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Connect the World
Israel Launches Large-Scale Operation in Occupied West Bank; Telegram CEO Facing "Possible Indictment"; Special Counsel Files Revamped Indictment against Trump; Harris-Walz Bus Tour Kicks Off in Georgia; Ceasefire-Hostage Talks Move to Doha; Trump and Dr. Phil; Myanmar Rohingya Fear Renewed Ethnic Cleansing; Chris Hemsworth Cameos at Ed Sheeran Concert. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 28, 2024 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to our second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Rahel Solomon, in today for my
colleague, Becky Anderson. It is 10:00 am here in New York, 5:00 pm in the West Bank.
That's where the Israeli military has been carrying out its most expansive raid in years. Israel's foreign minister is calling for a Gaza style
operation.
Plus just in to CNN, Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been released from police custody and taken to court in Paris for questioning and a possible
indictment.
And less than 70 days to the U.S. election. Donald Trump has been indicted once again by special counsel Jack Smith. Coming up, we're going to take a
look at how the case has changed.
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SOLOMON: But we begin this hour in the Middle East. Israel calls it an anti-terror operation. The Palestinian Authority calls it an escalation.
Israel's military has launched its biggest raid in the West Bank since the October 7 attacks, targeting areas around Jenin and Tulkarem.
The IDF says that it's a response to more than 150 attacks over the past year that are linked to Iran. Palestinian health officials report at least
nine deaths. Hamas responded in a statement, calling for a, quote, "general escalation" against the occupation.
We're going to now bring in CNN's Jeremy Diamond, connecting us this hour from Tel Aviv.
Jeremy, let's just start with what we know about the extent of this operation.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, this does appear to be one of the most extensive Israeli military operations in the West Bank in
years. We are seeing Israeli troops as well as border police officers raiding two key cities in the West Bank, Jenin and Tulkarem, as well as the
surrounding areas.
And not only are we seeing Israeli forces moving in on the ground, carrying out raids, but also the Israeli military appearing to carry out several
airstrikes in those areas as well.
So far the death toll is nine people who have been killed so far, according to the Israeli military, which says that the operation is still in its
first phases, suggesting that this is a military operation that could go on for several days.
We are still getting reports of ongoing gunfire in and around those cities, indicating that there are still ongoing clashes in those areas. We are also
getting reports that the Israeli military has surrounded or blocked access to several hospitals in the area.
According to local officials, the Israeli military confirming that it was surrounding at least one hospital in Jenin but they say that that's because
they want to prevent militants from seeking shelter and operating from there.
The response, of course, in the occupied West Bank has been one of outrage from Palestinian officials and Hamas calling for a, quote, "general
mobilization" against Israeli forces and settlers.
The Israeli military says that there are two key reasons why they are carrying this out. They say that, first of all, Iran has been trying to
flood the West Bank with weapons. And they also point to a number of attacks against Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, as well as
against Israelis in Israel, that they say have stemmed from these two cities.
We know that, of course, there has also been a significant uptick in Israeli military activity, in Israeli raids in the West Bank against
Palestinian militants over the course of the last 11 months, since October 7.
We know that around 652 Palestinians have been killed according to the Palestinian ministry of health in the occupied West Bank, not only
militants but also that includes civilians. And at least 4,500 people have been arrested since October 7 as the Israeli military has really stepped up
its operations in that area since that time.
SOLOMON: And Jeremy, what about the response from within the Israeli government?
Some are saying that some of the statements we've seen, at least posted on X, are inflammatory.
DIAMOND: Well, we have seen that one man, the Israeli foreign minister, for example, who we should note doesn't really have any purview over the
West Bank.
He has suggested that the Israeli military should conduct itself in a similar way to what it does in Gaza, saying that this is the same fight
that they are fighting and indicating that he would like to see evacuations of certain areas for Israeli troops to move in and effectively forcibly
displacing Palestinians from those areas.
[10:05:00]
The Israeli military so far has said that there is no plan to carry out anything like that, although we have seen that they say they are allowing
for people in the north Shams refugee camp in that area to evacuate, should they want to.
But there is no forcible evacuation, forcible displacement of Palestinians in that area at this moment. But certainly we have seen an uptick in the
rhetoric from a number of Israeli government officials.
Not only Israel Katz but also the national security minister, Ben Gvir, who, in recent days has made a number of inflammatory comments regarding
the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem as well, that have the potential to cause escalations in violence, the potential to inflame a region that is already
very much on edge and continues to be so.
SOLOMON: And continues to be so. Our Jeremy Diamond, live for us there in Tel Aviv.
Jeremy, thank you.
Turn to Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that an incursion into Russia's Kursk region is just the beginning of a much larger plan to end the war.
And he's going to need help to make it happen.
