Return to Transcripts main page
Isa Soares Tonight
U.S. Strikes Alleged Drug Vessel in Eastern Pacific; U.S. and Taiwan's $11B Arms Deal; "Palestinian 36" Examines History of Palestinian Occupation. Deadline for the Release of Jeffrey Epstein Files Looms; Europe Weighs a Decision on Russia's Frozen Assets; More Deadly U.S. Strikes in the Caribbean As Maduro Denounces President Trump's Ship Blockade. Aired 2:00-3p ET
Aired December 18, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
MAX FOSTER, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Max Foster in for Isa Soares. Tonight, chilling new images
from Jeffrey Epstein's estate revealed as a deadline to release the so- called Epstein files looms. We've got the details. Plus, Europe weighs a decision on Russia's frozen assets.
The Polish Prime Minister saying issuing the money today or blood tomorrow. We're live in Brussels with the latest. Plus, more deadly U.S. strikes in
the Caribbean as Venezuela's President Maduro denounces President Trump's ship blockade. Well, a short while ago, Democrats on the House Oversight
Committee released new photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate.
The five images give fresh insight on the many powerful figures in his orbit, including Bill Gates posing for a photograph with a woman whose face
has been redacted. Philosopher Noam Chomsky on a plane with Epstein and a Ukrainian passport with a female notation. Also included, this screenshot
from a text conversation in which a person is discussing sending girls.
It's unclear who was involved in the exchange. And the last photograph shows a woman's foot with a quote from Lolita. You just saw there, the
Vladimir Nabokov novel is about a man's sexual obsession with a 12-year-old girl. All of the photos were provided without any context. Arlette Saenz
joins us now to try to make sense of them, because the context is really missing here. It really does make it difficult.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max, the House Oversight Democrats who released these photos said that they were not provided with any context
from Epstein's estate, which has provided close to 95,000 images relating to Epstein and his islands that he had down in the Caribbean.
But really, this just reflects the slow and steady drip of information that we have seen released from House Oversight Democrats. They say that they
are trying to be transparent with the information that they've received, and that is why they've been releasing photos like this, like that other
batch of photographs that included President Donald Trump showing his closeness to Jeffrey Epstein just last week.
But it's all coming as lawmakers are waiting to see what exactly the Justice Department will make public from their investigative files.
Remember, the Justice Department is facing a deadline of tomorrow to make public the information that they have from their investigation relating to
Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged sex trafficking ring.
The Justice Department is compelled to release this because the House and Senate had voted to make these files public. This is something that the
Trump administration had really blocked for quite some time, but their hands was forced after four Republicans sided with Democrats on that
discharge petition to force a vote to release these files.
Many are -- some senators are expressing some speculation that the Justice Department will actually follow through with what is mandated by law, but
what House Oversight Democrats are trying to do here is put out as much information as they can. Now, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee
have criticized these selective releases from House Democrats, saying that they are cherry-picking information.
Republicans argue they're trying to go through all of the information and then might release things in full. While Democrats say that they are
releasing items as they go through it and as they review it. As you can see in some of those photos, Democrats have said that they are working to make
sure that they are redacting information relating to the women who were trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein.
And those survivors are a very delicate and sensitive part of this entire ordeal, right? They have been pushing for the release for more information,
but they also have their own concerns about how this information is getting released. So, what House Democrats are trying to do here is put out this
information out into the public, as they are waiting to see if the Justice Department will follow through with the need to release these files by
tomorrow.
[14:05:00]
There's lots of questions about how the Justice Department will carry that out, what the timing will look like, what the scope will look like, and
whether there will be heavily redacted items.
FOSTER: Yes, all eyes on that tomorrow Arlette Saenz, thank you so much indeed. Now, the U.S. and Russia will again sit down and try to broker an
end to the war in Ukraine. According to White House officials, special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with Russian officials tomorrow in Miami
to discuss the latest proposal.
Earlier this week, the U.S., Ukraine and European leaders held peace talks in Berlin. President Donald Trump predicts the end of the war is closer now
than ever. Steve Witkoff will also meet with officials from Qatar, Turkey and Egypt to discuss the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
EU holding a critical summit on the war in Ukraine today, and foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says we just can't afford to fail. European Union
leaders were debating whether to use billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. The plan is to loan Ukraine the money until Russia
pays reparations for the war.
