the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia's Tigray region in a closed door meeting on Thursday.
The leader of Tigray's forces accuses the federal government and its Eritrean allies of genocide and other crimes against humanity.
The U.S. State Department says secretary of state Antony Blinken expressed America's concern over the allegations when he spoke with Ethiopia's prime
minister earlier this week.
A months-long CNN investigation has uncovered detailed evidence of the massacre of dozens of civilians in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia,
overcoming the information blockade around a pattern of atrocities that may have claimed thousands of civilian lives.
Since November, the Ethiopian government has waged war on the Tigray region with assistance from neighboring troops from Eritrea. Journalists have been
severely restricted in their access.
But in this exclusive report, CNN has been able to speak with dozens of people, who say they witnessed a massacre at the hands of invading Eritrean
troops in a town in Tigray on one of the holiest days on November the 30th last year.
And I have to warn you, what you are about to see and hear is disturbing. Here's CNN's Nima Elbagir.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A bloody jacket, some rope used to tie the victims shoes worn by a Sunday
school boy, the haunting remnants of a brutal massacre in a village in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region. A massacre perpetrated by Eritrean
soldiers on Ethiopian soil.
Fifty-two out of the 54 pictures you see here are victims whose identities have been verified by CNN. This is the village of Maryam Dengelat, was
CNN's investigation uncovered the murder of dozens, possibly even more than hundred civilians. Witnesses tell CNN people were murdered here over three
days of mayhem. With video and communication limited due to an Ethiopian government-imposed blackout on the region and fear of government
retribution rife, CNN has had to illustrate witness testimony through animation and use of actors voices to describe what happened in December
last year.
One eyewitness Martha (ph), not her real name, told CNN they were returning from morning church service. When they got home, they were confronted by
Eritrean troops. MARTHA (ph): They came to our house then they told us to get out. There were a lot of soldiers outside and they were saying, come
out come out you bitch. We said we are civilian, we are civilians showing our IDs. They didn't ask any question. They just opened fire.
ELBAGIR (voice-over): To understand what happened here over the course of these three days, you need to understand what's been happening over the
last few years in Ethiopia. Under the country's former rulers, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, Ethiopia waged hostilities with Eritrea for the
TPLF almost 30 years in power. Ethiopia's President Abiy Ahmed won a Nobel Peace Prize for bringing all that to an end.
The Tigray region has always been distinct in culture and language and its leadership is battling for autonomy from Ethiopia's government. Now the two
former enemies stand accused of working together to crush to graze fight for autonomy and civilians are being killed in what could be war crimes and
something the ousted Tigray leader described as acts of genocide.
This video was secretly taken and smuggled out to CNN to avoid Ethiopian and Eritrean troops. It's footage of the graves that eyewitnesses described
to CNN in harrowing testimony. Underneath the branches and sticks are the grave sites for the victims.
Another eyewitness Abraham (ph), again, not his real name, was supposed to help clean the church at Maryam Dengelat before the festival. Instead, he
became a grave digger.
ABRAHAM (ph): They were all so young and they took them and killed them together in a field.
ELBAGIR (voice-over): Among those he buried were 24 Sunday school children. Abraham (ph) and others registered the kids names as best they
could.
[10:05:00]
ELBAGIR (voice-over): One by one, the shallow graves were uncovered and parents came to identify their children. Some was so badly disfigured, they
could only be identified by their clothing.
This is not the only massacre perpetrated in Tigray. Using satellite images and interviews with witnesses, Amnesty was able to find evidence of at
least one other separate massacre involving hundreds of civilians, believed to be carried out in another city days earlier.
A day after the investigations by CNN and Amnesty International, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken said, "Those responsible for them must be held
accountable." Strong words, but will words be enough when the crimes described bear all the hallmarks of a possible genocide? -- Nima Elbagir,
CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: CNN put the findings of its investigation to the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea along with the TPLF.
In response to a U.S. statement, the Ethiopian government responded that it is, quote, "fully committed" to undertake thorough investigations of
alleged human rights abuses, while adding that it found U.S. comments on Ethiopian internal affairs "regrettable" and that its forces were
conducting lawful operations.
The TPLF said its forces were not in the vicinity before or after the massacre and called for a U.N. investigation to hold all sides accountable
for atrocities committed during the conflict.
