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CNN International: Netanyahu: Whoever Murders Hostages Doesn't Want a Deal; He was One of Six Hostages Found Dead in Gaza Killed by Hamas; Family Members of Hostages Tell Netanyahu: Reach Deal Now; Funeral for Salin Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin; Pontiff to Visit Asia in Longest Trip of his Papacy. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired September 02, 2024 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this is the scene in Jerusalem, where we are seeing immense outpouring of grief. Mourners have

gathered for the funeral of 23-year-old Israeli American Hersh Goldberg- Polin. Goldberg-Polin's body was recovered in Gaza after being held for almost 200 days. Israel's president is a cut talk. Will be delivering the

eulogy. It's 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson, this is "Connect the World".

And we get right to our top story this evening, as I say, a day filled with grief and outrage in Israel the funeral for the Israeli American Hersh

Goldberg-Polin happening this hour. He was one of six hostages murdered by Hamas and found by Israeli forces in a Gaza tunnel over the weekend. His

parents among the most outspoken of the hostage families in calling for a deal to get their loved ones' home.

Israeli officials tell CNN Goldberg-Polin, who had an arm partially blown off by a grenade during the October 7th massacre, was one of three hostages

killed who were expected to be released in the first phase of a ceasefire hostage release deal. Well, their deaths sparking a general strike in

Israel and huge protests in the streets with intense anger directed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Well, the protesters blame the prime minister for refusing to accept the U.S. proposed deal that has been the subject of intense negotiations for

months now. Israel's largest trade union said it would now respect a court order to end what's been this strike early.

And while all of this is happening, the mass vaccination program against polio is underway in Gaza. The World Health Organization says vaccines

reached 87,000 children on Sunday on what is the first day of temporary pauses in fighting. Salma Abdelaziz, connecting us from London this hour.

And Salma as we consider these pictures from Jerusalem happening now, just explain what we are seeing on the ground today?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More outpouring of anger, grief, frustration, not just on the streets of Tel Aviv, but really all across

Israel. You have simultaneous events taking place here, simultaneous movements. You have, of course, the funeral in Jerusalem for Hersh

Goldberg-Polin.

Those images will absolutely be dramatic and intense as the family mourns the loss of their son. You also have demonstrations taking place across the

country in a nationwide strike that was called by its largest labor union. A court has ordered that strike to end.

The labor unions have said they will abide by that but regardless, I think the message has come through of that anger, that dissent against Prime

Minister Netanyahu, who these protesters believe simply has not done enough to secure a deal that would see hostages come home.

And I think it's the details of what took place with these six killed hostages over the weekend that really have fueled the anger. It's the fact

that Israeli forces were just a short distance away, just hours away from reaching these six hostages when they were shot at close range according to

Israeli officials.

It's the detail that Hersh Goldberg-Polin's parents were just standing at the DNC a couple of weeks ago saying, bring them home, that has been very

poignant to these protesters. And it is time that is of the essence here, absolutely, because you have over 100 hostages still in Gaza, dozens of

them believed to be alive.

And for those protesters that you see on those streets, they believe that securing a deal, securing a ceasefire, is the best way forward to bring

those hostages home alive. The problem is, Prime Minister Netanyahu's government, the most far right government in Israel's history, does not

want this deal.

In fact, some of his ministers have even said they would resign if he took a deal, a ceasefire deal of any kind. So, an absolute gridlock here Becky

government at loggerheads with the streets. I don't know how it breaks.

ANDERSON: And these images coming to us live from Jerusalem. And the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog set to give a eulogy at the funeral of the

American Israeli hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Large crowds have been congregating throughout the afternoon outside the cemetery where he will be

laid to rest.

[09:05:00]

Before I bring into this conversation, Former Media Adviser and Chief of Staff for Prime Minister Netanyahu, Aviv Bushinsky. I just want our viewers

to hear from Netanyahu on what happened at the weekend and on the possibility of any deal going forward. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal. For our part, we will not relent. The Government of Israel

is committed, and I am personally committed, to continue striving towards a deal that will return all of our hostages and ensure our security and our

existence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Aviv, your response to that message and the pictures we are seeing of the funeral.

AVIV BUSHINSKY, FORMER MEDIA ADVISER & CHIEF OF STAFF FOR BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: First of all, it's the biggest demonstration that we had since

the demonstration regarding the judicial reform more than a year ago. This was a big one, and the question is, would it last long, and how many people

will turn out to the streets and demonstrate?