The EU is committed to funding Ukraine for the next two years regardless, so, if the proposal fails, the money has to come from somewhere else.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says they're determined to work it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: We have to find a solution today. The President of the council said, and I support him with
that. We will not leave the European Council without a solution for the funding for Ukraine for the next two years. And the two options, one of
them then has to be agreed in the European Council.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, let's get more from CNN's Clare Sebastian, she's in Brussels. I mean, this really does speak to an issue the EU has, doesn't
it? That they have to agree on everything together, which is one of the problems they've had with all of the negotiations with the peace deal as
well, and they can't even agree on something that is internal like this.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max, look, I think that is certainly on people's minds that this topic of the frozen assets, these
assets that were frozen by Europe and other countries at the very beginning of this war, that the idea of using them in some part for Ukraine has been
on the table for about three-and-a-half years, and we're now at a crunch point.
They don't need full unanimity in order to get some kind of -- what they're calling reparations loan over the line. They only need a qualified majority
in theory. But one person that they -- or one country that they definitely do need on side is Belgium, because that is where the majority of those
assets that are mobilized in Europe are held at Euroclear; which is a Belgian depository.
And as of 9 O'clock this morning, the Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever was speaking in the parliament here, and he basically said that at this
point he hadn't seen a document from the EU that met his demands. He is very concerned that Belgium, if this goes ahead, would be on the hook for,
you know, significant money if Russia came calling for those funds back, if it managed to mount a legitimate claim.
It is, of course, threatening to do that if this happens, and that there would be sort of unlimited legal and financial ramifications. So, he's
asking for guarantees from all member states. He wants other countries where small amounts of Russian assets are held to also participate a sort
of shared burden here.
But look, this is critical for Ukraine. President Zelenskyy was here this afternoon. He said going into next year, Ukraine could face a 45 to 50
billion euro shortfall if this next sort of chunk of money from the EU is not forthcoming. Not only that, but if he doesn't get it, he would be
significantly weakened, he said, in talks.
So, critical for Ukraine, but also existential I think at this point for Europe and its ability to take responsibility for Ukraine and for its own
security. Take a listen to the Polish Prime Minister speaking earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TUSK, PRIME MINISTER, POLAND: Now, we have a simple choice, either money today or blood tomorrow. And I am not talking about Ukraine only, I
am talking about Europe. And this is our decision to make. And only ours. I think all European leaders have to finally rise to this occasion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: So, look, he obviously feels that this is the moment for Europe to step up. There are others who disagree, not just Belgium at this point,
obviously, Hungary has been an outlier on all Ukraine decisions in Europe for a while now. The Hungarian Prime Minister came in this morning calling
this a stupid idea that would drag Europe into war.
But what we know as to what's happening now is that there's a lot of work happening behind the scenes. We expect leaders to take up this issue of
Ukraine funding in the coming hours. It could be a very long night here in Brussels, Max, but they are certainly, according to that clip you played
for us, Ursula von der Leyen, they are determined to get something done today or perhaps dragging into tomorrow.
FOSTER: OK, Clare, thank you so much. Let's bring in Orysia Lutsevych; the Deputy Director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at Chatham House. Thank
you for joining us.
]14:10:00]
You can understand Belgium's concern here. They would be on the hook for huge amounts of money if they released these billions potentially. But how
important is it that Europe manages to work this through?
ORYSIA LUTSEVYCH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, RUSSIA & EURASIA PROGRAM, CHATHAM HOUSE: It's very important, Max, because this is the war of attrition. This is
actually what industrial scale, where we see the need for Ukraine in production capacity to defend itself against the sustained high intensity
war.
If that doesn't happen, I think Polish Prime Minister was right. His sobering statement is trying to also explain European taxpayers and
countries that the selfish interest could jeopardize Europe. There are no risk-free solutions at this point. And I think what Belgium does, there's a
certain play of national politics taking this hard stance while we need European policy. And this is where the tension is.
