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Appeals Panel Hears Argument on Carroll v. Trump; Hiring Picks Up in August with 142,000 Jobs Added; Suspected Gunman and His Father Make First Court Appearance; Ukrainian Troops Killed After Trying to Surrender; Israel's Military Offensive in the West Bank. Aired 10-10:45a ET

Aired September 06, 2024 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:29]

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, a court hearing should be getting underway right now in New York on one of two cases involving Donald

Trump and E. Jean Carroll. The Republican presidential nominee is in the courtroom and he wants the court to overturn what is $5 million verdict

after being found liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll.

Well, this could be a big day in another case involving Donald Trump. Judge Juan Merchan is expected to decide whether he'll push back Trump's

sentencing in the Stormy Daniels hush money case until after the election.

And the clock is ticking, of course, towards that election. We are 60 days to go.

Let's bring in former state and federal prosecutor, David Weinstein, currently a partner with the firm, Jones Walker, and criminal defense

attorney and former prosecutor, Bernarda Villalona.

Bernarda, let me start with you. What is the defense case as we understand it today in court and what can we expect?

BERNARDA VILLALONA, FORMER NEW YORK PROSECUTOR: So Donald Trump is appealing the judgment in his civil case where a jury found him liable for

sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll back in the 1990s. So what Donald Trump is claiming is that he received an unfair trial, that the judge in that case

made some evidentiary rulings that were not correct.

And therefore, it lead to a jury finding him liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll, specifically he is objecting that there were witnesses that

testified specifically to women that Trump supposedly sexually abused them and that this was so prejudicial that it led to this jury coming back with

a verdict in favor of E. Jean Carroll. Also, as to many objections that he made throughout the trial, for each of those objections, he did preserve

the record to appeal if there was a judgment in the case.

ANDERSON: Juan, does he have a strong case here?

Juan, can you hear me? I'm sorry. David, can you hear me?

DAVID WEINSTEIN, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA: I can. Didn't know that you're speaking to me. Look, he's

raised these objections at the trial court.

ANDERSON: I'm sorry. Yes. Carry on.

WEINSTEIN: OK. He raised these objections at the trial court level. They were overruled. Look, it's part of the case. It shows that he had a pattern

and practice of doing this. It happens in cases all the time. The question is, did it turn the focus of the case to these two witnesses or was the

jury still focused on what E. Jean Carroll was saying?

We've seen this before, we've seen it happen in other cases, and it's caused reversal. But in this case, there was other evidence besides these

two witnesses. There was corroboration. So as long as the Court of Appeals doesn't find it was the focal point of the case, then he's not going to

prevail on his appeal.

ANDERSON: Bernarda, what do you make of what we'll likely to hear today and how this compares to the prosecution and defense case in the original case?

VILLALONA: So what we have to remember is that this is a federal case unlike a state case. And also this is a civil case, unlike a criminal case

where he would have been facing jail time. Here it's about liability and money. What should be the compensation for E. Jean Carroll and where a jury

determined that it should be $5 million.

So Donald Trump's attorneys are going to be arguing before a three-judge panel in federal court, and they're going to be arguing the objections that

they made at trial, but they're going to be focusing and trying to put before these three judges that that trial was so unduly prejudicial that

there's no other recourse but to order a new trial and to hear this evidence again before a new jury.

[10:05:13]

Now, is it likely that Donald Trump is going to prevail? Highly unlikely because even though many trials have been reversed or even upheld having to

deal with testimony of other victims or complainants of undue familiarity and having to deal with sexual abuse is still has been upheld and it's not

going to be an issue in this case. It's a normal proceeding just like any other civil or criminal trial that does happen before any court here in

this country.

ANDERSON: You know, things are busy for Donald Trump today, David, and apologies for calling you the wrong name. I've seen about Juan Merchan, the

judge in the case of course, of the case, which is the hush money case, and I want to talk about that. This could be a big day in another case.

WEINSTEIN: OK.

ANDERSON: The judge there expected to decide whether he will push back Trump's sentencing in the Stormy Daniels hush money case until after the

election. Thoughts, likelihood that he is going to be successful in this?