As we said earlier, U.N. Security Council will discuss the ongoing situation behind closed doors on Thursday. We will monitor that.
The Eritrean government has not responded to CNN's request for comment. On Friday, the government vehemently denied its soldiers had committed
atrocities during another massacre in Tigray reported by Amnesty International. We have been reporting on this story as best we can now for
months and we will continue to do so.
Iraq's military reports no damage after at least 10 rockets hit base housing U.S.-led coalition forces. This video purports to show a burned-out
vehicle that carried the rocket launcher used in the attack on the al-Asad air base. It's the second such attack on U.S.-led forces in Iraq in the
past 16 days.
Iran targeted the base last year to avenge a U.S. strike that killed a top Iranian general. Today's attack comes just two days before Pope Francis is
set to visit Iraq for his first trip since the coronavirus pandemic started. He said today the trip is still on.
Well, this is likely stemming from the U.S. airstrike on Iran-backed militia in Syria that you will remember last week and possibly timed to
coincide with the pope's looming trip. Connecting us tonight from Baghdad is our senior international correspondent, Ben Wedeman.
What do we know of the details of this strike at this point, Ben?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We understand, whoever shot these missiles, they were 10 missiles, the missiles did not cause any
human casualties or any damage to speak of.
But it definitely does look like it was some sort of response to the U.S. airstrike last Friday. The early morning -- early hours of Friday morning,
just over the border in Syria on that facility that was being used by Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada, two Iranian-backed militias
involved in Syria as well as Iraq.
So this really does seem to fit into this pattern of attack and counterattack that has been going on for quite some time. Remember, of
course, last Friday's attack, U.S. strike, was in response to a 15th of February rocket attack on the international airport in Irbil in northern
Iraq, where one U.S. contractor was killed and several U.S. troops were wounded.
It doesn't appear to be connected as far as anybody here in Baghdad is concerned with the pope's visit, which is sort of separate. But of course,
obviously, Iraqi officials, as well as the Vatican, are very sensitive to any incident whatsoever in the lead-up to the pope's arrival, which is just
day after tomorrow -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, and I wanted to follow up with that because it is just two days before Pope Francis is expected into Iraq. Many had cautioned that
this would be a risky trip, not least because of the possibility of, first, security problems and, indeed, COVID-19.
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ANDERSON: Do we have a response from the Vatican at this point?
WEDEMAN: Regarding the attack on al-Asad base this morning, no, we don't. But they have made it clear that, regardless, the pope is going ahead with
this visit.
This is -- we know Pope Francis is not a man easily swayed by such things. He's a man who, when he makes up his mind, he does it, so even though we
understand, there are those in the Vatican who have advised against it. There are many, many outside the Vatican who have said it's not a good
idea. We heard pope emeritus Benedict XVI say it's a dangerous trip.
Nonetheless, Pope Francis seems determined to do it. And the Iraqis, apart from taking as many security precautions as they can, trying to ensure that
there isn't going to be a superspreader event, keeping the numbers down at all these events. They also want this trip to go ahead.
So ruling out some sort of catastrophic event within the next 48 hours or so, it does appear this visit, inshallah, will go ahead -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Inshallah. Ben, thank you for that.
We have breaking news from the International Criminal Court this hour. The court says it will investigate alleged war crimes in the West Bank, in Gaza
and in East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority says it welcomes the probe, calling justice and accountability the pillars of peace. Sam Kiley
joining us from Jerusalem with the implications of this inquiry.
Just how significant is this?
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's very significant indeed, particularly if you're a Palestinian but also from the
Israeli perspective, because they fought very hard and they will, I'm sure, continue to fight.
We haven't had a response directly yet from the prime minister's office or the Israeli foreign ministry that I'm aware of. But Gideon Saar, who is a
member, of course, of the campaign against Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, has condemned it. It's been welcomed by Hamas, referencing
investigations of Israel.
But of course, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups are going to be subjected to this war crimes investigation as well. The Israeli argument is
that it's outside the purview of the International Criminal Court because the Palestinian state, which asked for the investigation in the first
place, isn't recognized internationally at any rate by the state but -- as a state.
