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Connect the World
Israeli Offensive in Gaza City Begins; Israel Moves Forward with New Settlement Plans; Putin Supports Sending Higher-Level Officials to Ukraine Talks but Not Himself; Republican States Send National Guard Troops to D.C. to Help Trump's Crackdown; OpenAI CEO Warns of Artificial Intelligence Bubble; Far-Right Israeli Minister Taunts Jailed Palestinian Leader; London Bookshop Deals in Romantasy. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 21, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): And welcome to what is the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky
Anderson in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 6:00 in the evening.
The Israeli prime minister Netanyahu expected to approve Gaza City war plans today, while a response to the latest ceasefire proposal remains
pending.
And in Ukraine, President Zelenskyy says he is ready for some compromise on the timing of talks with Russia's president.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., Texas advances redrawn congressional maps as redistricting takes center stage. Why that matters is coming up.
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ANDERSON: Well, the Israeli military is intensifying its operations around Gaza City today as it prepares to push for a full takeover of Gaza's most
populous urban center. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to give the final signoff on war plans in the coming hours.
A military spokesperson says forces are already on the outskirts of the city. And bombing, as you see, has been ramping up now for days. The
operation is expected to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, forcing them into a tiny sliver of land in southern Gaza.
Some, though, say they refuse to leave.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIAD ASHKANTAN, GAZA CITY RESIDENT (through translator): Last time I was displaced to the south. But this time there's no possibility for me to move
because our displacement is death.
Let's face it with honor, next to our homes. Displacement will have consequences more than safety. There is no safety anyway. Israel is letting
us go south but there's no safe spaces. We went south and we saw.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Nic Robertson is back with us this hour.
Nic, a barrage of calls coming in to stop this coming operation.
Is Israel showing any signs of pulling back and giving serious consideration to the ceasefire proposal that Hamas has agreed to?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: No sign of it at all. In fact, it seems like it's a slow drum roll, if you will, continuing by the
government to signal that it will go ahead with this offensive. It's talked about it over recent days. It's announced a number of different decision
points.
Zeitoun on the east or the western side of Gaza City, rather, is where the IDF troops now are already encroaching in the outer limits of the city.
It's not a full-scale operation yet. The IDF still says they have other steps to take.
The fact the prime minister hasn't yet said his response publicly, at least to the Hamas' latest ceasefire proposal, does seem to indicate that that
all of this drum roll, if you will -- and the very real reality of bombs already and artillery shells falling on the outskirts of Gaza -- that this
military operation is coming ahead.
But it also is very strong signaling to Hamas to position themselves, not as they are, for a partial ceasefire deal right now, although they want to
get a comprehensive one. But the Israeli government says, absolutely, Hamas has to agree to its terms that it wants all the hostages now.
So it feels like this is still a moment of extreme pressure. But the reality for Hamas, if the IDF goes into Gaza City, the last place where the
IDF and the Israeli government says that Hamas is hiding out and has been able to hide out, will be denied to them. So that's essentially what's on
the table here.
In the meantime, the Israeli government yesterday took a decision which they see and many people see as the last step in denying the possibility of
a Palestinian state, which is the aspiration and part of the peace track, if you will, out of or following a ceasefire in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): In days, these Palestinian farmsteads in the occupied West Bank could be gone. The Israeli government has just signed
off on a demolition to make way for 3,500 new Israeli settlement home, expanding the nearby settlement of Maale Adumim.
ROBERTSON: When are they coming to demolish these houses?
ATALLAH MAZARA, HEAD OF VILLAGE COMMITTEE, JABAL AL-BABA: Maybe tomorrow and the night. And I don't understand.
[10:05:03]
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Atallah has lived here 50 years, has no idea what to expect.
MAZARA: My prayer, for the children, for the woman, for the animals. Where you go.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): This is Jabal Al-Baba. Everyone here is waiting to be evicted now, 450 people, about 80 families, they tell us. Jabal means
hill or mountain. And for many people here now, this feels like it could be the hill upon which the idea of a Palestinian State dies.
The reasons, they say that best understood on this map, Jabal Al-Baba is in area E1 where there will be more evictions and a new road restricting
Palestinian movements. So Israel's biggest settlement, Maale Adumim can grow area E1 links the West Bank to East Jerusalem. Palestinians pick for a
future capital and connects the north and south of the West Bank.
On another hill, just a mile from Jabal Al-Baba Israeli Peace Activist Haget Ofran shows young Israelis what Israel's expansion into area E1
means.