WEINSTEIN: I think at best he's got a 50-50 shot. This judge has not been willing to let the defense or anybody outside the courtroom run his

schedule. Unless they can present something with him other than, look, he's running for election and you shouldn't sentence him before then, he's not

going to postpone the sentencing. He's got a motion he needs to hear with regard to their arguments based on the Supreme Court decision, a

prosecutorial immunity.

I think that one falls flat on its face and then it's time for sentencing and defendants have to answer. He's not going to go into jail even if he

gets jail time. They'll allow him to stay out pending the appeal. He's already been convicted. And so the only argument on Trump's side is that,

well, having him sentenced would influence the election. That's not what this judge is concerned about.

He's concerned about putting an end to the proceeding in front of him and letting the appeal take place. So, again, at best, 50-50. And I think less

than that. I think we will see a sentencing later this month.

ANDERSON: You think we'll see a sentencing later this month.

Bernarda, do you agree? I mean, at the end of the day, you know, when we think back to, what, the sort of second quarter of this year we were

literally sort of, you know, working through trial dates for Donald Trump while he was working through his schedule for these primaries. You couldn't

make it up the amount of times we saw him in a courthouse and these trials was stacking up. Where do we stand at this point just 60 days before the

election?

VILLALONA: Well, that's the thing. Donald Trump is very busy. He's very busy in court because of his criminal actions. So in terms of New York on

September 18th, I do believe that sentencing is going to move forward. They have already litigated the Supreme Court decision on motion papers, and

Judge Merchan is going to make a decision.

But just like David said, I do agree that whatever sentence that is handed down Donald Trump is going to ask that that sentence be stayed, meaning

that he doesn't carry out that sentence or begin that sentence where there's probation, community service, a fine, or even a jail sentence,

until he exhausts all his appeals.

Now, in terms of what happened with his D.C. federal case. Now, in that case, we know that Judge Chutkan has already set aside a motion scheduled

to determine how does presidential immunity actually affect this indictment and the evidence that is to be presented if this case goes on. Are you

going to see a trial in that case before the election? Highly unlikely, but what we will see is a mini-trial in the sense of that it's going to be

played out in motion papers and you're going to see the prosecution, the special counsel, provide the evidence that they tend to put before a jury

if this case were to go forward.

And possibly even an evidentiary hearing that maybe you will hear testimony if needed in that case. Florida, you already know how that turned out.

Georgia, we're still waiting to see what happens in terms of the appeal.

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Good to have you, David. A busy day as we say for Donald Trump. We will stay across it. Thank you both.

We want to be top issues for the U.S. presidential race, of course, is the economy. And today we've got some big news on jobs. The government says the

U.S. added 142,000 jobs in August. That is an improvement from July, but still not as many jobs as analysts had expected.

[10:10:04]

This is one of the last jobs report of course before voters go to the polls. One of the last, not the last, but one of the last.

Julia Chatterley joining us from New York with more on those numbers.

You anchor "FIRST MOVE" of course. You walked us through a breakdown of these numbers in the past hour and we were talking about what these numbers

mean. The impact, the consequences, the significance they might have for the two presidential contenders at this point. And let's just sit there.

You say there's something in these numbers for both candidates, correct? Why?

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE: There should be if you're a good politician. I think actually for the White House today and therefore for

the Harris campaign, this is a sigh of relief jobs report, that it wasn't following the significant weakness that we saw in the July numbers.

To the other side in the Trump campaign, he can also argue that, hey, look, the jobs market is slowing and we can do something about that. So to the

point I made, there should be something in that, what this doesn't address, and I'll give you a bit more of the details, I think is what the Federal

Reserve ends up doing on September 18th.

I went out on a limb in the last hour, Becky, instead, I think they'll cut a quarter of a percentage point and the feel-good factor attached to that,

arguably again, should help the incumbent or the Harris campaign, I think, as people see the borrowing costs come down.

Very quickly what we saw and you mentioned it, less jobs, net overall added in August than we were expected. We also got revisions lower to the prior

two months, so we are significantly below the number of jobs added average over the past 12 months.