The main issue in Israel that people are concerned is, as you mentioned, Becky, does Netanyahu do enough in order to facilitate the deal or not. It

seems that many people are kind of in a loophole that the deals are not clear. My assumption is that Netanyahu will stick to his approach. In other

words, maintaining the army pressure on the Hamas in Gaza, hoping to reach a better deal.

And if one of the sides other Sinwar will bend down, or the American administration, who's helping us in mediating and facilitating a deal, will

say, as they say now in the Israeli media, the American will say, enough is enough, take it to leave it. And once, they'll issue some kind of a draft

saying, take it to leave it where people in Israel will know what are the terms of the deal.

Because at the moment, the notion is that Netanyahu is putting all kinds of artificial obstacles on the deal, especially the issue regarding the

Philadelphi Corridor. Is this an artificial element that Netanyahu just added, or there are other elements into it, perhaps Sinwar is not ripened

enough, or does not adhere to the deal that is being contemplating.

So, I think that the next one or two weeks will know better what's going on, and this will determine Netanyahu's future and our tragic humanitarian

crisis that we are suffering almost a year since October 7th.

ANDERSON: Yeah. You know him better than most. What do you make of his reaction so far? And what would you advise him to do at this point?

BUSHINSKY: The main problem is if I would have been his advisor, not that I'm inclining to be enough is enough for me, but is to deliver the message

to the Israeli people, because people don't know what is really going on. Most people in Israel thinks that Netanyahu is manipulating and putting all

kinds of tricks.

We don't exactly. We don't know exactly what is the Hamas conditions? Do they demand that the Israeli forces to evacuate Gaza as part of the deal?

How many hostages will be released, at least in the first phase? And the third question is, will be a ceasefire or stop the war? These questions are

kind of hanging in the wars in the air.

So, I think that Netanyahu is failing to deliver the message to the Israeli public, and that's why you see this demonstration. Even the extremists

blame Netanyahu for the fact that the six hostages were murdered by the Hamas in Gaza, saying it's your fault, Mr. Netanyahu.

I think that Netanyahu will stick to his approach, in other words, being tough, and if I may, move a little bit to politics, Netanyahu knows that if

he wants to continue and be Prime Minister for 100 more years since the 90s, he needs to show that he is, as he claims, Mr. Security in other

words, restore the security.

Tell the Israeli people, I'm the one who can guarantee your security, and I'm not risking the life of the Israelis in the future for a deal that will

not be a sustainable deal and will not achieve much, because the next scale of violence is knocking on the door. You can see what's going on in

Lebanon. You can see what's going on in the -- and even in the West Bank.

ANDERSON: Yeah. And we are looking at images from the funeral for Hersh Goldberg-Polin in Jerusalem at the same time, of course, and what you might

describe as a sort of split screen moment from Jerusalem today, hundreds of thousands on the streets in a day of strikes today.

[09:10:00]

And Salma, these two images really extremely important from Jerusalem this Monday?

ABDELAZIZ: Absolutely Becky. And I think for these demonstrators, they feel a sense of power in taking to the streets and being able to hold Prime

Minister Netanyahu's feet to the fire. There is a sense on these streets that the government needs to do better, and must do better to bring those

hostages' home.

Again, a reminder over 100 hostages still believed held in Gaza, dozens of them still alive. And again, for these families, these details of the six

people killed, the six hostages killed when those three of those six should have been released if a deal had been agreed by Prime Minister Netanyahu

that makes those people on the streets fear that there are more body bags coming if a deal is not secured.

So, the pressure is going to continue to come from the streets. The pressure is also going to come from the White House. President Biden Kamala

Harris will be sitting down with mediators this hour as well, so that pressure from the White House will continue as well.

Will Prime Minister Netanyahu crack? Will he break? Well, he has a coalition government with him behind him that doesn't want this deal, and

he will continue to have to balance that. The one voice that came out of Sunday's Cabinet meeting for the deal was Yoav Gallant, the Defense

Minister.

So, there are -- there is increasing pressure from the military as well with Prime Minister Netanyahu. But still no signs that he's going to break.

You played that sound bite from him. He is steadfast, and he continues to lay the blame at Hamas' feet, saying it is them, not me, who are failing at

this deal.

ANDERSON: As we await Isaac Herzog, the Israeli President, who will deliver the eulogy at Hersh Goldberg-Polin's funeral today. And as we consider the

pictures of the hundreds of thousands on the streets of not just Tel Aviv, but other cities around Israel today.