Ukrainian president discussed his plans on Tuesday, adding that he will be traveling to the U.N. General Assembly next month. That's where he plans to
speak with U.S. President Joe Biden about what he's calling his, quote, "victory plan." I want to bring in now CNN's Salma Abdelaziz.
So talk to us a little bit, Salma, about what's in President Zelenskyy's four-stage plan.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I want to start by saying that this is more of an outline than a plan really. It was very scant on details but he
had these four points that he outlined on this stage to journalists. I think we have those four points pulled up for you.
In the first was a cross border invasion into Kursk. So of course, President Zelenskyy said, tick; I have done that, we have begun, we are on
the path to victory.
Secondly, he spoke on this strategic place in the world's security infrastructure for Ukraine. That's a reference to its bid to join NATO.
He spoke on the use of diplomacy to force Russia to end the war. We've heard about Kursk, spoken about in this context by Ukrainian officials, who
say that the more Russian territory they grab, the more of an upper hand they have at any future peace talks at the table.
And finally economic pressure on Russia. And that's something that President Zelenskyy continues to push on -- sanctions, financial pressure,
economic pressure on Moscow.
And now he hopes, President Zelenskyy hopes to bring this victory plan, as he calls it, to President Biden around the U.N. General Assembly next
month. But I also want to point out the context in which he was making this announcement.
It's only this week that Ukraine says it endured the largest, the most massive aerial assault by Russia on Ukraine since the beginning of the
conflict. It's also still happening now, this assault by Russia, this push by Russia, advance in the Donbas, toward Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian soldiers
are outmanned and outgunned.
So you have President Zelenskyy, who is very much trying to demonstrate strength, trying to hold control of the narrative. He doesn't want the
momentum to shift in favor of Russia.
And he's saying, we got this. Yes, we have this Russian assault. Yes, we have dozens of Russian drones and missiles being fired at Ukrainian cities.
But we still have the upper hand, as long as our allies continue to supply and support us.
SOLOMON: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz, live for us there in London, Salma, thank you.
Want to now get to France. That's where Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been released from police custody. We were told that he is being taken to
meet with an investigative judge. Durov has been held since his controversial arrest as he arrived in Paris on a private plane on Saturday.
Let's bring in CNN's chief global affairs correspondent, Matthew Chance, who joins us now.
Matthew, just give us a sense of what's the latest on Durov and why this case is so significant.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, actually, we're still waiting to work out and to see what the fate of Pavel
Durov is going to be.
Because you're right, he's been released from police custody. There was a 96 hour period of incarceration imposed on him. That's come to an end.
He's now about to appear before a French judge, who will decide whether to indict him for the activities of his Telegram social media platform, which
has been accused of being a platform or giving free rein to kind of neo Nazis and antisemites and political extremists and child pornographers and
things like that or whether to set him free.
And the outcome of that will be a decision of the French courts, specifically of a French judge, where Pavel Durov is about to appear.
In terms of why the case is important, well, I mean, look, this has become an issue which is all about freedom of speech. It's Pavel Durov, who is a
Russian citizen. He's also a French citizen. He is a citizen of the United Arab Emirates and another country as well.
I think it's in St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, as a matter of fact. And they've all expressed outrage at his detention, at least the Emiratis
and the Russians have. The Russians in particular have been outspoken in this, saying that this is -- to paraphrase the foreign ministry
spokesperson in Moscow.
[10:10:05]
It's basically an assault on the freedom of the press, is what the Russians are casting it as, which, of course, the irony of that allegation is not
lost because of the fact that there's been a massive crackdown on the free media inside Russia.
Nevertheless, this is something the Russians are hinting they believe is politically motivated. They're saying the West wants, it gets, wants to get
its hands on the access codes to the Telegram social media platform.
And so there's a lot of focus on this at the moment. See what the judge in France will do.
SOLOMON: Yes. And Matthew, I mean, it sort of touches on a larger conversation about sort of the relationship between governments and these
really powerful, really popular app providers; Telegram just one example of it but certainly not the only one.
CHANCE: Yes, that's right. I mean, it's part of a broader debate and a broader sort of tension that exists between these social media platforms
like Telegram.
But also like Facebook and X and many of the others as well, about the extent of freedom of speech and the extent to which the governments should
have a role in curtailing freedoms and access on those platforms.
Look, I mean, a lot of the things that Telegram is accused of, providing a platform for terrorists, pedophiles, child molesters and things like that
and other extremists, hate crimes, things like that. I mean, look, I mean Telegram has kind of been one of the most open social media platforms for
those types of groups.
And it is being utilized by all sorts of political extremists for their various -- and it's not just autocrats but also rebel groups as well. And
so it's this weird coalition, an unusual coalition of supporters of Telegram, who are speaking out in favor of Pavel Durov at this time.