But we know the job market is slowing, Becky. What it's not doing I think is collapsing and this is the critical question we had carried over from

last month. The underlying details of this are still strong, I think. Wages popped up a little bit high, nothing to worry about on the inflationary

front. We also saw the hours worked by those that are working stayed strong.

So slowing, not collapsing. Make of that what you will and both sides should be able to do something with it.

ANDERSON: Construction, healthcare up.

CHATTERLEY: Yes.

ANDERSON: Manufacturing jobs, down.

Good to have you. Always a pleasure. Thank you.

CHATTERLEY: Thanks, Becky.

ANDERSON: To Georgia now, and the latest developments in the mass school shooting there. The 14-year-old suspect Colt Gray and his father Colin have

made their first court appearances in the city of Winder in Georgia. Colt Gray is charged with four counts of felony murder. Investigators say he

killed four people and injured nine at his high school using an AR style rifle. He will be tried as an adult.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE CURRIE MINGLEDORFF, SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE: Four counts of felony murder, as outlined in the state warrants that have been issued against

you. I want to make you aware that the maximum penalty for felony murder, so for each count, the maximum penalty is that you could be punishable by

death, by imprisonment for life without parole, or by imprisonment for life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Authorities alleged Colin Gray, his father, provided his son with the rifle used in Wednesday's mass shooting.

This is him on your screens. He's charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of

cruelty to children.

CNN's Rafael Romo is in Winder, Georgia, outside the Barrow County courthouse with a closer look at what Colt and Colin Gray now face in their

legal cases.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The father of alleged small shooter Colt Gray could face a maximum of 180 years in prison if convicted on all 14

charges against them. That's what the judge announced here in the courthouse earlier today.

Colin Gray grade made his first appearance in a white and gray striped jail uniform less than an hour after his son appeared in the same courtroom.

Like his son, Colin Gray did not ask for bond that his first appearance where he was represented by a public defender. Gray's voice trembled at

times as he spoke to Judge Currie Mingledorff and he repeatedly rocked back and forth in his seat.

During a separate court appearance, his son had remained virtually motionless other than shaking loose hair out of his face when he first sat

down. He confirmed -- the father confirmed to the court that he's 54 years old, that he has an 11th grade education. He's charged with two counts of

felony murder in the second-degree also with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of felony cruelty to children.

Felony murder counts in the second-degree, the maximum imprisonment is up to 30 years, but when the judge went through all of the possible charges of

those 14 charges, he said at the end that the father faces a total possible of 180 years imprisonment.

[10:15:16]

Considering that he's 54 years old that could equal to a life sentence. But again, this is only the beginning of the process and we have yet to know

what's going to happen next. What we know is that both the father and the son had been giving a preliminary hearing date for December 4th.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Winder, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, the courtroom was packed with relatives and friends of the victims of the shooting, which claimed four lives of course, and injured

nine others on Wednesday.

I just want to get you an update. The judge you heard there in Rafael's report came back and corrected himself, saying that Colt Gray could not be

sentenced to death because he's too young.

Let's bring in CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller. He joins us from New York.

Why was it that the judge had to correct that in court? Who had suggested that? And why is it? And I think it's still not clear to some of our

viewers perhaps that a 14-year-old is being charged as an adult.

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, under Georgia law, they can charge a 14-year-old, charged with a serious

crime where there's, you know, cause to believe that he knew what he was doing was wrong at the time an adult. Based on a Supreme Court ruling which

obviously supersedes the state law in Georgia, a minor can't face the death penalty in a crime even if they were charged as an adult and an adult in

that case might.

Why did the judge come back in to correct that record? A couple of legal necessities. Number one, the record is the record. So that is the official

record of the case. He needs to set -- he needed to set that record straight. And the defendant is entitled under law to be in the courtroom

when those things are occurring. So setting the record straight, he'd have to be there for it.

And number two, he had to make sure that the defendant heard that the record was set straight, that he was not facing the death penalty because

if he had that knowledge in his head and then was offered a deal to plead guilty for life imprisonment or something like that, the death penalty

would be a factor that he was weighing in the back of his mind in that thinking. So that they had to clean up the record and they had to clean up

the proceeding.