HAGET OFRAN, CO-DIRECTOR, SETTLEMENT WATCH: The government wants to fill in the gap and to make an Israeli corridor into the heart of the West Bank.
And in fact, to cut the Palestinian territory for southern area and northern area.
ROBERTSON: So what does that mean in reality, when you cut -- when you cut the Palestinian area like that?
OFRAN: It means that you cannot develop a viable economy, not to say, a state.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): 20 years ago, then lawmaker Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to expand the huge Maale Adumim Settlement. Today PM, Netanyahu's
pro-settler government says their area E1 evictions are legal and justified and appear intended to outmaneuver European decisions to recognize a
Palestinian State.
BEZALEL SMOTRICH, ISRAELI FINANCE MINISTER: We will continue to build a fulfilling Jewish reality. This reality definitively buries the idea of a
Palestinian State simply because there is nothing and no one left to recognize.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): On the fringes of area E1 in the bustling streets of -- Smotrich's his words are also having a chilling effect.
ROBERTSON: This is where Palestinians say the new Israeli road is going to be built on this busy highway. Thank you and cutting across the road right
along here. So this will be completely -- thank you, completely shut off. And these stores have closed already because of the demolition order.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Municipality Official Mohammed Mata (ph) points to stores already shuttered. Tells me demolition orders on more than 100
premises have already been served. Says the new road will destroy their fragile economy. Back on the hilltop Atallah the Bedouin Leader, tells me
confiscating these lands is like cutting a cake down the middle.
Jabal Al-Baba isn't only the end of the Bedouins dreams here, he says it's also the end of every Palestinian's dream of having a state in the future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: And this was criticized yesterday by a number of different governments, particularly European governments. Some of those, in fact,
like the U.K., that intend, they say, come September, if nothing has really changed in Israel's -- in the state of play in Israel, that they will
recognize a Palestinian state.
David Lammy, the foreign secretary, saying the British government completely opposed to this decision on area E1, that the Israeli government
has taken. Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, Nic. Thank you.
Well, Ukraine's president says nearly 600 drones and 40 missiles were launched in the largest combined air assault on his country in more than a
month. Nine civilians were killed in the strikes, as well as in shelling in Eastern Ukraine. This comes amid diplomatic efforts to end that conflict.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying just hours before the overnight assault that he was ready for, and I quote him here, "some compromise" on
whether a ceasefire was in place before possible talks with his Russian counterpart.
But he insists he wants some security guarantees for Ukraine first. Well, it's still not clear if that Zelenskyy-Putin summit will ever happen.
Russia's foreign minister said Wednesday Vladimir Putin supports sending higher-level officials to talks with Ukraine but did not confirm a meeting
between the two principals, the presidents.
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Well, Clare Sebastian following the very latest for us from London.
And days after president Trump met with Putin, then in Alaska, and with Zelenskyy and the Europeans in Washington, this massive Russian assault
overnight.
What's going on here?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I mean, it's not the first time we've seen something on this scale, Becky, but it is striking, number
one, because we haven't seen a combined missile attack this large in about five weeks.
More than 600 drones and missiles targeting all different areas of Ukraine. But in particular, we're seeing that they've been targeting in this one
some of the westernmost regions, Lviv, and a region called Zakarpattya -- Transcarpathia, it translates to.
And there was a town there that was attacked, (INAUDIBLE). You're seeing images there, where, according to President Zelenskyy and the American
Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, it was an American-owned company that was hit, that produces consumer electronics, coffee machines.
Zelenskyy says we're hearing about 19 injuries in that town. There was a death reported as well in Lviv. Ukraine's air force has managed to shoot
down most of the missiles and drones here.
But I think it's a striking visual six days after that Alaska summit, that grand welcome for President Putin, that this has happened. And I think it
shows Russia's dogged pursuit of its goals in Ukraine to try to pressure Ukraine into submission to its demands.
So I think all of this is happening, of course, as we see some confusion, frankly, surrounding the diplomatic process, especially this push for a
bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy as the next step.
We have, on the one hand, as you noted, Zelenskyy saying, look, I'll be willing to compromise. I can have this meeting without having a ceasefire
in place first, which is, of course, something that his European colleagues pushed very hard for in the White House on Monday.
But he does want some agreement on those security guarantees.
Meanwhile, we have the vice president, JD Vance, in an interview on Wednesday, saying, look, they should just have the meeting and they can
iron out the details there. Russia, meanwhile, says no; no meeting has actually been agreed to.