FOSTER: In terms of the peace deal, we know that the U.S. and Russia will again sit down to try to broker an end to this war. They're also speaking
to Middle Eastern leaders as well as part of this. Does that show -- I mean, what are you hearing? Is there positivity in the talks right now?
LUTSEVYCH: Well, it's important that the talks continue. I think we all know the keys to ending of war are in the Kremlin. They are not in Miami.
If we look at the last speech that Putin gave at the Ministry of Defense Council meeting, he was very clear that he insists on pursuing the goals of
the -- what he calls military operation.
And he will gather what he calls Russian historic lands regardless. So, it doesn't seem like rhetorically, he is de-escalating, maybe he will try to
bargain something behind the closed doors, but we are seeing no indication that Putin is pursuing for peace.
FOSTER: Witkoff holding talks. He's also going to have talks about Gaza and Ukraine, effectively juggling those two crises at the same time. Is
there a link here do you think, in terms of resolving both conflicts? Even though, obviously we've got the ceasefire in place in Gaza?
LUTSEVYCH: Well, it's actually interesting to see how it's hard in Gaza case to move to the next phase of a ceasefire where actually the peace
stabilization and withdrawal of troops and demilitarization can happen. This could be also the case of Ukraine. It could be a harbinger of how hard
it is even after the deal is struck, to actually implement it.
The problem is that, I think, the small circle around President Trump, that is dealing with these complex issues is very narrow, and they're not
involving region specialists who understand the logic, the psychology and the intention of warring parties well enough to actually find the right
leverage vulnerabilities and also carrots to be able to negotiate peace.
FOSTER: Do you think there's been a constant misunderstanding of how Russia in particular, negotiates?
LUTSEVYCH: Absolutely. I think from the very beginning, the -- President Trump took office, President Putin had a special operation in how to hijack
Trump's agenda. And he did it. You may recall at the beginning, Trump was insisting on the ceasefire, and after a summit in Anchorage, he agreed to
continue talks without a ceasefire.
And he showed weakness. And the moment Putin senses weakness, you could see that he escalates, his appetite grows. And here we are, the high level
American dialogue continues. But Ukrainian civilians are dying and Russians managed to destroy nearly all Ukrainian energy grid, with the exception of
nuclear power stations.
FOSTER: You know, on a very basic level, what is the motivation for Russia to stop fighting when they feel like they're making progress? I mean, what
are the Americans presenting to them there?
LUTSEVYCH: Well, I think Americans are trying to seduce Russian economic elites by some economic package. Let's do business together. It's the
Arctic, it's the energy, it's American big businesses coming to Russia and making money. I think it's also having a seat at this prestigious table
with President Trump solving global challenges.
That prestige matters a lot to Putin and bringing Russia to the fold, perhaps, also limiting its dependence on China. As we know, the -- as the
war goes on, Russia's dependence on China increases, but it does not seem like these carrots are sweet enough for Russia to stop the war and even
start a de-confliction even a short period of a ceasefire, because they believe that they can achieve more on the battlefield right now.
[14:15:00]
FOSTER: Orysia Lutsevych, appreciate your time as ever, thank you for joining us. Hundreds of tractors rolled into central Brussels today. Part
of a farmers protest against the EU's planned trade deal with the South American bloc, Mercosur. Some protesters set off fireworks and hurled rocks
and bottles outside the European parliament.
Police fired tear gas to try to clear the crowds. EU leaders are considering whether to sign the deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and
Uruguay. It would create the world's biggest free trade area, but some European farmers fear they would be undercut by a flow of cheaper goods.
Minutes ago, Donald Trump gave a boost to efforts to legalize marijuana across the United States. The U.S. President signed an executive order
which changes the way the federal government classifies marijuana. He moved it from a schedule one drug, like heroin and LSD, to a schedule three drug
like testosterone or ketamine.