But normally social media platforms are -- to some extent have to work within the law. They're not immune to laws against hosting terrorism,
propagation of terrorism on their sites or will chop it off and things like that. And at of the allegation in the French courts, is that Telegram has
fallen afoul of that legislation.
SOLOMON: Wow, really interesting.
You lay out really well there sort of all of the sort of implications and then the debate that continues to continue. CNN's Matthew Chance, live for
us there. Matthew, thank you.
And still to come, Donald Trump indicted again in his federal election interference case. How the special counsel adjusted the allegations in the
wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's immunity ruling. We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back.
With just months left in the race for the White House, the question of whether Donald Trump tried to interfere in the last U.S. presidential
election is being raised once again. Special counsel Jack Smith has filed a brand new, revamped indictment against Trump in the January 6 case.
[10:15:03]
Smith trimmed down his original filing after the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that granted presidents criminal immunity. But the four
original charges against Trump, they do remain the same. Let's bring in CNN senior crime and justice reporter, Katelyn Polantz, in Washington.
Katelyn, good to see you. So talk to us about what's different in this new indictment.
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rahel, the Justice Department had to cut out a lot of the things that the Supreme
Court said could not go to trial if they want to continue to prosecute Donald Trump for his actions after the 2020 election.
What they couldn't have in the case that they did before was things that he was saying, doing, hearing as president.
So the conversations he was having with aides, things he was telling his inferior officer, Jeffrey Clark, someone at the Justice Department, to do,
to try to use that part of the government to help fan the flames of people wanting to investigate election fraud.
All of that is cut out. Jeffrey Clark is cut out. Trump's discussions with others. This was something the Justice Department needed to do after that
Supreme Court decision. They went back to the grand jury in Washington, D.C., to do it.
And the courts are going to look at this version of the indictment in the coming months. Still, Trump and his team are quite unhappy about this. He's
calling it an act of desperation.
And here's a little bit more about what his running mate, JD Vance, who had to say in response to what's called this superseding indictment being filed
yesterday against Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), 2024 VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yeah, I haven't read the whole thing, but it looks like Jack Smith doing more what he does,
which is filing these absurd lawsuits in an effort to influence the election. I think it's clearly an effort to try to do more election
interference from Jack Smith. He should be ashamed of himself, and it's one of the reasons why we have to win, because he should not be anywhere near
power.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POLANTZ: So Vance there is calling it election interference but this is something that the Justice Department has handled carefully.
They are outside of a window, where the Justice Department doesn't like to do things in the 60 days before the election that could disrupt an
election. It's also not a lawsuit and it did go through a group of nearly two dozen private citizens to approve this indictment in federal court.
And of course, if Trump, if and when he goes to trial, will have to sit before a jury of peers.
SOLOMON: If and when. Katelyn, sort of happening at the same time, we have this new footage that previously had never been seen before of U.S. House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on January 6.
And the video seems to be shedding some new light on her frustrations as the attack on the Capitol was happening and her anger at Donald Trump in
the hours that followed. Walk us through this, Katelyn.
POLANTZ: Yes, some of the most compelling video that we had not seen before of then speaker Nancy Pelosi is her, in her car, leaving the Capitol
in the early hours of January 7 after the attack, after Joe Biden had finally secured Congress' stamp on him, becoming the next president.
And Pelosi is quite reflective. She's angry at Trump, she's saying she's very sick of what happened. She also had these comments to make about
Congress' own responsibility here as they were under attack and the building that she was presiding over fell during January 6 as rioters
encroached on the building. Here's a little bit more from that documentary footage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), FORMER U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: We have responsibility, Terri. We did not have any accountability for what was
going on there. And we should have. This is ridiculous.
Why weren't the National Guard there to begin with?
QUESTION: They thought that they had sufficient --
(CROSSTALK)
PELOSI: It's not question of how they -- they don't know. They clearly didn't know. And I take responsibility for not having them just prepare for
because it's stupid that we should be in a situation like this because they thought they had won.
They thought these people would act civilized, they thought these people gave a damn.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POLANTZ: So Pelosi's daughter, Alexandra Pelosi, had captured extensive footage of the former Speaker in these historic moments.
Some of that had made an HBO documentary previously. But this is a larger amount of footage that the U.S. House is now obtaining as they continue to
look into things and in attempts to look into the politics, too, behind how people responded to the attack.
SOLOMON: Yes. OK. Katelyn Polantz, live for us there. Katelyn, thank you.
And for the first time since her convention coronation, you can call it, Democrat Kamala Harris is back on U.S. presidential campaign trail. Harris
and her running mate, Tim Walz, are expected to kick off a bus tour later today in the battleground state of Georgia and hold a rally in Savannah on
Thursday.