And we hear Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister, today, saying, and I quote, that they'll have the meeting "on the understanding that all the
issues that require consideration at the highest level will be well worked out."
They see any kind of bilateral meeting as way further down the process. I think this is now a two-track approach for Russia. They're hoping that, on
the one hand, president Trump will continue to put pressure on President Zelenskyy. Or if that doesn't work, they can force some concessions
militarily. But either way, they're playing for time.
ANDERSON: Zelenskyy does seemingly seek -- or at least appears to be willing to look at -- a compromise on a ceasefire demand.
Can we just be quite clear about what we're hearing from the Russian side at this point?
SEBASTIAN: So I think what we have to be clear about, Becky, is that Russia has basically spent the past week pouring cold water on any of the
diplomatic achievements that the U.S. has been touting out of the Alaska summit or out of the White House summit on Monday.
The security guarantees issue, I think, is particularly striking, because you'll remember last weekend we heard Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy, come
out and say, you know, this was a big achievement from Alaska. Russia has signed off on the U.S. providing security guarantees for Ukraine, he said,
Article V style protections.
Now Russia has turned around. And several times this week we've heard from the foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, saying, look, actually Russia needs to
be involved in conversations around security guarantees.
And he harks back to these agreements that were inked in the spring of 2022, when they first held Istanbul talks, which essentially laid out that
Russia would need to be one of the guarantors of Ukraine's security post- war.
So this is Russia trying to design the deterrent that would eventually be directed against this. And I think this is one area where we are going to
see an intractable impasse, because Zelenskyy in Ukraine, of course, cannot agree to something like that. Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. It's good to have you always, as ever. Thank you, Clare.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, we assess some of the U.S. president's domestic policy moves that are drawing, well, intense reactions
from both his supporters and his critics.
And is artificial intelligence living up to the hype?
Well, a stark warning from tech boss Sam Altman, who believes that we are currently in an AI bubble.
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ANDERSON: Well, amidst what has been intense global focus on the Trump- Putin summit in Alaska and the White House meeting, of course, involving European leaders and the Ukrainian president later, the U.S. president's
domestic agenda, of course, is in the background, pushing forward.
Donald Trump thrilled as Texas moves closer to gaining five Republican U.S. House seats for next year's midterms, something that he is pushing for to
try and keep Republicans in power.
Meanwhile, National Guard troops from a number of Republican-led states head to Washington to help enforce his police takeover of the U.S. Capitol.
And ICE deportations continue, with detentions reaching record numbers in the president's immigration crackdown.
Lulu Garcia-Navarro joins me now to discuss all of this. She's a CNN contributor and "The New York Times" journalist and podcast host.
And I listen to your podcast regularly. It's excellent. Thanks for joining us. Let's start with this redistricting drive, which Democrats are calling
a partisan power grab. It has to be said, you know, both parties do this. Trump very up front about wanting this to happen, applauding what Texas
have done and pushing other states to do the same.
What's that likely impact here?
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, the likely impact is that we are going to see an arms race to the bottom. If you think about American
democracy, right, it's based on elections.
And so what Trump is facing right now is a very unfavorable election landscape for the midterms. And so what he's trying to do, which is
unprecedented -- normally these kinds of redistricting drives happen every 10 years when the census happens. This is not one of those periods.
We're about midway through the cycle of censuses in this country. And so he's trying to make the map more favorable to him because he doesn't want
to lose the House.
If you'll recall, during his first term, when he lost the House in the midterms, in came Nancy Pelosi and in came two impeachments that he had to
face. And so he does not want that to happen.
Now the problem here is for the Democrats, is that they have tried to be -- present themselves as the party of good governance.
And so many of the Democratic-controlled states have basically put in legislation that said that you basically have to have these redistrictings
happen in a nonpartisan way. It's not good for democracy when you have parties controlling too much of the map.
And so that's what California is facing right now. California has said, all right, Texas, we'll see your five seats that you might get and we'll raise
you five seats if we redistrict. But unlike Texas, California has to bring it to the people.
And so that's where they're at right now. They're basically having to try and ask people if they're going to be OK with this redistricting and then
push it through themselves. So this is a really ugly, ugly partisan mess that we're facing here.
ANDERSON: Yes. Gerrymandering Armageddon, somebody described it as earlier on today. Look, Donald Trump applauding, of course, what's going on in
Texas. He's made a really big deal about the D.C. police takeover.
[10:20:04]
This is the capital, of course.
What's going on here and what's your sense of whether or not this could spread to other cities?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I mean, Becky, I'm based in D.C. I'm actually in a neighborhood that is very -- that is seeing a lot of enforcement action.