It is, however, seen as such by the International Criminal Court. So they may have lost that argument.
One of the key issues in this, it's not only the behavior of all sides, particularly during the 2014 war in Gaza, but also, I think, very important
for the Israelis is the status of settlements, Jewish settlements built on the West Bank, which many in the international community have been arguing,
since 1967, is a violation of the fourth Geneva Convention and, therefore, illegal under international law.
If that becomes, as is indicated by some of the paperwork coming from the ICC, a subject of their investigations and, indeed, a future prosecution,
it would be difficult to see how they could prosecute because they have to prosecute individuals, not states.
But nonetheless, a future prosecution over that issue could be very difficult indeed for Israel. But not an easy run at all, particularly for
the Gazan groups -- Palestinian groups, who have, for years now, been firing rockets, deliberately targeting civilians inside Israeli territory
as well -- Becky.
ANDERSON: What's the Israeli response to this ICC decision?
KILEY: Well, their response is still being formulated. But their response to the decision to even allow an investigation, in other words, the earlier
decision in February, to say that the ICC did believe that it had or did rule that it had the right to conduct investigations was one of
condemnation.
We can look forward to more of that. But in the meantime, there are others, such as Benny Gantz, who is a member of the government now, a former chief
of staff of the Israeli defense forces, who said in the interim that he could -- he believes that up to 100 or maybe more Israelis in terms of
combat operations could be subjected to an ICC investigation.
There's been no serious comment yet from the government as such nor of the ministry of foreign affairs. In other words, not the prime minister's
office or ministry of foreign affairs but it has only broken just inside the last hour.
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KILEY: I think we can predict it's been condemned and will be contested. But it could be out of their hands. And then we will look forward, I think,
with some trepidation as to whether or not the investigators can even get to the region to conduct the investigations, given that the Israelis
control all of the points of entry with the exception of southern Gaza -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Sam Kiley is in Jerusalem for you. Sam, thank you.
And we'll have more coverage from Israel and Sam as the country prepares to head to the polls in a little under three weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KILEY (voice-over): Heralding a vigorous return to near normality. But it's done little to guarantee electoral success for Benjamin Netanyahu.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the fight of his political life. We'll look at what it will take to keep his job. That
is a little later this hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Meantime, let me get you up to speed on other stories on our radar right now.
Police in the Netherlands are asking for images and information from the public after an explosion outside a coronavirus testing center north of
Amsterdam. No one was hurt in the early morning blast but it did blow out some windows. Authorities found a metal cylinder about the size of a paint
can used in the attack.
Fighters linked to ISIS are claiming responsibility for an attack on a humanitarian base in Borno state, northeastern Nigeria. CNN can't
independently verify the claim. The U.N. says none of its staff was at the base when it was overrun by the suspected militants.
And Pope Francis calling for the release of all political prisoners in Myanmar. He has appealed to world leaders to step in and put the country
back on the road to democracy. Protesters have been on the streets for weeks now. The demonstrations erupting after the military ousted the
government and jailed its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Local journalists often put their lives on the line, not least in Afghanistan, to cover the news. Still ahead, a cold-blooded murder of
female media staffers and the risk of doing journalism there.
And as we continue to assess the success and failures of the world's response to the COVID pandemic, I will speak with Israel's health minister
this show for what's been achieved and what more there needs to be done.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back.
We'll connect you to what's an extremely risky line of work in Afghanistan, covering the news. On Tuesday, three female journalists were gunned down in
the city of Jalalabad. They were recent high school graduates, who worked for the local broadcaster.
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ANDERSON: Officials say a suspect was arrested and he has links to the Taliban, which denies involvement. A branch of ISIS later claimed
responsibility, according to the monitoring site -- group's site. One of the victim's co-workers was outraged about the attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KHAN SAFI, ENIKASS TV (through translator): All of them were our colleagues for more than two years. They were very good people. I have no
words. All I can say is this was a brutal act against them. Killing women is a major sin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, sadly that was just one in a string of recent attacks on media workers in Afghanistan. Our next guest knows firsthand how dangerous
it is to be a journalist there, especially as a woman.
She receives death threats regularly. She has to change her routine, her daily routine, just to stay safe. And she once escaped a kidnapping attempt
by jumping out of a speeding car.