ANDERSON: Understood. Let's just step back for a moment and look at the big picture and what happened leading up to this devastating, deadly tragedy.

In May 2023, the FBI received several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting. And that led local law enforcement to the Gray

premises. And the interview that we have been discussing here on CNN, Colt denied making the threats and authorities basically said, John, OK.

There was no probable cause to take any additional law enforcement action. And we have been asking ourselves here, And I'm sure there are those folks

watching around the world.

Do the police have something to answer for here? If a denial by the accused was enough to wipe away probable cause, wouldn't every suspect just be set

free?

MILLER: Well, it's a good question and that is a record that will have to be microscopically examined as to what considerations went into that. Were

prosecutors consulted on that?

But let me give you my personal experience as the former deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, who ran a threat

assessment unit in the New York City Police Department. Prosecuting threat cases, bringing that to a prosecutor and getting them to accept the case

after you make an arrest, has become a bit of an uphill battle.

Magnify that reluctance where the defendant is a 13-year-old boy at the time that this threat was made which is, we'll just go talk to this kid in

his parents and straighten this out and make sure they know not to do it again is the normal advice you'd get from a prosecutor. But the standards

are that the threat has to be real, that the person has to be capable of carrying it out and that it has to be specific.

And in this case there was no specific school threatened, so it couldn't be argued that it gave distress and fear to a particular group of people. So I

think what the authorities who get many of these cases did in Jackson County was the father is on notice and says it wasn't me.

[10:20:03]

The kid is on notice and says it wasn't him. We have no way to prove who was at that keyboard when the threat was made. But they both know that this

is a serious matter and that they have been told about it. The real way this is going to factor into the future is it's going to be a demonstration

that the father knew that the kid was in this kind of thinking about talking or thinking about a school shooting way before this, and that even

after that, he decided to buy him an assault weapon and give it to him as a present.

That's going to work against the father in his case because it shows previous knowledge and action that will be viewed as more than

irresponsible.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, John. Thank you.

MILLER: Thanks, Becky.

ANDERSON: Coming up, Ukraine's president makes an urgent plea to the country's allies. More on that up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a message for Kyiv's international allies. Speed up deliveries of those promised air defenses.

Well, during a meeting with allies in Germany a short time ago, he warned of what he calls a significant shortfall in vital military aid. Have a

listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Ukraine's imperiled eastern front smoke billowing position over the number of air defense system that have

not yet been delivered is significant. This is what was agreed upon, and this is what was -- what has not been fully implemented.

The world has enough air defense systems to ensure that Russian terror does not have results. And I urge you to be more active in this work with us on

air defense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: No, not mincing his words there. Meantime, drone video exclusively obtained by CNN shows an alarming scene on the frontlines in

Eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers apparently executed after they surrendered to Russian forces. That is one of several incidents being

invested by the United Nations.

My colleague CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has the details, and I have to warn you some of the video in his report is extremely disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY (voice-over): A scene all too common on Ukraine's imperiled eastern front, smoke billowing, a

position overrun. Ukrainian troops staggering out appearing to surrender to advancing Russians. A brief close-up on Ukrainian drone video seen here for

the first time shows them on their knees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): My friend, zoom in, we have to see them.

WALSH: The drone operators ask each other for a better view, and then seconds later, it is too late. The three fall to the ground, dust nearby

suggesting gunfire.

[10:25:03]

Executed in cold blood, Ukrainian official familiar with the incident said, despite hoping to be taken prisoner by the Russians.

It is from near the besieged city of Pokrovsk in late August, the source said. The hottest spot on the front now where Russia is persistently

advancing and follows a horrific pattern. Prosecutors say they're investigating a total of 28 cases in which 62 Ukrainian soldiers were

killed after surrender on the battlefield.

ANDRIY KOSTIN, PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF UKRAINE: If prisoners of war surrender, if they show that they surrender, if they are without weapons in

their hand -- in their hands, then summary execution is the war crime.

WALSH: It has worsened in the past 10 months. CNN obtaining from Ukrainian intelligence officials a detailed list of 15 incidents, most backed up by

drone video or audio intercepts.