And that enforcement action, you know, isn't just about crime; it's about immigration.
We're seeing, you know, drivers, who are dropping off people's lunches, being stopped. We're seeing construction workers being held. And a lot of
this is being done by agencies that aren't identifying themselves. A lot of these people are masked and it's creating a lot of fear in the community.
I'm not going to lie, the big concern is what they promised.
I mean, we saw JD Vance yesterday walking through Union Station, which is the main artery for trains coming into the city, basically saying, along
with Stephen Miller, the right-hand man of the president, who is the architect of all these policies, that this is going to spread to other
cities.
And the fear is, of course, that this is a push into what is really, again, unprecedented territory, using federal law enforcement in such a sweeping
manner in essentially Democratic cities. And the concern is that this is not just about, you know, cracking down. The concern is that this is really
a takeover of our Democratic norms.
ANDERSON: And I want to talk to you about that because -- and let's remind ourselves, we're seeing ICE detentions reaching new records in the
immigration crackdown. The president, of course, also going after the Smithsonian Institution.
What's he trying to accomplish in these crackdowns on arts and culture, to your mind?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Becky, I mean, I think what any student of history will see is that this is a very well-worn playbook that we have seen in other
countries, where there has been an authoritarian takeover.
I mean, if we look at all these things in isolation, we can argue about crime; we can argue about immigration. We can even argue about politics and
the arts.
But taken all together, this is part of a concerted push to basically have very centralized control in the presidency and very centralized control
under Donald Trump. And so anything that is independent -- we're seeing that with the Federal Reserve and the push to remove the head of the
Federal Reserve here.
That is normally a role that is insulated, for very good reason, from this kind of political meddling. Any kind of independent place where you can
speak or there can be independent thought, it is being attacked.
And so I think you need to see it in that way. You know, what the president and his supporters would say is that the Smithsonian has been taken over by
woke and that it doesn't tell the kind of American story that they believe should be told.
Which is an American story of exceptionalism and excellence and that the ugly periods of our own history, i.e. slavery and many others, are not
really the story of America as they see it. And those kinds of stories need to be elevated.
However, you know, I will say, as a person who has been to the Smithsonian many times, it is an incredible institution. And when you bring this
political meddling into the arts, into higher education, into the way cities are run in this country, it is part of a bigger plan, which I don't
think the Trump administration is hiding.
They're very plain about the fact that this is part of a bigger plan.
ANDERSON: Yes. It's fascinating. It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. Always a pleasure.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Let's get you up to speed, folks, on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now.
And another senior aide is set to testify in the Republican-led panel about former U.S. President Joe Biden's mental fitness for office. Ian Sams, who
served as a special assistant, is appearing voluntarily. Several witnesses were subpoenaed, then invoked their constitutional right not to answer
questions.
Other aides have strongly defended Biden.
Plus, the Federal Reserve conference is underway in Jackson Hole in Wyoming. President Trump has called on federal governor Lisa Cook to resign
following allegations she had committed mortgage fraud. Cook has denied that, adding that she will not be pushed out of the Fed.
Well, a new report finds 95 percent of companies have not seen a return on their investment from generative AI. Now it comes amid warnings from tech
CEO Sam Altman, who believes that we are currently in an AI bubble.
[10:25:02]
The head of OpenAI told tech journalists that he believes investors are overly positive about AI development.
And he said, quote, "When bubbles happen, smart people get overexcited about a kernel of truth.
"Are we in a phase where investors as a whole are overexcited about AI?"
Well, his answer is yes. For more, CNN's Clare Duffy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH CORRESPONDENT: I mean, really stark results from this study, especially because we keep hearing, including from leaders of
this industry, how every enterprise needs to have --
DUFFY (voice-over): -- an AI strategy, needs to be adopting this technology.
And yet, according to this study, only 5 percent of the companies that have rolled out AI pilot programs are actually seeing meaningful increases to
their revenue.
And certainly, I do think that Sam Altman might have a point, given that we've seen so many AI startups raking in these huge valuations, often with
only two or three people, a handful of people running the companies.
Before they even make a profit, they are raking in these huge valuations.
DUFFY: It's likely that not all of those will succeed.