Farida Nekzad is a longtime journalist and managing editor. She is now the director of the Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists in
Kabul.
And it is a real pleasure to have you with us tonight on what is a day of truly tragic news. And our thoughts are with the families of those who have
lost their lives.
These women died violently on their way home from work. They were incredibly young, at the beginning of their careers. The Afghan government
blaming the Taliban, which denies involvement.
Who do you think was responsible for this attack and what message were they trying to send?
FARIDA NEKZAD, CENTER FOR THE PROTECTION OF AFGHAN WOMEN JOURNALISTS: Thank you very much. First of all, I want to express my condolence to the
families and friends and, of course, as the Taliban deny this involvement of these killings.
But of course, this is the terrorist attacks and they are -- the message reads that they are the enemy of the press freedom and the human rights and
especially women's rights and women journalists.
That is why it is not the only one because it is their targeted killing of humans at this target against women journalists and so are society
activists.
ANDERSON: Because press freedom has, indeed, improved -- I wouldn't say dramatically but it has improved in Afghanistan over the last 20 years and
as have women's rights, to a degree at least.
But in recent years, female journalists being killed for their reporting, I just want you to sort of -- for those viewers of ours who really don't
understand why, just explain a little further, if you can.
NEKZAD: Yes, of course. You know, unfortunately, the situation which is currently, the situation is not good. But after the fall of Taliban, there
was a very green light for Afghan and women Afghan journalists especially for women.
And we were hopeful that it get better and better. But unfortunately, since 2014 and especially 2000 -- end of 2019 and 2020, it was like really
horrible and the blood eager for journalists and especially for women journalists.
If you see that we lost only four women journalists since December of 2020, this really concerning for all, and especially for women journalists in
Afghanistan. They are working in such tough and risky situation.
ANDERSON: You are a prominent female journalist yourself. You are the managing editor of Afghan's leading independent news agency. You were one
of its founders back in 2004.
As a prominent female journalist, what kind of threats of violence have you personally experienced?
NEKZAD: Yes, it's really -- if I say my experience, it was like death threats. Many times, verbally and by email, especially by email, then they
targeted me, of course. But I always try to fight against these risks and challenge because I really love to work in Afghanistan.
[10:25:00]
NEKZAD: And as a woman journalist, as a senior woman journalist, I want to have all the time experience with sharing with other journalists.
And we are the only few women journalists that really the young journalists, young generation, they need the support and courage and
especially particularly the situation get worse. And there is no place for women journalists to work and professional work, professionally, because
since few months, at least more than 10 women journalists left their provinces.
And we (INAUDIBLE) to Kabul. More than 10 journalists left Afghanistan and many others left their profession and they are sitting at home because the
lack of security and safety. So this is really very concerning and really dangerous for female journalists, especially, to work in such situations.
ANDERSON: I understand. The Taliban is consolidating power.
How concerned are you about the effect on press freedom in Afghanistan going forward?
NEKZAD: Yes, it is, of course, the only achievements on this that we can count on, there's press freedom and free media in Afghanistan. And we hope
and we ask, we call on the government of Afghanistan not only from the international community that they should support and they should continue
their support for journalists in Afghanistan.
And especially we call on the government of Afghanistan, that they should really take some practical steps to ensure the safety and security of
journalists and, in particular, women journalists, because women journalists, you know, this is a sensitive country and due the religion and
other sensitivity.
So we need support and we need to protect women, especially journalists and press freedom in Afghanistan. Otherwise, it will affect on the all human
and, you know, a country without press will be failed and it would be like a dictator.
So we hope the situation get better and -- the ability should be end and should -- the laws and especially the constitution and maybe once, maybe a
law should be implemented for Afghanistan and the criminals should be punished as soon as possible.
ANDERSON: The message of Farida Nekzad for you this evening.
Farida, thank you.
Israel's vaccination program has proved to be a success. Coming up, we'll ask the country's health minister about the country's strategy and why not
everybody is happy with it. That and more after this.
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ANDERSON: We want to recap our breaking news this hour. The International Criminal Court has opened an inquiry into alleged war crimes committed in
the Palestinian Territories. The prosecutor plans to look at events from 2014 onwards in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
In addition to Israel, the probe will look at militant groups like Hamas. The probe comes at a precarious time for Israeli prime minister Benjamin
Netanyahu. He just spearheaded a successful vaccination plan and began relations with several Arab countries.