Meanwhile, a source tells CNN that Georgia governor Brian Kemp, well, he will help raise money for Donald Trump at an event in Atlanta on Thursday.
Now until recently, Trump had criticized Kemp for refusing to support his claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him in Georgia.
Let's bring in CNN's Eva McKend.
[10:20:00]
She joins us now from Washington.
Eva, so much attention on Georgia now from both campaigns. Talk to us a little bit about the Harris-Walz bus tour kicking off today.
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, their strategy is to really lean into speaking to rural voters. So much time is often spent in
Metro Atlanta to the frustration of people that live in more rural pockets of the state.
I've been speaking to Democratic strategists and organizers. And they say that voters that live there, say, listen, candidates don't come here.
Well, they're speaking directly to those concerns and this is also a big test for Governor Walz, who has a rural background himself.
How does he play in this these communities?
Can he speak and relate to Black Georgians in rural America?
And can he do so in a way that he can be deployed solo, separate from the vice president, as they are trying to make the case and flip Georgia blue?
SOLOMON: OK.
We shall soon see, 70, 69 days left. Eva McKend, live for us there.
Eva, thank you.
And Georgia voters say that the economy and reproductive rights will be two of the biggest issues as they cast their ballots for president. CNN's Nick
Valencia spoke with residents of a critical bellwether county just north of Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA KING, GEORGIA DEMOCRATIC VOTER: You could see some on the stage were doing a little bit more --
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Demure?
KING: Yes.
VALENCIA (voice-over): For Veronica King, the DNC was everything.
KING: I'm texting, I'm like, oh, my gosh, like Lil Jon is coming down.
VALENCIA (voice-over): Sitting under it canopy of trees in Georgia's bellwether of Cobb County, King says she's most excited to see the
influence the DNC had on her 19-year-old son. In November, he'll vote for the first time.
[04:10:02]
VALENCIA: That makes you excited to see your young son excited.
KING: Yes, yes. And to see people his age want to actually vote and be engaged.
BROOKLYN WATSON, UNDECIDED GEORGIA VOTER: I don't -- I'm not necessarily thinking that it's supposed to be, you know, trendy.
VALENCIA (voice-over): But not every voter here shares that enthusiasm. Twenty- two-year-old Brooklyn Watson voted for Biden in 2020. And although
she is leaning Democrat this time around, she says she's still undecided.
WATSON: I don't think I'm looking necessarily for fun. Again, just something that is successfully going to help the economy and the community.
VALENCIA: The enthusiasm from the DNC didn't affect your decision and make you sort of grounded or solidify your vote for Harris?
WATSON: No, not necessarily solidified but intrigued, yes, to learn more still about her.
VALENCIA (voice-over): Looking at his checking account the last four years is enough for Charles Seamster to have already made up his mind. This
November, the Republican said he'll be voting for a better economy, something he thinks Harris cannot deliver.
CHARLES SEAMSTER, REPUBLICAN GEORGIA VOTER: The issues that she talks about now, that's, she's not proven. She's not proven. So you know, I don't
know if she's trusted.
VALENCIA: Do you think Trump is proven?
SEAMSTER: The economy was definitely proven when he was in office.
KATHY SLOUGH, MODERATE DEMOCRATIC GEORGIA VOTER: Her background is phenomenal coming in as a prosecutor and I think she is for everyone and in
particular the middle-class and we need diversity. VALENCIA (voice-over): Kathy Slough is the type of Georgia voter that both Harris and Trump are
trying to win over. A moderate Democrat, Slough's voted for Republicans in the past but not this time. She loved the messaging in tone from the vice
president at the DNC.
SLOUGH: As a human being and as an individual I think she's looking out for all of us no matter what background.
VALENCIA (voice-over): For the self-described centrist, Mike Wilkinson, the thought of Trump getting a second term is scary. It's also deeply
personal.
MIKE WILKINSON, MODERATE DEMOCRATIC GEORGIA VOTER: When the time came for me and my partner at the time to decide about an abortion or not, we chose
not to have an abortion. But that was hers and my choice. And there shouldn't be anybody in that room besides the patient and the doctor.
VALENCIA (voice-over): 2020 was decided by less than 12,000 votes. Now that Harris has voters attention here in the Peach State, can she count on
getting their votes, too?
VALENCIA: The two big issues on voters' minds here, the economy and a woman's right to choose.
It was interesting to see the mixed reaction among younger voters. I spoke to a group of 20-something-year-olds off camera, all of whom told me they
were undecided. But there was one who did tell me that she voted in 2020 for Joe Biden but plans on voting for Donald Trump in 2024 because of the
economy.
Another issue that voters are passionate about here, a woman's right to choose. And that's an issue that Vice President Harris could use to pick up
some votes in an election that is expected to be close here -- Nick Valencia, CNN, Marietta, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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SOLOMAN (voice-over): And a quick programming reminder, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will sit down with CNN's Dana Bash on Thursday for their first in-
depth, on the record interview with a journalist since President Biden dropped his bid for reelection.