But I also think it's worth noting, in terms of this enterprise adoption, this study finds that often the problem is not the quality of the AI model
but rather that companies --
DUFFY (voice-over): -- don't yet really understand how to implement this new technology, how to update their processes to really make the most of AI
This is a reality-check moment where we've heard a lot --
DUFFY: -- from Silicon Valley about how AI is growing exponentially, advancing exponentially. And yet, I think what you're starting to see from
this study and from what companies are saying about their use of these systems, is that this adoption and the development of AI is not actually
going to be that linear.
Something that I long have just personally thought watching this space, is that we're going to see a lot of companies looking to outsource some of
their work to AI, laying off workers, only to realize that computers can't necessarily do the job in the way that humans do and maybe having to bring
some of those folks back.
So I won't be surprised if we do see a bit of a boomerang here, as companies try to figure out what to do with this technology.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Yes, it's fascinating, isn't it?
Well, next up, I'm going to speak to the son of the long-imprisoned Palestinian leader, Marwan Barghouti, after Israeli far-right minister Ben-
Gvir posted a taunting video, a video taunting him in prison. That sparking outrage. More after this.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're with CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines.
And Israel's offensive in Gaza City has begun. A military spokesperson says forces are already on the outskirts of the city.
[10:30:00]
And that this is the first step in a larger operation. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu expected to approve the army's war plans later today.
Well, Russia has carried out its largest combined missile and drone bombardment in Ukraine in more than a month. The assault came just hours
after president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready to make some compromise on a demand for a ceasefire before any possible talks with
Vladimir Putin.
But he said he wants to see some security guarantees established first.
The Texas state Senate is expected to vote later today on a redistricting bill that could add five Republican seats in the U.S. House in next year's
midterms. The bill easily passed the Texas house on Wednesday, after Democrats ended a two-week holdout, which had delayed the vote.
ANDERSON: Well, a video released by Israel's far-right national security minister on Friday last week, showing him taunting the most high-profile
Palestinian prisoner whilst visiting him in jail is sparking outrage.
Now look, I'm going to play you that moment of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, looking visibly frail and thin, being threatened in his cell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You will not win. Whoever will mess with the people of Israel, whoever will murder our kids, whoever will
murder women, we will erase them. You need to know that throughout history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Described by supporters as the, quote, "Palestinian Nelson Mandela," Marwan Barghouti is a prominent Palestinian political activist,
jailed for life by Israel for murder.
But some Palestinians and Arabs believe he could be a potential future leader of postwar Gaza. Listen to how my next guest, his son, Arab
Barghouti, described his father's leadership in an interview with CNN last year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARAB BARGHOUTI, MARWAN'S SON: My father hasn't started, you know, struggling for the Palestinians' rights for a year or two. He's been doing
that for more than 50 years now. And as Sofia mentioned, he didn't only play a role in leading the Palestinian people for any uprising but also in
the peace process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was about 18 months ago. Marwan Barghouti is a senior leader of Fatah, the secular nationalist faction of the Palestinian
Liberation Organization. The 66-year old became a key Palestinian player, organizing the political aspects of the first intifada that began back in
1987.
He served as liaison officer between the PLO and Fatah and was once expelled by Israel for six years.
Now after the Oslo accords of the mid-1990s, Barghouti became Fatah secretary general in the West Bank. Two years later, he was elected to the
Palestinian legislative council. Barghouti continued his political and resistance activities against the Israelis, who accused him of being behind
several deadly attacks.
They arrested him in 2002 and he has been in Israeli prison now for over 20 years, serving five life sentences following his conviction in an Israeli
court for the murder of five Israelis and other charges. Barghouti has denied any involvement in the killings. His image among Palestinians
remains strong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERSHON BASKIN, FORMER HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR: When the Palestinians have their next national elections, whenever it is, it is very likely that
Marwan is going to be elected president of Palestine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And polls by a leading Palestinian polling institute backed that up. Barghouti is the most popular Palestinian presidential candidate in a
hypothetical election. He's also seen as someone who could take a leading role in Gaza because he is not associated with Hamas.
But, of course, this is a difficult scenario to envision as he sits in an Israeli prison. Well, even now, Israel's separation wall with the West Bank
is adorned with murals of this high-profile Israeli prisoner.
I want to bring in today Arab Barghouti, son of Marwan Barghouti. He was 11 when his father was arrested. Growing up, would only see him every few
years. He's joining us live from Ramallah in the West Bank.
And we heard a little from the interview that you did about 18 months ago on CNN, Arab. It's good to have you. You last saw and spoke with your dad,
as I understand it, about three years ago. He's been in solitary confinement since then.
When you saw that video of him with Ben-Gvir last Friday, what was going through your mind?