You'd think that would make him a shoo-in for re-election. Not so much. He's facing his fourth election in two years and, worse, it's an incredibly
tight race. That's forcing him to court some rather unexpected potential coalition partners. Sam Kiley takes a closer look at the challenges Mr.
Netanyahu faces in keeping his job.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KILEY (voice-over): His government has run a world-beating COVID vaccination program, heralding a vigorous return to near normality. But
it's done little to guarantee electoral success for Benjamin Netanyahu. So he's scraping for ballots from voters he's shunned in the past, Israeli
Arabs --
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): It is a chance to start a new era in the relations between Jews and Arabs.
KILEY (voice-over): -- and extremist parties, peddling racism and homophobia, some using fake messages, including a Holocaust joke and
admiration for Hitler.
For Netanyahu's Likud Party, courting the far right has become a political necessity.
ELI HAZAN, LIKUD PARTY SPOKESPERSON: It looks like the election is going to be very tight. And we need to maximize the potential to win the
election.
KILEY (voice-over): The arithmetic of opinion polls is dangerous to Israel's longest serving prime minister.
KILEY: There's very unlikely to be a decisive result in the March elections, which means there will be coalition horse trading just as
Benjamin Netanyahu heads back into court on corruption charges.
KILEY (voice-over): If convicted, he could face several years in jail. Even in such jeopardy, he still dominates Israel's political landscape.
EYAL ARAD, POLITICAL ANALYST: I think that what would eventually happen is that the criminal process would decide the fate of the political process.
KILEY (voice-over): In the meantime, he's determined to win and everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
NETANYAHU: (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
NETANYAHU: (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ah.
(LAUGHTER)
NETANYAHU: (Speaking foreign language).
KILEY (voice-over): Sam Kiley, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, Sam mentioned Israel's successful vaccine plan, Pfizer agreeing to give Israel quick-time delivery in exchange for access to the
country's health care database. Let's get a closer look at all of this. We're joined by Israel's health minister, Yuli Edelstein.
Good to have you, sir. Thank you.
Israel has the fastest vaccine campaign in the world. Nearly 40 percent of Israelis now fully vaccinated. The world studying the population in real
term (sic) to learn about how mass inoculation can change the trajectory of this virus. There's a lot of medical research emerging.
What have you learned so far, sir?
YULI EDELSTEIN, ISRAELI HEALTH MINISTER: Well, first of all, thanks for having me. We've learned so far that the vaccine is effective. Pfizer
promised us about 95 percent of the effectiveness of the vaccine. That's more or less what we find in our research.
It reduces deaths in the age categories that have been highly vaccinated to nearly zero or to 1-2 percent. And we still are checking what it says about
carrying the disease, where a person who has been fully vaccinated still can carry the disease, still can infect others. We have some positive signs
on that. But we are still not 100 percent sure.
That's why our demand is to still wear masks, even if you are fully vaccinated.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Israel's rate of infection does remain stubbornly high, despite this vaccine rollout.
What, if anything, have Israeli scientists learned about how effective Pfizer and Moderna are against these new variants of the virus?
[10:35:00]
EDELSTEIN: Well, the good news is that it is effective. We're using Pfizer at this stage. It is effective against what we call the British variant and
the South African variant. Still, we are carefully learning about new mutations, new variants and the possibility to find them here in Israel.
I do have to say that the numbers of newly infected are still, as you rightly mentioned, pretty high. But they are much lower in the age groups
that have been fully vaccinated. I'm talking about those who are over 50, 50-plus. There we see less cases there.
We see, obviously, less people hospitalized. So the younger generation right now, especially children under 16, who are still not getting the
vaccine -- we still don't have permission from FDA to vaccinate them -- are, we can say, nearly the majority among the newly infected in Israel.
So the vaccine is effective in the age groups that have got it. But the virus is a very cunning and dangerous enemy and it's moving towards younger
population.
ANDERSON: Yes, and important scientific data coming out of Israel. And this is good for Israel and good for the world.