I just want our viewers to hear from Hersh's parents. They were invited to speak at the Democratic National Convention last week, or a week or so ago.

Salma was just rightly suggested that as we speak this hour, both President Biden and Kamala Harris will be meeting at the White House to discuss what

happens next with regard the ceasefire and hostage deal. Have a listen to what the parents of Hersh said to the audience gathered in Chicago just a

week or so ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL GOLDBERG-POLIN, MOTHER OF HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: Among the hostages are eight American citizens. One of those Americans is our only son. His

name is Hersh.

JON POLIN, FATHER OF HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: This is a political convention, but needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages' home is not a

political issue. It is a humanitarian issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: But of course, Aviv, the Israeli Prime Minister, has made this a political issue.

BUSHINSKY: I think that, if I may say, both sides have made it a political issue. The fact is that some of the people who joined the demonstrations

are tainted politically. In other words, they don't BB, per se, it doesn't -- it has nothing to do necessarily, with the war. It's another reason why

you should talk on Netanyahu.

Most people in Israel think that Netanyahu is to be blamed for October 7th, at least it happened under his shift. And most people in Israel think that

it's a high time to have an election. But on the other hand, Netanyahu says look, it's an outside world, the ones who killed and murdered the six

Israelis that were kidnapped is the Hamas.

The world condemned the Hamas, and by the fact that you are conducting those demonstrations in Israel, it fuels the Hamas because they see what

the eruptions in Israel due to the fact that they just slaughtered or killed those hostages.

I think that Netanyahu point is he says, I want to start a new era, in other words, without the Hamas militant organization, and to restore

security. I think that he's walking on a very dangerous floor, because it is under the expense of at least some of the hostages.

And the question, I think these things will be clear once we'll know exactly what is the deal on the table, and who says yes, who says no?

ANDERSON: Right.

BUSHINSKY: And I think that it will happen within a week or two, because a year since October 7th, it's too much, even for the ones who don't live in

Israel.

[09:15:00]

ANDERSON: Aviv, Salma, thank you for the time being.

BUSHINSKY: Thank you.

ANDERSON: We've just seen Hersh Goldberg-Polin's father embracing the Israeli President, who is set to deliver the eulogy at their son's funeral

today. And more on that as we move through the next couple of hours. U.S., President Biden, Vice President Harris, are scheduled to meet this hour, as

we've been reporting in the White House Situation Room, along with the U.S. team involved in the hostage negotiations following the killing of the six

hostages.

CNN's Kylie Atwood joining us now from Washington. And Kylie, Senior U.S. Official telling CNN that the hostage deaths call into question how serious

Hamas is about reaching a deal. What more can you tell us about the response from the Biden Administration so far?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, well, listen, that senior official also said effectively that what happened over the weekend,

this awful, devastating killing of these six hostages puts more pressure on Hamas, but also on Israel and specifically named Prime Minister Netanyahu

personally to come to a deal here.

We have heard time and time again that there is more urgency surrounding these efforts to try and release the remaining hostages held by Hamas, 101

of them, 68 of them believed to be alive. But this moment in time does feel slightly different given what happened over the weekend, given also that

when you talk to U.S. officials, they say that there were discussions underway.

They feel that they were very close. And one of the complicating factors that they will face this week is the fact that we're told that some of the

people that were killed over the weekend, these hostages, were actually part of a final package that the United States was putting together with

Qatar and Egypt to propose, of course, to Israel and Hamas to try and come to some sort of deal here.

Now the word final is key there, because it demonstrates that the Biden Administration feels like the time must be here and now for a deal that

they're sort of running out of, you know, time to continue putting into this. So, we'll have to watch and see how they revise what they were

planning to put into that final package.

We should note that also over the weekend, President Biden said that Hamas is going to have to pay for the deaths of these hostages. So that is

another factor here. Of course, they need to work with Hamas. They need Hamas to agree to a deal. But simultaneously, there are understandably

frustrations, a lot of anger, surrounding the fact that all six of these hostages were killed over the weekend.

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Kylie, thank you very much indeed. And just to keep you up to date on what is going on in Jerusalem as we speak, Isaac

Herzog the President of Israel now delivering the eulogy at the funeral of one of those hostages murdered at the weekend, Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

We are going to take a very short break at this point. I do want to get you some other news. Scenes of destruction in Ukraine, after a series of major

new strikes by Russia. We're going to have the very latest from Kyiv for you up, after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:20:00]

ANDERSON: Let's return to our top story this hour, a funeral service taking place for Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of six hostages whose

bodies were recovered from Gaza this weekend, the deaths have renewed a sense of outrage in Israel. You are looking at pictures here of Isaac

Herzog, who is the President of Israel, delivering a eulogy at the funerals of Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

There have been protests in Tel Aviv where several people were arrested, demonstrations coinciding with several hours of strike action affecting

everything from flights to schools and hospitals. Israel's main trade union organization is now calling for people to return to work.