Now United Nations investigators have scrutinized many of these killings, and a U.N. investigative source said to me, quote, "There are many. There

is a pattern, and the killings are war crimes individually," they said in their opinion. And together could amount to crimes against humanity.

(Voice-over): And near Robotyne, the site of some of the fiercest fighting this year in Zaporizhzhia, another Ukrainian drone filmed in May, these

images that are upsetting to watch. Ukrainian soldiers emerge one by one from the dugout. Ukraine's Defense Intelligence said they intercepted the

Russian commander's order to execute or zero them, and gave us this transcript.

Take them (EXPLETIVE DELETED) down. And zero them. Take them. Zero them, the officer says. Got it, plus, comes the reply. Once you zero them, report

back, he adds. Once they're all out, face down, the Russians fire. Ukrainians we spoke to left asking why, to just terrify them or is it

simply sport for the Russians?

PETRO YATSENKO, UKRAINIAN COORDINATOR CENTER FOR THE TREATMENT OF POW'S: The main reason is to made Russian soldiers believe they -- it's very

dangerous to surrender to Ukrainian forces because Ukrainian soldiers will kill them like Russians killing Ukrainian prisoners of war. This forced

them not to surrender, but go forward to their death.

WALSH: A horror not always publicized or fully accounted for yet being felt steadily by Ukrainians as they struggle to hold the eastern line.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: All right. Well, coming up, eyewitness reports -- eyewitnesses, sorry, report widespread destruction in the West Bank after Israeli

military raids. And we have a report from the heart of what is the devastating violence. That is after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:30:47]

ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson.

Well, the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged both Israel and Hamas to resolve the remaining issues standing in the way of a

ceasefire and hostage deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It's really incumbent on both parties to get to yes on these remaining issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, notably Blinken did not exclusively blame Hamas for the fact that a deal had not been reached and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu remains defiant on keeping troops in what is known as the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer strip of land. You've heard us talking

about this now for weeks, separating Gaza from Egypt, insisting that Hamas would use the corridor to smuggle more weapons.

Meantime, today, an American activist Aysenur Eygi has been shot and killed during an anti-settlement protest near Nablus in the Israeli occupied West

Bank. That is according to Palestinian officials, and eyewitnesses said the victim was shot in the head during a weekly protest earlier today in the

town of Beita. Those witnesses blaming the Israeli military for the killing. The State Department said it is, and I quote here, "urgently

gathering more information."

CNN has asked the Israeli Defense Forces for comment on the accusation. The activist was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. And we will

bring you more on that story of course as we get it.

Well, the Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank is not over, only paused, according to an Israeli security source that follows residents

telling CNN that troops withdrew do from Jenin and Tulkarem overnight. Those Palestinian residents are taking stock now after nine days of what

they say has been the most intense and sustained Israeli military offensive in their city since October 7th.

Witnesses described widespread destruction of infrastructure, said water and electricity supplies, and people rationing food for fear of going

outside.

CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, was in Jenie and he filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: This is the center of Jenin and the cleanup is just beginning. It's hard for the city to fathom

how much damage there is. But you could see the water here in the road that the water pipes have been knocked around. We spin around here. You can see

this barbershop, all the debris pushed up. I spoke to the owner there. He said it will cost him about $20,000 to repair this. Had that barbershop now

for, he said about 50 years.

There are some things that can't be repaired hear according to the ministry of health, 39 people have been killed. Eight of them, they say, children,

some elderly people as well. We were at the funerals earlier of some of the militants here. There was gunfire in the air from the group. I spoke to one

of the commanders of the militant groups and he told me that they lost some fighters, but the Israelis should accept their own losses, too, that if the

IDF comes back, then there'll be ready for them.

Plenty of guns out there, plenty of gunmen, and a very, very tense atmosphere around those funerals.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Jenin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, given that there is now a pause as described by Israeli security sources, let's remind ourselves what the last 10 days looks like,

and what could come again?

Paula Hancocks reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Reminiscent of the early days of the war in Gaza, airstrikes and raids have small pockets of the

occupied West Bank to rubble. Israel's military has bulldozed roads, destroying buildings and infrastructure for the past 10 days targeting what

they call immediate terror threats in real time.