You can watch their conversation here at 9:00 pm Eastern on Thursday. That's 9:00 am On Friday in Hong Kong. We will also publish video of their
interview on CNN's Digital platforms.
[10:25:00]
Well, coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD, more on Israel's raid in the West Bank. I'm going to speak with a former Israeli negotiator on the risk for
the region if there is no ceasefire in Gaza.
Plus Donald Trump suggests divine favor in a new interview. We're going to have details straight ahead.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back.
More now on our top story, an escalation. That's what a Palestinian official calls today's large-scale Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMAN (voice-over): Israel is carrying out operations in Tulkarem and Jenin, targeting what it calls terror infrastructure linked to Iran. Non-
Palestinians have been killed.
You can see in this video here, bulldozers moving in, Hamas calling for its fighters to mobilize in the West Bank. Violence there has been rising since
the war in Gaza began last October.
And this comes as ceasefire talks continue in Doha. And Daniel Levy, he knows about trying to get a peace process on track.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: He is a former negotiator for Israel and joins us now from London.
Daniel, thanks for the time today.
DANIEL LEVY, FORMER NEGOTIATOR FOR ISRAEL: Thank you. Rahel.
SOLOMON: First, if you could put the size and scale of this operation into perspective for our audience.
LEVY: What we are seeing and what we're being told is that this will be the largest and is beginning to ready to deploy itself as the largest
operation in the occupied West Bank in over two decades.
And if you put that in the context of what's already going on in Gaza and the region, it's something that is absolutely right to be focusing on,
since the huge Israeli military operation, the mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
It's not like things have been quiet in the way. Israel has conducted a number of military raids, 9,300-plus arrests of Palestinians in the West
Bank, hundreds killed. But this is being portrayed as an escalation to a new level, starting in the northern West Bank.
This is obviously going to make everything worse in terms of the anyway stuck, stalled ceasefire talks.
[10:30:00]
In terms of the already, anyway, simmering-near-boiling-point regional situation. And something that should really, I think, have alarm bells
ringing is a statement coming out of the Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz, where he has said one should expect what he has called the temporary
displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank.
Because what we saw in Gaza was that there was no safe zones and people were shunted from one place to another and temporary became permanent. And
that resonates with Palestinians because you're probably reporting on refugee camps, Palestinian refugee camps being a focus.
Just they happened in Gaza.
People may say, what do you mean?
What are these refugee, who are these refugees?
Well, that goes back to the history of the previous displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948. And that -- and there's a real
Palestinian and regional concern based on what Israeli government ministers have said is their goal, of removing and eradicating the Palestinians, that
that is what is not happening today necessarily.
But that is what one eye, at least, is on for the Israeli sides to repeat.
SOLOMON: And to that point, Daniel, because you just mentioned, I want to read further from that Israeli foreign minister's statement you just
mentioned about the operation.
He said, "We must address this threat just like we're handling the terror infrastructure in Gaza, including temporary evacuation of Palestinian
residents and any step necessary. This is a war just like any other war. And we must win it."
So Daniel, when you hear those comments, just sort of talk to me a little bit more about how you read between the lines there and what you're
watching.
LEVY: Well, first of -- first, I think visceral perhaps reaction, Rahel, is, have you learned nothing?
Sure, security is an issue. It's a real thing. They will use the narrative of terror.
Not -- there is no such thing as a military solution, as a war which ends the freedoms, rights, legitimate aspirations of a people being held under a
permanent illegal occupation and apartheid system.
And I use those terms -- and those are the terms that the highest court in the world, the International Court of Justice, has used just a few weeks
ago, that the entire occupation is illegal, that this is a violation of the convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination and
apartheid.
So there is no military solution (ph). What this tells me, unfortunately, is they haven't done that. They are set on escalating.
And the fear is what we saw in Gaza, not just in terms of the levels of destruction but also in terms of the failure of Israel's biggest backer,
the U.S., Israel's other allies to hold Israel to account, to create a disincentive for doing this, to, for instance, stop the flow of weapons
when they're being used in war crimes.
If we see the same in the West Bank -- and people have been talking about the extremist settlers. Sure, they're a problem but the issue is the state,
the state which supports those settlers, the state which is conducting these operations, including in hospitals.
And this does not end well.
Certainly not for the Palestinians, certainly not for regional stability. I would argue that it does not end well for Israelis, because there is no
path to their (INAUDIBLE) safety and security via further oppression, meaning the denial of Palestinian rights and killings (ph).
SOLOMON: That's just a really damning statement there. You know, all of this happening as these ceasefire negotiations continue in Doha today.