BARGHOUTI: Honestly, it shocked me to my core. I can't lie. I mean, it's very hard to see my father losing weight and looking, you know, as if he
aged 10 years in the last two years. After October 7th, as you mentioned, he's been through a lot. He was sent to solitary confinement.
[10:35:00]
He was assaulted multiple times. The three major times in the end of 2023, March of '24 and mainly in September of '24. He told his lawyer when he saw
him. And his lawyer is the only one who could see my father in the last two years. He saw him only four or five times. He said that that was an
assassination attempt.
They dragged him into a area with no camera surveillance. They started beating him up. He got injured in many areas of his body and got, you know,
injuries that stayed with him.
And then to see this video is really disturbing. I don't know if this Israeli government has limits. And unfortunately, someone like Ben-Gvir,
who's a figure in the Israeli government and the fascist minister, gets a pass to do whatever he wants with Palestinian detainees.
ANDERSON: What message do you believe Ben-Gvir was sending by posting that video?
BARGHOUTI: He was sending a message that the Israeli far right is controlling the politics in Israel, unfortunately.
And I say unfortunately, because we, in Palestine, we really wish that we can have a more moderate Israeli government, that we can negotiate on a
solution that can be a long-term solution that can end this conflict now and for, for forever.
And I think that he's doing a political stunt. He wants to show that, if I can humiliate the Palestinian leader, the most popular Palestinian leader,
as you mentioned, I'm humiliating the Palestinian people overall.
But in my opinion, what I saw is that my father stood tall, as always, in the face of oppression, in the face of the illegal occupation of our land
by the Israeli government and the Israeli regime. And it showed the ugliness of the current Israeli government, to be honest with you.
ANDERSON: Listen, Hamas was pushing for your father to be released during the January Gaza ceasefire that saw the exchange of hostages, of course,
for Palestinian prisoners. Also had a very short period of ceasefire time and hostage exchange, hostage for prisoner exchange back in November of
2023.
There is a hostage and ceasefire for prisoner deal on the table right now. Any confidence your father will be part of any exchange, were that deal to
happen, of course?
BARGHOUTI: Yes. Yes, we are very positive that my father will be released. And we think that it's time. I want everyone to understand that my father
represents a really positive force toward the stability of the region.
He's someone who, like the reason why he is the most popular leader is because, first of all, he is a unifying figure. And we Palestinians really
need unity. And I could argue that unity will contribute into the security of and the stability of the region.
The second thing is that his political vision aligns perfectly with the international community, which is the two-state solution, which it has
supported for decades now. And also people in Palestine, we appreciate and really value the leaders that actually sacrifice for us.
My father is someone who has, you know, spent 30 years in prison and he's willing to sacrifice for the Palestinian people.
ANDERSON: And Israel has been and will continue to be very clear Marwan was convicted for his role in planning attacks that killed five Israeli
civilians, charges your father, of course, denies.
Now Israel has not responded officially to this latest ceasefire proposal. It's pressing on with a major assault on Gaza City at this point.
As you and I speak today, do you see any way out of this conflict and toward a day-after plan that many, of course, you know, hope will include
your father at this point?
BARGHOUTI: Yes. I believe that we are proposing the solution that is accepted by the international community, by the international law, which is
the two-state solution.
But we do need help. We can't be left alone toward a fascist government that is practicing genocide against the Palestinian people and practicing
ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people in the West Bank, not only in Gaza.
And I want to make sure that people understand that our main priority is stopping the genocide, stopping the killing and the slaughter of children
in Gaza. And my father represents the Palestinian people. When they're starved, he's starved. When they're being attacked, he's attacked as well.
And that's why we mention him. And I want to make sure that people understand that we do not accept the Israeli judicial system, that is fault
(ph). And we do not accept my father's trial, who was called a terrorist in the beginning by the judge herself.
[10:40:00]
And who was -- they tried to assassinate him three different times before they brought him to prison. It's a system that has a conviction rate
against Palestinians of 99.7 percent and has, you know, thousands and thousands of Palestinian people.
As we speak, in prison for 450 children, 50 women, 3,600 under administrative detention, which is illegal by international law without
trial, without charge. So this is not a trusted judicial system. And I don't accept, to put it as a fact.
ANDERSON: Your father is a national icon for Palestinians, of course, grew up in the 1970s, the '80s, the '90s.
He is still a powerful symbol, as we've been discussing here. One writer in "Haaretz" suggesting that Benjamin Netanyahu's greatest fear might be the V
for victory sign being held up by your father as he were to leave prison, if indeed, any deal was struck to release him.