Well, Abbey Onn had five family members abducted by Hamas on October the seventh. And she joins me now from Tel Aviv, and we have seen two very

resonant images today, that of Hersh Goldberg-Polin's funeral and those who have gathered there to mourn his murder.

And hundreds of thousands on the streets of Tel Aviv calling for a ceasefire and hostage deal and putting the Prime Minister of Israel sort of

squarely in the crosshairs here. They want to see a deal. Just give me your sense today of how you feel as you see these images.

ABBEY ONN, FIVE FAMILY MEMBERS ABDUCTED BY HAMAS BY OCT. 7: I am heartbroken to know that Hersh's funeral is happening while we speak. I

really, in my mind, saw that Hersh and Rachel and Jon and his sisters would be reunited. And I think the whole country is heartbroken, more so than we

have been up until this point.

And what Israel does well is unite in moments of pain and trauma, and that's what you saw here last night. You saw half a million people take to

the street in protest. It was majority of peaceful protests. They sang Hatikvah, which is our national anthem. It's for hope, because we still

believe that a deal is possible to bring home the 101 hostages that are still being held by Hamas.

But I would say that it is among the lowest of moods that I have felt in the last 332 days.

ANDERSON: And remind us just of those in your family who you've lost and you --

ONN: Of course.

ANDERSON: Still hope to find.

ONN: Carmella Dan and her 13-year-old granddaughter were murdered on their kibbutz on October 7th in Saharan areas. Two of her other grandchildren,

and their father Ofer were taken hostage into Gaza. There was a video of eras, so we knew on October 8th that he was a hostage.

And in November, there was a deal that brought home more than 100 hostages. And in nine months, we have only seen eight hostages rescued, which is why

half a million people took to the streets last night to demand that we make another deal, that we bring people home while they're alive.

So that we don't have to see more people executed and cold blood, people that were on a list to come back, people that should have been reunited

with their families while they were alive and not buried.

ANDERSON: What do you think it will take to pressure this government, and very specifically, the Israeli Prime Minister, to change course at this

point? And do you subscribe to the view held by many that Benjamin Netanyahu is preventing this ceasefire and hostage deal from being agreed

upon.

ONN: I think it would be disingenuous to say that I feel like Netanyahu hasn't stood in the way of a deal.

[09:25:00]

He is the leader of this country and his role right now is beyond complex, but I do believe he has the power to make this deal. I believe that the

people who sit at that table, whether it be the United States, Qatar, Egypt, you name it, have the power to be bigger and better leaders than

they have been up until this point.

And I think it is going to be that partnership and that pressure from all of the players on Hamas. At the end of the day, it is Hamas. It is a

terrorist organization that stole people, that murdered them, that brutalized them, and that two days ago, executed six living hostages after

330 days.

So, I think we need to continue to put pressure. We need to continue to tell their story. We need to continue to hope, even in these darkest of

days.

ANDERSON: You rightly point out it's been more than 300 days, and at points during that time, we have reported on the sense that this must be an

inflection point, an inflection point, both for Israelis and indeed for Palestinians. The humanitarian situation, of course, there has been

catastrophic the loss of life absolutely, almost inconceivable, if we didn't know it to be true. Very briefly, do you believe that this is an

inflection point?

ONN: I have to believe this is, I have to believe this is going to be what brings change the pain and the trauma and the impact of this war, both for

us in Israel and for the people who are suffering in Gaza, has to come to an end. And I have maintained since October 8. The way to do that is to

bring the hostages' home.

There are innocent people being held against their will, without food and water and light and air. Bring them home, and this will end, the suffering

will end.

ANDERSON: With that we'll leave it there. We thank you very much indeed for joining us.

ONN: Thank you.

ANDERSON: And for sharing your story and your experience.

ONN: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Right, we will get back to Israel and indeed, to what is going on in Gaza in a few minutes time. Before we do that, I do want to connect you

to Ukraine this hour, which has been hit by a new barrage of strikes with missile and drones. Right as children returned to school, at least four

people have been reported injured.

And it comes as Ukraine, in turn, launched one of its biggest ever drone attacks on Russia. Fred Pleitgen is in Kyiv, and he joins us from there.