I want to point out an article you wrote, a piece you wrote for "The Guardian," where you talked about the talks look to be headed toward
collapse once again, despite the U.S.' efforts to put an optimistic spin on them. I mean Blinken has been there, I want to say, nine times since the
war began, October 7.
Do you see any path toward a deal right now?
And how are you viewing the U.S. election?
How is that factoring into what you're watching?
LEVY: So I think there's no nice way of saying this.
I think part of the optimistic spin, which is not grounded in reality, unfortunately, links to that point about the U.S. election. They want to be
able to turn to their own base, understandably and correctly, deeply disappointed, many of them in the administration's position on Gaza, on
what is being done.
They're not seeing any consistency in any U.S. support for international law. And they want to tell those, that base, hey, we're getting there.
We're close.
That is not where we are. Not in Gaza. And now things are expanding in the West Bank. And, yes, there is an element of failure on the part of Blinken
himself. He seems more to be negotiating between competing wings inside Israel rather than between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas party and
trying to mediate that.
[10:35:04]
But it's more -- it's deeper. It's more (INAUDIBLE). It's an unwilling to challenge Israel when Israel is in violation of international law and when
Israel is undermining ceasefire talks.
And many in Israel understand that. There is a huge amount of criticism of the way the U.S. is handling this because it is strengthening Netanyahu and
his extremists. That's not where you want to be when the region looks like this, when the devastation in Gaza and elsewhere now, in the West Bank,
when the Israelis are still being held in Gaza.
And when the region -- now they've successfully avoided an all-out regional war. What's going on in the West Bank is not going to help. It's going to
undermine, by the way, the PA, already deeply discredited.
And when you look, for instance, at what else borders the West, Jordan, this is going to have a further destabilizing effect there. So this is the
last place we should want to be right now.
But it is that very indulgence which has given Israel the green light to also undertake this kind of an additional escalation because Netanyahu, it
seems he doesn't necessarily want an all-out war, really does want an open- ended war because that serves his politics at home.
He's rebuilding his reputation by saying, I'm the wartime leader. And it serves the same ideology of the actual existing Zionist parties in his
coalition and beyond, who seem to think there's a zero-sum victory, if you can get rid of the Palestinians.
And that's never how this is going to end.
SOLOMON: Yes, Daniel, you lay out the various political implications, considerations and perhaps motivations quite well in "The Guardian" piece
this week. We so appreciate your time today as you bring that insight to us. Thank you.
LEVY: Thank you, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Let's get you up to speed now on some other stories that are on our radar right now. The Philippine Coast Guard has released a new video
showing a standoff between its vessels and Chinese warships in the South China Sea.
Philippine military officials say that China sent more than 49 vessels to an atoll that lies within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
They call that excessive force. China says that two of its ships were conducting a, quote, "humanitarian operation."
One month after Venezuela's disputed presidential election, the opposition is calling for a worldwide protests against the government of Nicolas
Maduro. Mr. Maduro has declared himself the winner of July's election. The opposition has rejected election officials' ruling that he won.
In Sudan, the death toll from flash flooding and a burst dam has skyrocketed to at least 30. The U.N. is warning that that number could rise
significantly as more victims are found. Floodwaters have displaced at least 30,000 families and destroyed thousands of homes in several
provinces.
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SOLOMON: In less than two weeks, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will go face-to-face in their first debate. The parties reaching an agreement on
debate rules, which largely mirror the ones used for CNN's debate back in June between Trump and Joe Biden: muted mics, no audience.
ABC's debate is slated for September 10th. Meanwhile, the former president sat down on Tuesday with U.S. talk show host, Dr. Phil, where he touted,
the Lord Almighty himself is on his side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I look at California. I gave a speech. I had so -- I had a crowd so big, I said there's no way I could
lose California. But automatically they mark it down, if you're Republican, as a loss, that you lose by 5 million votes.
I said, 5 million votes? I guarantee if Jesus came down and was the vote counter, I would win California. OK?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: CNN's Mark Preston joins us now from Washington.
Mark, this isn't the first time we've heard Trump use Christianity and religious figures in his political speech.
What do you make of what we just heard from Trump in that interview?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, Rahel, but let me tell you, several years ago, I was at an event with president Trump -- well, at the
time, he was candidate Trump and he was talking about John McCain.
And our viewers may remember where he said, you know, that John McCain wasn't a hero because he had been captured as a POW.
But during that same event, he had also -- was asked about his relationship with God. And he had told this group -- now, mind you, they were about 500
or 600 Iowa Christian activists at this group several years ago.
He was asked, would he ever ask forgiveness of God?
And he said, no.
And that just struck me that he would say that in front of this audience. Now, we see him invoking Jesus Christ right there, saying that, gosh, if
Jesus Christ had come down and counted votes, he'd be president. We're seeing this more and more from Donald Trump.