I just wonder who your dad is -- you're of the younger generation. You're involved in, you know, tech in Ramallah. As I understand it, you're
involved in, you know, trying to establish a Ramallah in the West Bank as a -- as a coding center. And the very best of luck with the work that you are
doing.
To that younger generation that you are involved with in the tech world, is he -- is he as familiar to the youngsters as he is to an older generation?
And will he feel a familiarity, do you believe, with a new generation?
BARGHOUTI: I think he does. Something that you need to know, before October 7th, the Palestinian detainees, they had access to books. And my
father is a big reader. He holds a PhD in political science. He teaches Palestinian detainees in Israeli studies. He reads between 10 to 12 books a
month.
You're talking about thousands of books in the last two decades. And he wanted to always stay in touch with what's happening and with reality.
And the fact that he's been in prison for more than two decades, so you're talking about people who are under 30, which is the majority of
Palestinians who've never seen him in person and so on, still choose him as their favorite leader, tells you a lot about Palestinians and tells you a
lot.
The fact that they are supporting someone who supports the two-state solution. This is a great opportunity that needs to be captured by the
international community. And this is a great partner for peace.
And as you mentioned, Netanyahu doesn't want to release him because he doesn't want a partner for peace. He's been bragging about the fact that he
killed the two-state solution, which is the only way to get out of this horrible, horrible situation that we're in at the moment.
ANDERSON: Arab, it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for your time from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank today.
Right. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. We're back after this quick break. Stay with us.
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[10:45:00]
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ANDERSON: North Carolina is under a state of emergency due to Hurricane Erin, a monster storm. Heavy rain associated with Erin has flooded roads in
the state while the beaches are battered by dangerous storm surges with winds reaching 160 kilometers an hour.
We're getting reports of coastal erosion near the city, for example, of Wilmington. A satellite image from earlier shows Erin still swirling well
offshore. Forecasters say it's now moving away from North Carolina, parallel to the mid-Atlantic shore.
Let's get you to CNN's Dianne Gallagher. She's live for us in Nag's Head in North Carolina on the state's Outer Banks.
How has that area fared, Dianne?
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So as far as damage goes, we've not observed any here in Nag's Head. It seems the storm surge overall was
pretty kind to this particular part of the Outer Banks.
You can see there's a bit of a wind but even that right now is starting to dissipate. It was really whipping up earlier this morning, it was actually
hard for me to do television, talking to the anchors, because I was kind of getting this almost like sand facial, just exfoliating my skin. It was so
much.
If you look out into the ocean right now, Becky, this is what we're dealing with. It's these angry seas, the remnants of Erin, which is why this is
still considered dangerous for people to get into the water.
We had very severe rip currents throughout the entire week. There were many rescues, as I believe you alluded to earlier this week, because of people
who tried to swim. There is a swimming ban pretty much across the Eastern Seaboard from parts of Florida and Georgia and South Carolina, all the way
up to New England right now.
And those are the areas north of where we are that are going to start feeling some of these effects as the hurricane drifts away from sea. At
this point, we're waiting to see what happens when they reopen the main highway that connects all of the island.
We've seen some initial reports that show some overwash and sand but no extensive damage that's been reported thus far. Still kind of digging out
right now.
ANDERSON: Good to have you. Stay safe, Dianne. Thank you.
Still to come, love lost and literature. Reading for pleasure is down. But romantasy is turning up the heat. What is sizzling on the shelves might
just surprise you.
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ANDERSON: Well, Americans are reading less and less with each year. A new study says that reading for pleasure plunged 40 percent in the last two
decades. But there's one corner of the literary world that is flourishing: romantasy, a genre that's emerged in recent years where romance meets
fantasy.
It's a trend that's been turbocharged, inevitably, on social media; influencers using TikTok, in particular the subsection known as BookTok,
are recommending and discussing books, sometimes with hundreds of thousands of followers.
Bloomberg says that sales of romantasy titles soared to $610 million last year. Books like these, "A Court of Thorns and Roses" and "Fourth Wing,"
two of the most popular series out there at the moment.
[10:50:00]
And this summer, London even got its first-ever romance-focused bookstore.
Sarah Maxwell is the founder of Saucy Books, joining me now from London.
It's good to have you. Thanks for joining us. I see one of these, at least, if not both. In fact, I see both on the bookshelves behind you. It's good
to have you. Romantasy is an incredibly popular genre. It seems that women are the biggest fans.