Fred, what do we know about these attacks by Russia across Ukraine today?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they were really strong attacks that we also felt here in the capital of Kyiv, and

they were across Ukraine. They hit Kharkiv, but Kyiv was really the main target. That's something that the Ukrainian Air Force told us very

specifically.

And I would say it was shortly before 05:00 a.m. local time that we heard the air raid sirens go off for the first time. And it was only a few

minutes later that then the air defense systems here in Kyiv, around the Ukrainian capital started working very intensely. And the Ukrainians say

that this was a barrage and a mix of cruise missiles and of ballistic missiles that the Russians fired towards the Ukrainian capital.

The cruise missiles taking on all sorts of different courses before finally heading here towards Kyiv and then striking almost simultaneously with

those ballistic missiles. The Ukrainians are saying, on the bright side, they managed to take down almost all of the ballistic missiles, and

actually all of the cruise missiles.

But however, some of the missiles did, in fact, hit their targets in the end, one of the things that you just mentioned is that were injured in this

attack, also in Kharkiv, of course, also hit by missiles as well, Becky.

ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen is in Kyiv. Fred, thank you. We get you back to Jerusalem and to the cemetery where the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin is

taking place. This is his father. Let's listen in.

POLIN: -- that your death, the deaths of all the soldiers and so many innocent civilians, are not mishap, not in vain. Your starting point would

be returning all of the hostages for 330 days, mama and I sought the proverbial stone that we could turn over to save you. Maybe, just maybe,

your death is the stone, the fuel it will bring home the remaining 101 hostages.

-- you're a dreamer. An expansive thinker. So, you would keep on pushing for a rethinking of this region. You would say, you have said that we must

take a chance on a path with potential to end the ongoing cycles of violence.

[09:30:00]

You would ignore people's public posturing and what people say press conferences. And you would push every decision maker to truly look

themselves in the mirror and to ask themselves selflessly every single day, will the decisions I make today lead to a better future for all of us?

And you would tell any decision maker who cannot answer that question with an emphatic yes to step aside. A Polin cousin reminded me that one of the

several explanations for the name Polin is rooted in the words -- a worker for salvation, not in the proselytizing sense, but in the general sense.

This was my uncle -- explanation for why my grandfather was a pharmacist, my uncle was a rabbi, and my father was a doctor. All healing professions.

Hersh, you were a -- before October 7, you always sought ways to make the world around you better. Since October 7, you have become a global symbol

for bringing improvement to our world.

This morning, I saw a clip of a vigil that took place in New York last night. How appropriate that the crowd was singing -- you and I will change

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

guy. I love you.

ANDERSON: All right, she's been listening to Hersh Goldberg-Polin's father speaking at the funeral of his son, murdered in Gaza over the weekend, one

of six hostages who were murdered. And this is his mother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOLDBERG: -- my sweet boy, Hersh. And one thing I keep thinking about is how, out of all of the mothers in the whole entire world, God chose to give

Hersh to me. What must I have done in a past life to deserve such a beautiful gift? It must have been glorious.

Hersh and I once watched some documentaries a couple years ago together about young people who had died. And he commented, how come everyone who

dies young is always said to be the funniest, the smartest, the greatest, the handsomest. Why doesn't anyone ever say I liked max?

But you know what? He was pretty stupid, and his sense of humor was off, and he had bad breath. I am honest, and I say it's not that Hersh was

perfect, but he was the perfect son for me, and I am so grateful to God, and I want to do -- and thank God, right now, in front of all of you for

giving me this magnificent present of my Hersh.

For 23 years, I was privileged to have the most stunning honor to be Hersh's mama. I'll take it and say thank you. I just wish it had been for

longer. Hersch, for all these months, I have been in such torment and worry about you for every single millisecond of every single day, it was such a

specific type of misery that I have never experienced before.

I tried hard to suppress the missing, you part, because that I was convinced would break me. So, I spent 330 days terrified, scared, worrying

and frightened. It closed my throat and made my soul throb with third degree burns. Part of what is so deeply crushing and confusing for all of

us is that a strange thing happened along this macabre path upon which our family found itself traveling for the last 332 days.

Amidst the inexplicable agony, terror, anguish, desperation and fear, we became absolutely certain that you were coming home to us alive, but it was

not to be. Now I no longer have to worry about you.