[10:40:00]
And we are seeing a certain segment of the born again Christian community, which is latching onto Trump to the point, too, were held where they're
also suggesting that, in some ways, he may become like the Second Coming or I guess the third coming of Jesus Christ.
So here, as we head into these final months, these final days of this election cycle, we are certainly seeing Donald Trump make a play for that
Christian vote.
SOLOMON: It does continue to be, Mark, an election cycle worth watching. One for the history books, it just continues to sort of surprise.
Let me ask on this renewed Jack Smith indictment, how much of that do you think is baked in?
Voters, they know the story, they know the allegations, they know the charges.
And how much of this do you think actually changes the race or impacts the race?
PRESTON: I don't think it changes or impacts the race necessarily. To your point, the American people, I believe, have basically made up whether or
not they're going to support Donald Trump or oppose Trump in the election.
However, that new indictment, the superseding indictment is important, because if Jack Smith didn't do that, the case would just go away and there
would be no accountability for what we saw on January 6th. And of course, the action before and after that.
So this is something that we -- we certainly won't see any courtroom drama before the election. This is something that's going to go into -- this
court case is going to go into 2005 (sic), might even go into 10 -- 2025, maybe 2026.
So politically it doesn't play; however, for the long term, very important.
SOLOMON: Politically not so much; legally you just -- we'll see. Mark Preston, in a few years. Thank you. Good to see you.
All right. Still to come for us, overwhelmed and burnt out, the stress of being a parent is now considered a public health issue in the U.S. We're
going to have the details straight ahead.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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SOLOMON: Welcome back.
It has been seven years since a military crackdown on Myanmar's Rohingya is seen by much of the world as attempted genocide. Hundreds of thousands of
people fled to neighboring Bangladesh in 2017, trying to escape the violence.
But now the minority community is facing renewed fears of ethnic cleansing. New reports more than a rebel group has been mounting another violent
crackdown. CNN's Anna Coren has more now from Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, where nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees are living in deplorable
conditions.
A warning though: her story does contain graphic video.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From a hut made of bamboo and tarpaulins sits a woman's insufferable pain. Across her lap
lays her 4-year-old daughter.
As she pulls at her mother's headscarf, 22-year-old Hamida (ph) recounts the trauma she says she endured only weeks ago.
"I have no idea how many soldiers entered my home.
[10:45:00]
"But they beat me, held me down and raped me. I kept screaming and my husband ran in. They tied him up and made him watch as more soldiers raped
me. Then one of them slit his throat with a big sharp knife."
But the horror was just beginning, as hundreds of her fellow Rohingya in Rakhine state, Western Myanmar, were massacred.
"Oh, my father; oh, my brother. Why are there so many dead bodies?" cries the man filming.
Myanmar's military junta and the rebel Arakan Army have been waging a bloody battle in Rakhine state as part of the country's ongoing civil war.
And while the Rohingya, a Muslim minority denied citizenship in a Buddhist majority country, have been caught in the crossfire, what's been unfolding
bears all the hallmarks of an even darker turn.
Back in 2017, the Rohingya were targeted in what U.N. experts labeled genocide. More than 10,000 were killed, while over 700,000 fled into
neighboring Bangladesh. The military carried out those atrocities but this time survivors say the ethnic Arakan Army is to blame for the targeted
attacks against civilians, a claim its leadership denies.
MUJIBUR RAHMAN, ROHINGYA MASSACRE SURVIVOR (through translator): The Arakan Army were killing everyone they could find. They startled my wife,
children and my elderly mother. I heard their screams before they were beheaded. I have no one left.
COREN (voice-over): As thousands of Rohingya fled the township of Maungdaw (ph) to the Naf River, the border to Bangladesh, eyewitnesses say the 5th
of August was one of the deadliest attacks.
ABDUL BASHAR, ROHINGYA MASSACRE SURVIVOR (through translator): When we reached the border fence, we saw a large bomb fall on a group of people,
killing many, including my son, sister and her baby. There were so many bombs falling, so many dead bodies. It felt like the end of the world.
COREN (voice-over): Witnesses say more than 200 people were killed on the riverbank that day. This woman, in total shock, sits among the dead.
The U.N. human rights chief has condemned the attacks, claiming that, despite the world saying, "never again," he fears we are witnessing a
repeat of the atrocities seven years ago.
The only way for these people to get to Bangladesh is to beg or pay a broker hundreds of for safe passage. But crossing the three- kilometer
stretch of water on a fishing boat isn't without risk.
Multiple drownings have occurred in recent weeks, while Bangladesh's border security tries to prevent more Rohingya from coming in.
With reports a boat is arriving, we head to the shore, a full moon lighting up the water.