What's the draw, Sarah?
SARAH MAXWELL, FOUNDER, SAUCY BOOKS: You're right. Women are huge fans. Romantasy blends everything that we love about great books, which is, you
know, a plot, strong plot, strong female characters going on, usually an epic quest and then a blend of romance. It has a little bit of everything.
ANDERSON: What's your favorite book?
I see so many there on the shelves.
Have you got a favorite series?
MAXWELL: "Throne of Glass" is my favorite series from Sarah J. Maas. It's excellent.
ANDERSON: OK. Love it. All right. Good. Writing it down. I'm taking a note of that one, reading for pleasure, as I said, it's been on the decline for
many years, particularly with the rise in social media.
TikTok's really had an influence on the -- on the rise of book influencers. As a bookstore owner yourself, you kind of sit at that intersection between
a publisher and these new influencers.
What impact do you think these book talkers, as they are known, have made?
MAXWELL: Book talk is great for discovery. So it really allows people to discover authors they might have never heard of, give recommendations. We
know word of mouth is usually the strongest form of recommendations. And then also discover books that may have been published a few years ago that
aren't recent.
And readers come in and they really love explore new genres and new authors. And so book talk is a really great source for them.
ANDERSON: And Sarah, publishers are loving this, aren't they?
They're picking up indie published books, many of which will have gained popularity -- first, of course, on TikTok.
Is this a trend that you think is here to stay at this point?
MAXWELL: I do. Romantasy isn't technically new. I think the growth around it has just increased over the last couple of years. And there are a number
of really talented authors who write high-quality fantasy and I don't think it's going to go away anytime soon. And readers really love it. So it's
really fun.
(CROSSTALK)
MAXWELL: -- something for everyone.
ANDERSON: And how are you doing as a business?
Because this is, you know, you're bricks and mortar. You're a bookstore in an era when they appear to be under threat.
How are you doing?
MAXWELL: We are so busy I can't keep books on the shelves.
(LAUGHTER)
MAXWELL: Turns out people really love romance and they love coming to romance bookstore to get their favorite authors. So we're having the best
time. I've lots of --
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ANDERSON: That's amazing because that focus on romantasy, was it, that you think is really the kind of catalyst for your success?
MAXWELL: It's definitely part of it but contemporary romance is also extremely popular and a huge part of the overall fiction genre. And people
just love reading and they're avid readers and they love to read romance. So you know, we're -- we love it. We're having the best time.
ANDERSON: So it's fascinating, isn't it?
Because this is romance meets fantasy. You're saying, you know, it tends to be women who have really jumped on this genre. Men love fantasy.
So you know, what is it about the sort of, you know, the fantasy side of this, which is such a draw to women?
When somebody said to me, you know -- and it's mostly women who are reading romantasy, I kind of thought, yes, really?
Probably. It didn't really surprise me. But when I thought about it, fantasy is sort of -- is such a, you know, historically male-dominated
genre.
Are you surprised by the profile of people reading these books?
MAXWELL: Not at all. Because they match myself. Like I love romantasy. And I think that the reason I love it is because I love really strong
storytelling and exploring new worlds. These magic systems that these authors create are just absolutely brilliant and so creative.
And you wind up going on these epic journeys with these characters, much like you would Tolkien. And I think that really resonates with people.
And the fact that it's written for women by women with the female gaze intact, I think is one of the reasons why it is so popular. But these are
such empowered characters and so it's hard not to love them so much.
And men do read romantasy. I have lots of male members who come in and buy "Fourth Wing."
[10:55:00]
ANDERSON: Yes, no. I'm not -- I'm not suggesting for a moment that that you don't have any male readers but yes, it was. I was just interested to
see just how dominated it is by women. It's good to have you. I'm delighted you've had -- we've had you on.
Book talk has been, you know, something we've been talking about at the office here in the bureau at CNN for some time. And it was about time that
we, we opened and socialized the conversation to a wider TV market, at least. Thank you, Sarah, for joining us.
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ANDERSON: Well, NASA has released these new photos.
Yes, yes, absolutely. I'll make sure. I'll make sure I come to you.
She's in Notting Hill, as I understand it. Right.
NASA has released these new photos of Mars that show what the Red Planet would look like under a clear blue sky. The image that you're looking at
here is actually a mosaic of 96 images that were taken by the Perseverance rover. Now the photos were then enhanced by NASA to increase their clarity,
giving them this blue hue.
As you can see in the natural color version, Mars does maintain its reddish tint.
That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next. I'm going off to start that.
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