The reclassification should make it easier for researchers to look into the health benefits of cannabis. It could also give states more leeway to
legalizing it. Trump said this move is about giving people the medicine they need to deal with painful illnesses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I promise to be the president of common sense, and that is exactly what we're doing. This is
really something having to do with common sense, and it's something having to do with the fact that so many people that I respect ask me to do. People
that are having problems, big problems. They are having big problems with illness, with cancer in particular.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: For more on this, let's bring in CNN Politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson. He's speaking to this at the moment, isn't he? Lots of
people fascinated with it because they see marijuana in the context of a recreational drug, which the President is fiercely against any sort of
drug-taking.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, this is a very interesting move, both scientifically, Max, and politically. Scientifically
what this will do was it will unleash, I think, a lot of funding for research into the medicinal qualities of cannabis. The President was
talking about -- a little earlier about some people who have diseases like cancer, and that can offer them some kind of pain relief.
There was talk in the Oval Office as well about other conditions that this could be beneficial towards. But you're right, the President is adamantly
against addictive substances, alcohol included, because of his brother, was an alcoholic. And this is sort of going against two strands of his own
politics, his hard crackdown on law and order, where in those communities, there was some resistance to this move and doing something which is sort of
much more modern and which the medical community really is keen on.
Let's not forget that at a time when Trump's MAGA base is showing some signs of strain, younger white male voters for whom cannabis is quite a big
issue, they have started to peel away a little bit from the President. So this, I think, can be seen as a move of conciliation towards those voters
and to older voters for whom this is an important issue in terms of medical relief. Those voters are the most likely people to show up at the polls in
the midterm elections next year.
FOSTER: What did you make of his national address last night? Because it seemed to -- I mean, it was factually challenged. I think the -- one of
your colleagues has written that, but it seemed to appeal to the MAGA base, but not necessarily to the center ground. Is that right?
COLLINSON: Yes, and it was an extraordinary stylistic occasion. Presidential addresses are normally in moments of national crisis or
tragedy when a war is declared, for example, or the President needs to bring the country together. President Trump stood up there and basically
bellowed at voters for 20 minutes in this very amped up, speeded up way to try and get as much as he could into his 20 minutes on the TV networks.
What he seemed to be frustrated about was that people do not recognize that the country is in this golden age that he has declared, particularly on
economics. Many Americans are really angry about the continuing high prices for groceries, rent and healthcare. The President was basically arguing
he's fixed everything already.
Anything that's still bad is due to President Biden, and sort of taking a step back. I think what I took away from it was that the White House is
actually in more political trouble than some of us particularly realize. I think there's a lot of pressure from the outside, a lot of commentary that
Trump is becoming a lame duck.
But there was an element of anger and frustration and panic to the President there, that what he's been doing hasn't been appreciated. And he
seemed that he was angry with voters and rebuking them rather than trying to explain how his policies could make life here better next year.
FOSTER: Interesting strategy. Stephen Collinson, thank you so much.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
FOSTER: Coming up next, I'll speak with Jeremy Berke; the founder of "Cultivated Media", a newsletter -- a newsletter focused on the cannabis
industry.
[14:20:00]
I'll ask him what this major shift in drug policy could mean in practice. That's coming up on what we know. Still to come tonight, Australian
authorities are reopening the site of Sunday's anti-Semitic terror attack. Our Will Ripley with all the latest from Bondi Beach.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: The suspects in Australia's terror attack recently visited the Philippines for a month long stay. A hotel employee has told CNN, the
father and son, suspected of killing 15 people in Sunday's mass shooting on Bondi Beach remained in their hotel room for much of their visit. The staff
member says Sajid and Naveed Akram would only leave the hotel for about an hour every day.
Australian police are trying to determine what role, if any, this trip had in their attack plans. As the investigation continues, the site of the
attack is being reopened. Here's CNN's Will Ripley, who is in Bondi Beach.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just moments ago, police reopened the bridge that was sort of the epicenter of the Bondi
Beach massacre, because that's where the two gunmen, the father and son, were standing as they were firing rounds at the Hanukkah festival, killing
15 people.
The oldest victim, an 87-year-old holocaust survivor, the youngest, a ten- year-old girl named Matilda, who leaves behind heartbroken parents and a younger sister named Summer. You know, they may have chosen this spot
because they actually have a lot of cover from the trees here, so, it was really difficult for the police to fire back.
And they had these huge rifles that they kept reloading as they gunned down innocent people simply for being Jewish. It's really haunting to be
standing here, frankly, because this is the bridge that we have -- we've seen from almost every angle. Everybody had their phones out on the day of
the massacre, filming.