[09:35:00]

I know you are no longer in danger. You are with beautiful honor. He will show you around. You will hopefully meet my grandparents, who will adore

you, and you will start to play chess with Papa Stan. But now my worry shifts to us, dada, Leebie, Orly and me, how do we live the rest of our

life without you?

I pray that your death will be a turning point in this horrible situation in which we are all entangled. I take such comfort knowing you were with

Carmel, Ori, Eden, Almog and Alex, from what I have been told, they each were delightful in very different ways. And I think that is how the six of

you managed to stay alive in unimaginable circumstances for so very long.

You, each and every single one of you did every single thing right to survive 329 days in what I'm pretty sure can only be described as hell. I

send each of the families my deepest sympathies for what we are all going through and for the sickening feeling that we all could not save them.

I think we all did every single thing we could. The hope that perhaps a deal was near was so authentic, it was crunchy, it tasted close, but it was

not to be so. Those beautiful six survived together, and those beautiful six died together, and now they will be remembered together forever.

Hersh, like most parents, dada and I would often talk about who you would become, what you would be like when you grew up, what you would do, what

you would look like, what kind of parent you would be, but now you will forever be our beautiful boy. You will stay the energetic, kind, patient,

curious, funny, irreverent, pensive, forever handsome, forever young, forever my sweet boy, you squeezed into your young life, a lot of

experience.

A lot of experiences, and that gives me relief and comfort. You made true, deep friendships. You traveled each summer and started to explore the

world. You worked, you learned, you read, you taught, you served, you listened, you even fell in love and had a true, deep relationship for more

than two years, and you shared the excitement of that new experience with us.

You charmed everyone you ever talked to, young or old. You promoted justice and peace in a way that only a young, pure, wide-eyed idealist can. You

never raise your voice to me in your life, you treated me respectfully always even when you chose a different path, when you wrote to us from the

bomb shelter, you had just seen honor get killed.

You had lost your arm, and you thought you were dying, and you wrote to us I'm sorry, because you knew how crushing it would be for us to lose you.

So, you fought to stay alive, and now you are gone. At this time, I ask your forgiveness, if ever I was impatient or insensitive to you during your

life or neglected you in some way, I deeply and sincerely request your forgiveness, Hersh.

If there was something we could have done to save you and we didn't think of it, I beg your forgiveness. We tried so very hard, so deeply and

desperately. I'm sorry. Now my Hersh, I ask for your help as we transform our hope into grief and this new, unknown brand of pain, I beg of you,

Hersh, please do what you can to have your light shine down on me.

Dada, Leebie and Orly help shower us with healing and resilience, help us to rise again. I know it will take a long time, but please, may God bless

us that one day, one fine day, dada, Leebie, Orly and I will hear laughter, and we'll turn around and see it's us and that we're OK, you will always be

with us as a force of love and --

ANDERSON: Rachel Goldberg-Polin speaking at her son's funeral in Jerusalem. We're going to take a very short break, back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

ANDERSON: Well, let me get you some other news headlines. Today, Pope Francis will depart for Asia just a couple of hours from now. He will spend

12 days traveling across Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, making this the longest trip yet for the 87-year-old pontiff.

CNN's Christopher Lamb has the details from Rome.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Pope Francis is embarking on the longest foreign trip of his pontificate. He's going to four countries

across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, covering almost 33,000 kilometers. It's the longest trip that any Pope has embarked upon. Francis will be

going to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

Now, top of the agenda of this trip is interfaith dialog. Francis will be in Indonesia, which is a country which has the world's largest Muslim

population. He'll be taking part in an interfaith dialog event at the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. It's a mosque that

is connected via a tunnel to the Catholic Cathedral across the road.

It is an embodiment of the vision that Francis has for Catholic-Muslim relations, the importance of coexistence and friendship. And he will be

hoping that this message of dialog between faiths can resonate across the world at a time of growing conflicts and rising religious extremism.

Now, Francis will also have the opportunity to support the Catholic communities in these Southeast Asian and Pacific countries. Countries that

are increasingly playing an important role in global Catholicism. Now the Pope, of course, is 87 years old. He uses a wheelchair. He's had some

health difficulties.

Some are asking whether he will be able to carry out this trip at all. Nevertheless, Francis has shown he is determined to embark upon this trip,

the longest of his pontificate. And he's showing people, those critics who perhaps are doubting whether he has still got the energy left to be pope,

that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Christopher Lamb CNN, Rome.

ANDERSON: And that is it for this hour of "Connect the World". I'll get you some sports news after this short break. I'll be back though top of the

hour in about 15 minutes with more of your news headlines.

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[09:45:00]

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