The Coast Guard appears. The location is scrapped. But the sounds of what the Rohingya are continuing to flee can be heard in those predawn hours.
COREN: For the past few weeks, boat after boat filled with Rohingya have made the dangerous journey across the Naf River. It's a risk they're
willing to take to escape the atrocities in Myanmar.
But here in Bangladesh, if they're caught, they'll be sent back to where they fled from, confirming their status as the world's most unwanted
people.
COREN (voice-over): If successful in evading authorities, this is where they end up: Cox's Bazar, the site of the world's largest refugee camp,
home to around 1 million Rohingya.
It has become a sanctuary for a persecuted people but these huts in the mud are not permanent homes.
Bangladesh's new interim chief, Muhammad Yunus, has promised to continue supporting the Rohingya in his country but has appealed for the fighting to
end so they can return to their homeland with safety and dignity.
For these four children, there is no going back. Their parents were killed in front of them and if it wasn't for their grandmother, who grabbed the 6-
month-old baby from his dead mother's arms, guiding them to safety, she says they all would have died.
"Thank God," she cries. "Sadness will not go from our lives."
[10:50:00]
-- Anna Coren, CNN, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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SOLOMON: Well, if you have children, you already know, being a parent can be stressful. So much so, in fact, that parental stress is now being
declared a public health issue. A new advisory by the U.S. surgeon general warns that parents are being pushed to the brink and it calls for programs
that give them more support.
Let's bring in CNN's health reporter Jacqueline Howard, who joins us now with more.
Jacqueline, I'm sure many parents watching this firsthand are probably stressed. It probably comes as no surprise to them.
But how big of an issue is this?
And what does the surgeon general have to say?
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Rahel, so many parents are going to relate to this. And as for how big of an issue
this is, according to the surgeon general's office, about 33 percent of parents have reported that they felt high levels of stress in the past
month -- 33 percent.
That's in comparison with about 20 percent of other adults, who say they've experienced high levels of stress in the past month. And among parents,
almost half say that level of stress has been overwhelming.
And that's what the surgeon general is really focusing on here. His office just released this video of him, talking about this. Here's U.S. surgeon
general, Dr. Vivek Murthy. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
DR. VIVEK MURTHY, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL (voice-over): Parents and caregivers in America are under pressure. As a father of two kids, I feel
this pressure too. Raising children has always been a rewarding but stressful (INAUDIBLE).
There are the usual difficulties of parenting: dealing with financial concerns, worrying about our kids' health and safety and getting through
the teenage years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD: And Rahel, Dr. Murthy was talking as a parent himself. Along with the traditional stressors of parenting, he also went on to say that we are
currently in a youth mental health crisis.
We're also dealing with the stress of social media. We also have a loneliness epidemic. So there are so many factors in today's society adding
to parental stress.
SOLOMON: Yes, absolutely. Yes, I thought it was really cute. I think that was him and his kids, there trick or treating on Halloween.
So Jacqueline, what does he say in this advisory for parents to do as they try to address all of this stress?
HOWARD: Right.
Well, he did put forth recommendations for policy, recommendations for a shift in cultural norms. He said, here in the United States, he called for
a national medical and parental paid leave program.
He said that we need to screen parents and caregivers for mental health conditions. He also said that we need more research looking at parental
stress.
And then in our everyday lives, parents can also focus on their own mental health and really taking time to focus on self-care. So he really addresses
this at the policy level, the cultural norms level and then at the personal level as well, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yes, it's been really interesting to see him address, as you pointed out, some pretty big societal issues -- loneliness, technology,
social media, digital screen time. I mean, it's -- what a time to be alive but there is a lot of change happening.
Jacqueline Howard, thank you.
And before we go, it's time for our "Parting Shots."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED SHEERAN, GRAMMY-WINNING SINGER: He's been on stage, playing with us for the whole time, playing inside. We make some noise for Chris Hemsworth.
(APPLAUSE)
[10:55:00]
Well, he'll be grateful (ph). So basically what's happening is Chris emailed me last December, saying he is doing a documentary on cognitive
health and the benefits of learning an instrument. He came to visit me and he has learned drums and he is coming on stage in front of 70,000.
CHRIS HEMSWORTH, ACTOR: Yes. I've been thinking about it a lot. And it will be nice to put this one to bed.
SOLOMAN (voice-over): Pretty cool. (INAUDIBLE) there. Will be star (ph) learning to play draws for the upcoming season of his show, "Limitless with
Chris Hemsworth." His guest appearance with Ed Sheeran coming as a surprise to the nearly 70,000 fans gathered there.
I only heard the gnats (ph) there, the sort of the underaudio. But he sounded pretty good. I don't know.
All right, that's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. I'll be right back with "NEWSROOM" after this short break.
END