And this is what the gunman would have been seeing as they carried out their brutal act. And then one of them, the father died here. The son was
shot, he was hospitalized, in a coma for several days. He's now been awake. He's been charged, and this iconic Australian beach may never feel the same
certainly for the people whose lives were changed forever on that awful day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:25:00]
FOSTER: Already turning to the U.S. now, we're expecting an update from officials in Rhode Island in just a few hours. Police have asked for help
in identifying a person of interest related to last weekend's shooting at Brown University as well as a person who may have crossed paths with the
person of interest.
On Saturday, a gunman opened fire on campus, killing two students and injuring nine others. The university has come under criticism for lack of
or poor quality security cameras around the campus. The investigation now in its sixth day, and we've just had our own reporting from John Miller
saying that the police are actually looking into potential ties between Saturday's shooting at Brown and Monday's shooting at MIT, of a professor
at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts.
So, this professor was a key research really -- researcher in the area of nuclear fusion. So, that's been a separate case. And the two could be
connected, according to John Miller, we should hear more about that at the press conference. But we'll also speak to John Miller next hour. New
details emerging about the death of film director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
The Los Angeles county medical examiner has officially listed their cause of death as homicide due to multiple sharp force injuries. The couple's
son, Nick, has been accused of fatally stabbing his parents. Nick Reiner made his first court appearance on Wednesday in connection to last
weekend's murders.
However, a judge ruled he wasn't allowed to be shown on camera. An arraignment date was set for January. Defiance in Venezuela as the U.S.
moves to blockade sanctioned oil tankers in and out of its territory. We'll have reaction from Caracas just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
MAX FOSTER: The U.S. military has struck another alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four people. It's the second
strike this week as the U.S. is increasing its military action in South America, focusing on Venezuela. President Trump has accused Caracas of
stealing U.S. oil, land and other assets, and earlier this week ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers into and out of Venezuela.
Stefano Pozzebon has more on this for us from Caracas. Stefano.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, Max. Well, the accusation from the White House that the Venezuelan government has stolen U.S. assets here in
Venezuela has left more people wondering what exactly was the President Donald Trump referring to, given that the Venezuelan constitution
guarantees the sovereignty over its natural resources since at least 1976, so long before Nicolas Maduro accessed to power.
However, most analysts and most of the sources, by the way, that we spoke with here in Caracas and also around this story are telling us that this is
just a pretext, that the real issue here is the fact that the United States are trying to put pressure on Nicolas Maduro and force a way for him to get
out of power as quickly as possible, but also as peacefully as possible. I think it's now clear that the White House is playing down the idea of
taking a direct action and actually going after Maduro militarily.
But it's worth remembering that, exactly, just like you said, yesterday there was yet another attack. It's well beyond the 20 attacks on alleged
speedboats without the White House actually presenting any proof that these people are indeed involved in narcotrafficking. And we can now say that
there are at least 99 Latin Americans, or most of them should be Latin American men that have been killed in the last few months.
In the last days and weeks, the last days and also last week, we did tell you, Max, for example, that the White House seemed to have a change of
tactic in moving away from the drug trafficking kinetic strikes into the idea of putting a state of siege, a naval blockade against the Venezuelan
shadow fleet that moves oil in order to trigger some economic collapse here in the country.
Yesterday's attack signifies that both tactics are still very much in place. The naval blockade is still in place. Venezuela is no longer allowed
to export its precious oil reserves. But at the same time, these drug traffickers, or alleged drug traffickers, are still persecuted by the
United States Navy and other military assets that have been deployed.
And, by the way, it looks like they're going to be staying there in the Southern Caribbean throughout the holiday season, Max.
FOSTER: OK. Stefano, appreciate it. Thank you so much. Now, the Trump administration announces an $11 billion arms deal with Taiwan, one of the
largest ever weapon sales to the island from the U.S. It includes howitzers, rocket systems, anti-tank missiles, drones, software and other
military equipment. Taiwan's been ramping up its military purchases as it comes under increasing pressure from Beijing.
China's foreign ministry says it opposes and condemns the deal. The weapons package still requires both U.S. congressional approval and approval in
Taiwan's legislature.