Israeli medical teams will soon vaccinate Palestinians with work permits in Israel and the occupied West Bank. There are, what, some 80,000
Palestinians with work permits in Israel and 30,000 who work in the settlements.
Will you immunize more Palestinians once you finish rolling this vaccine out with those who have Israeli work permits?
EDELSTEIN: At this stage, we help the Palestinians with vaccinating their medical teams, who are -- those who are front line medical workers, dealing
with coronavirus in Judea and Samaria.
And as you rightly mention, we are starting, as of next week, as of Sunday, coming Sunday, to vaccinate Palestinian workers who are working in Israel.
They have the permission to work in Israel.
So it's pretty easy for us to vaccinate them, both in the checkpoints when they are coming in and in joint industrial zones in Judea and Samaria where
Palestinians and Israelis are working together. I think it's a very important operation for us.
And I am hopeful that there will be a good response among the Palestinians to this vaccination campaign.
ANDERSON: I must press you on this point. There are tens of thousands of Palestinians, of course, who work in Israel without official documents.
They are not eligible for these vaccinations. This is a virus that knows no borders. It doesn't discriminate.
Is it not shortsighted to leave large sections of a population, so entwined with your own, unvaccinated?
EDELSTEIN: Well, honestly speaking, in medical terms, it's definitely dangerous. But in terms of the law, we can't vaccinate someone who is
illegal. If he gets caught, he has to be deported. I think this is the normal situation. I can't catch him and vaccinate him.
So I think that, in this case, we are talking about Palestinian workers, who are welcome to work here. They have been checked. They don't have any
connections to any terror infrastructure or anything of the kind.
And they have been working, some of them, for many years here in Israel. That's why we think that it's our both interest and obligation to vaccinate
them.
ANDERSON: I want to just move us on to what I think is a very interesting moment in time here. The E.U.'s slow rollout -- and we've been talking
about what many have called an unmitigated disaster in this vaccine rollout -- across the European Union bloc.
The Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Danish patient Mette Frederickson, will visit Jerusalem on Thursday to talk about a potential partnership with
Israel on procurement and production.
I just want to -- can you explain how this partnership might work and what you'd be setting out to achieve at this point?
EDELSTEIN: Well, yes, tomorrow we have an important meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu and myself, with the prime minister's guests, the
chancellor of Austria and the prime minister of Denmark, to discuss this specific issue, Becky.
[10:40:00]
EDELSTEIN: The possibility of production of vaccines in the near future, here in Israel, some joint venture. There are different models to be
discussed tomorrow. One is to make a deal with one of the big companies who are, right now, already producing the vaccine, who have the permission to
produce the vaccine.
The other model is, obviously, something new, based on Israeli research. We have potential investors. So it's not just the states who will be behind
it. And I sincere sincerely hope it will work out, A, because we see now, as you said, shall we say, competition between different countries to get
the vaccine; B, it's very important to produce vaccines in this area.
To the best of my knowledge and understanding, there is not a single enterprise company producing vaccines here in the Middle East or Africa. So
if we manage to create a hub of that kind, I think it will be very important, both for Israel and for the whole area.
Thank God we finally have agreements with different countries in the area. It's a different situation and we'll be able to cooperate with them on the
health issues, specifically on vaccination.
ANDERSON: Before I let you go, sir, our breaking news this hour, the International Criminal Court opened an investigation into alleged war
crimes committed in the Palestinian Territories. You're our first opportunity to get a government response on this decision by the
International Criminal Court.
Do you have a response, you know, position from the Israeli government at this point?
EDELSTEIN: Absolutely. I think they gave a new meaning to the word hypocrisy. Everyone who is slightly familiar with everything that goes on
in this area wouldn't even believe for a second that Israeli defense forces are able to commit any war crimes. Never happened. Never going to happen.
Even in the most difficult fight, combat against terrorism, the Israeli defense forces always stick to the rules and that's how it should be. And
that's how it will be.
So if there will be a political investigation, we already had it in our past. If there will be a serious investigation, I think that it will be
stopped after a week or two, because there will be no grounds whatsoever to accuse Israel or Israeli defense forces of anything of the kind.
ANDERSON: The Israeli health minister, member of the Benjamin Netanyahu government, thank you very much indeed for your time, Yuri Edelstein.
And we'll take a very short break. Back after this.
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