[10:35:06]

It's the most sustained operation here in years. A funeral procession in the town of Tubas Thursday was led by gunman firing into the air. A clear

sign at least some of the deceased were militants, but not all.

This funeral is for a 16-year-old girl killed as she looked out of the window. The father said she was shot in the head.

The United Nations accuses Israel of using, quote, "lethal war-like tactics in the West Bank," saying children are among the dead with Israeli forces

restricting ambulance movement, depriving residents of access to basic services. The IDF says it is forced to sometimes check ambulances claiming

they used by militants.

The Palestinian health minister said no place in Palestine is safe, not just Gaza. Night raids in the Tulkarem refugee camp have damaged water,

electricity, and sewage systems. This resident says in 78 years, I've never seen anything like this. From the wars of 1948, 1967, all the intifadas,

everything I have witnessed, nothing was like this.

Palestinian journalists accused the Israeli military of targeting them. Footage shows bulldozers driving towards a group clearly marked as press.

Gunfire can be heard nearby. One journalist was injured when the car he was traveling in was struck by gunfire. The Palestine Red Crescent Society says

it treated four journalists for gunfire and shrapnel wounds from just one raid. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment.

Israel says it's targeting militants, planning or directing attacks against the country. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said this week, now we are

moving the lawn the moment will come when we pull out the readers. An expression Israel historically uses for actions taken in Gaza. On day one

of the offensive, Israel's foreign minister suggested tactics deployed in Gaza should be transferred to the West Bank, including temporary evacuation

of civilians, fueling concern here that the 11 months of death and destruction they've watched in Gaza is now far closer to home.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, now in Paula's report, you saw her reference the fact that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant used some language to describe what Israel is

doing in the West Bank. Let's play that sound in full for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOAV GALLANT, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): The process is an attack to prevent terrorism. This is the main story, and in fact, we mow

the grass. The moment will also come on when we pull out the roots. That must be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Israel is simply, quote, "mowing the grass" or the more commonly used term, mowing the lawn, in the West Bank. I've heard this

language from Israeli leaders countless times in the 25 years I've spent covering this story. It shaped a core part of Israel's military strategy

towards Palestinians and it's a term regularly used to describe IDF offensives in Gaza.

Take a listen to Naftali Bennett speaking in 2018.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAFTALI BENNETT, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): In our neighborhood, he who does not mow the grass, the grass mows him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Bennett was a member of the Knesset at that time, but three years later, he went on to become prime minister. And in 2014 two Israeli

experts wrote a paper about the strategy, saying, quote, "Israel simply needs to mow the grass once in a while to order in a while to degrade enemy

capabilities."

Now, look, it's never clear how much enemy capabilities are being degraded if at all. But what is clear is this.

That term completely dehumanizes Palestinians in the occupied West Bank whose homes have been turned to rubble. And indeed the nearly two million

who call Gaza home, we're talking about real people, not a plotted grass to be trimmed.

Recently, Yoav Gallant has opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence on prolonging the war in Gaza. And yet like similar references

he's made in the past, he maintains this policy, underscoring the grim reality. A suggestion that this idea is systemic.

No catchphrase no matter how catchy it may sound to some in Tel Aviv will make the catastrophe unfolding before our eyes acceptable or any easier to

digest.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:42:18]

ANDERSON: Right. Weve got just enough time for our "Parting Shots" for you tonight. So here we go. Iconic Iranian pop star Googoosh, featuring on the

digital cover of "Vogue Arabia" September issue. The pop star was featured alongside her granddaughter, Mya Ghorbani. The singer and advocate for

women's rights and democracy has had a storied career spanning 70 years from her debut at the age of 3.

For nearly 20 years, however, Googoosh was prevented from performing by an Iran ban on women from singing for an audience beyond their family. Well,

in 2000, she finally performed again in Toronto, becoming a symbol of Iranian freedom. Making a comeback at 50, she played to an arena of 18,000

people and earned a 10-minute standing ovation. And we applaud her and the cover looks great.

This is it for CONNECT THE WORLD for you. "WORLD SPORT" with Amanda Davies is up next tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:08]

(WORLD SPORT)

END