Still to come tonight, we'll look at an Oscar hopeful on the Palestinian occupation. You'll hear from the director of "Palestine 36" about the
project.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
FOSTER: Since the October 7th attacks in 2023, we've reported extensively on the ongoing suffering in Gaza, but the changing nature of the conflict
means it's a complex history and it can sometimes be overlooked when you look back.
The new movie, called "Palestine 36," explores the genesis of the occupation of Palestine. It's set around the Arab Revolt of 1936 and
focuses on British colonial rule and the government's monumental decision to partition the country. Isa sat down with the writer-director Annemarie
Jacir to discuss the inspiration and the challenges of making a movie of this scale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're at the crossroads of a major moment in time. Perhaps you should consider which side of history you want to be on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNEMARIE JACIR, WRITER AND DIRECTOR, "PALESTINE 36": I started this project about eight years ago when I started writing and researching and
financing it, but it felt absolutely relevant to my everyday life living in Palestine.
First of all, I'd been hearing about the revolt for all my life, the revolt of 1936, because it was such a mass uprising and it was such a critical
moment in Palestinian history. And really, that's the first uprising, the first intifada, I think, is '36. And I'd always heard about it and the six-
month strike, the longest strike in history and how important it was. And I hadn't really heard about the violence of it because that part of the story
is sort of left out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They are clearing land for a new colony. Right next to the fields.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are asking for your help in protecting our villagers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ask you all to have faith. We can create a united and peaceful holy land.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACIR: But more interesting for me was also the fact that my daily life in Palestine is completely, the blueprint is set up in this moment, the
blueprint for everything about military occupation.
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: This is a start.
JACIR: This is a start, how to control a population, how to, it was one of the last colonies, so they'd taken all the lessons from India, from, you
know, everywhere, and brought it here. And everything we're living today, it's incredible that it's traceable completely to then, I mean, in terms of
the illegality of it and making it collective punishment, legal, making, I mean, all of this, it was -- yes, I think that's how it started for me.
SOARES: You faced some major hurdles with this movie. Speak first to the logistical challenge of getting this movie actually made.
JACIR: To begin with, it was an insane sort of undertaking because it's such a huge period film. None of these things exist anymore, so we were
building. You know, we spent about a year preparing for this film, which is much longer than normally. How it's done with pre-production, we built the
bus in the film, we built the village. We don't have really any more villages like that. So, we restored an entire village. We planted fields of
crops, crops that Palestinians were growing in the '30s, cotton, tobacco, other things. So, it was like this giant project for us.
Hundreds of people were working on it. Felt very important that this side of our history and this part of our story hasn't been told, so the whole
crew was really invested in it, and all the details, we're all obsessed with the little details of everything, the correct typewriter, the right
cloth, the right embroidery, the trees, like all of this. I think we were completely, insanely obsessed, you know.
And then our first day of shooting, finally, was scheduled for October 14, 2023. And so, it was a total disaster for the film. We lost everything. We
lost all our locations. We lost all of the stuff that we built.
SOARES: Because of October 7th?
JACIR: Because of October 7th, there was a complete lockdown. We were based in the West Bank. We were based in my city, Bethlehem.
SOARES: Beautiful city, by the way.
JACIR: Thank you. I've never shot there. I've shot all over Palestine, but not in my own city. This was the first film where I was finally based in my
own city.
[14:40:00]
We had to evacuate the whole team. Everybody had to leave. And we shut down.
SOARES: And there is a moment where they're sitting around the dinner table. The radio's turned on. And you hear the announcement that Palestine
is going to split into two of partition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Partition offers a possibility of obtaining a solution of the problem, which does justice to the rights and aspirations of both
the Arab and the Jew. Half a loaf is better than no bread at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And in it, they talk about Arab generosity, Arab gratitude. And as I was watching that, the back of my mind, obviously, I understand what has
happened in the history. But also, I'm looking at the TV, and I'm seeing what's happening in Ukraine. Lessons to be learned as we hear President
Trump talking about a Riviera of the Middle East, as we hear President Trump pushing for Ukraine to give territory. What are lessons for leaders?
Because this is not about Jewish, it's not against Arab versus Jews, this is about oppression in many ways, isn't it, and colonialism. And that's
still relevant today.
JACIR: Yes. No, absolutely. I love that you said that. Because yes, it's not about religion. It's been -- you know, people talk -- try to talk about
it, try to misrepresent it as a religious thing. And of course, it's not. And I really wanted to show that in the film, that it's not at all about
that. And that also, you know, the Peel Commission, that conversation, that text you're talking about, is the actual text from the Peel Commission. And
I found it so shockingly arrogant.
And that you have at the beginning of the film, you have the archival footage. We understand that this is also the Jewish immigrants who are
coming in, are fleeing persecution, fascism from Europe. There's that shot of the Nazi passport. That is not from us. That is awful, horrid European
violence that was placed on Palestine to solve it. All that is the things I wanted to explore in the film.
And that's sort of the Peel, you know, the dinner, the discussion at Peel. I didn't have to add a single word in that. I mean, I found it, it was so
incredible the way it was, you know, like Trump today, talking about something without having really any clue what is going on on the ground and
having nobody local at the table.
SOARES: Your movie, I believe, is the Palestinian submission right for the Oscars. Are you feeling optimistic? What would this moment mean for you?
JACIR: I feel very proud of that because this film was such a labor of love. And with everything that happened, you managed to make this film in
the worst, darkest moment of our history. And we kept going, and we stopped, and we started, and there were many times we thought we're not
even going to be able to do this. And we just devoted ourselves to it, and it's this labor of love, and it was made with love, but it was made with so
much pain and so much, you know, despair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I find that the best solution to terrorism is to build a wall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I cannot, in good conscience, sit here and become complicit in this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACIR: I feel very good that we -- you know, we're representing something that's now out there in the world, is representing Palestine. It was made
with a lot of international support, but really the heart of it is the creative team, a Palestinian producer, Palestinian writer and director,
Palestinian production designer, costume designer, props, casting, locations. Like, we did this in this darkness, and I feel proud that it
exists, and despite everything, it's there. So, I feel like we won already. I don't care what happens next.
It would be great, you know, that it goes further than that, but I really think this is a film that needs to be, we want to share it. And so,
whatever enables us to share it with as many people as possible is what matters.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Well, "Palestine 36" is currently playing in the U.K. and will be released worldwide next month. We'll be right back after a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
FOSTER: The queen of Christmas has been dethroned. Mariah Carey's holiday hit, "All I Want For Christmas Is You," has dropped from the top of
Billboard's Global 200 for the first time since 2020. The new number one?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: "Last Christmas," the 1984 classic by Wham! is the new Billboard chart topper. The estate of late Wham! member George Michael said in a
statement, it's a testament to a brilliant song and timeless record that embodies the very sound of Christmas. "All I Want For Christmas Is You"
still tops the U.S. charts.
Now, as we wrap up for the end of the year, it's time to relax and unwind, enjoy some special moments with friends and family and even read a book or
two. In today's Festive Episode of Isa's Book Club, CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour tells Isa her standout books of the year and
what she's looking forward to reading in 2026.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Welcome to a very Festive Special Edition of Isa's Book Club. It's great to have with us a lady who needs no introduction, journalist who
really is very well known on the show and a colleague of ours. Christiane, welcome to our Book Club.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Thank you. I very rarely be called a lady and I very rarely appear to the Christmas trees.
SOARES: It is very festive. There you go. Special treatment, Christiane. Christiane, viewers won't know this, but I often see you bump into you and
you're often holding a newspaper. Physical copy.
AMANPOUR: The real thing.
SOARES: The real thing. I wonder outside of that and given the hectic news cycle, whether you've found time to actually read books.
AMANPOUR: Yes, the short and the long answer is yes. Because we -- I just did a quick count, we've done about 22 books and authors on our program,
which is half the weeks of the year, which means a lot of reading by myself and my team. And I think it's just such an enjoyable thing.
When I get to read for myself, it physically, the dopamine starts, you know, kicking in. It physically makes me feel different. Especially, mostly
I only get time to read before I go to bed.
[14:50:00]
SOARES: Yes.
AMANPOUR: And that's a very good time and it has a great impact on me and a great effect. And I just love the written word.
SOARES: Yes, I similarly, I read when I go to bed, even if it's just two, three pages, it really helps me to unwind. 20-something books you've read,
what's the one that really stood out for you and why?
AMANPOUR: So, on the novel slash sort of, you know, quasi-memoir, Chimamanda's latest book, Ngozi Adichie, I'll call "Dream Count." I really
loved it. I read it over the summer holidays and then we interviewed it on the show.
I really enjoyed, on a completely different level, a book called "Peacemaker," which was by my friend, Thant Minh-U, whose own grandfather
was the second U.N. Secretary General called U Thant. And this book was about a time when actual United Nations Secretary Generals were really
important and how U Thant was able to play a significant constructive role during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis between Kennedy and Khrushchev and
then how his views on America during the Vietnam War were very critical and very, you know, crucial to how that all, you know, played out and how he
tried to get the North Vietnamese and the Americans to make a peace deal long before the war ended. So, I found that really, really interesting.
There are a couple of books I still want to read. The other book I found really interesting was a group of essays edited and curated by the great
novelist Michael Lewis, best known for his, you know, financial books and this and that. He wrote a book about government and how, actually, with all
the opprobrium that is really meted out to government workers, how it is government that really makes our lives better, livable and just generally
able to -- you know, to carry on. But without government, it would be a state of nature.
And I thought that was really interesting because, you know, he was able to really show us the other side, the real constructive side of a group of
people, government, which is routinely demonized.
SOARES: Was there a book that you want to read but you didn't find time to read?
AMANPOUR: Yes.
SOARES: Whether it's for the show or for yourself?
AMANPOUR: Yes, I want to read a number of them, but definitely the latest Booker Prize winner, David Szalay, "Flesh," I want that. I want to read
both Kiran Desai and Arundhati Roy, their new books. I find Arundhati's is a memoir about a mother, Kiran Desai's is more of a novel, but I find
Indian literature absolutely fascinating. The way they delve into family, the way, you know, you get to hear about all the family rituals, the dos
and the don'ts and who can marry who and who can't and who can even, you know, go to work. Just that there's so much intricacy and I've done quite a
lot of reporting in India, so it's fascinating to me.
SOARES: So, Christiane, looking ahead to next year, what is in your wish list, your Christmas list, what are you asking for?
AMANPOUR: Well, in my Christmas list, some of the ones that I told you I haven't read, but also, I'm really looking forward to the publication in
early January of a book by Theodore Moran. Now, Theodore Moran is a Holocaust survivor and he has been instrumental in the attempt to get
justice, whether it's in the international criminal tribunals and courts and things, whether it was in his, you know, he was the legal counsel for
the Israeli government during the 1967 war.
And when I first interviewed him, he told me that he'd written this memo telling the Israeli government that actually hanging on to settlements,
which were considered internationally illegal at the time, they would find it very hard to defend in court and that they better, you know, retract
from that. And when I put that issue to then-Prime Minister Shimon Peres, he said, you know, legal? I don't know. We were just being pragmatic. Yes.
So, now, you know, the chickens are coming home to roost, what's happening in that region, I think Theodore Moran is incredibly precise and really
tells it from a perspective of authority, given where he comes from, given his history, given his legal expertise. So, his new book is called "A
Thousand Miracles" and it's going to be published and I'm looking forward to that.
SOARES: Christiane, thank you so much for your time. What a treat. We're going to gift you our book club. Do not give it away, throw it in the
kitchen.
AMANPOUR: Never, I will never re-gift that.
SOARES: We shall watch you closely in the Bureau.
AMANPOUR: It'll be on the set with me.
SOARES: Thank you very much, Christiane.
AMANPOUR: Thank you, Isa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: For her collection. Now, let this be your reminder to post those holiday cards because the Prince and Princess of Wales have released their
annual Christmas card. The photo features the royal couple, along with their three children, George, Charlotte, Louis, surrounded by a field of
blooming daffodils. The picture was taken by photographer Josh Shinner back in April, thus the daffodils.
[14:55:00]
Don't be alarmed if you see King Charles picking up a few shifts at the local pub this Christmas. The king paid a visit to the Guinness Open Gate
Brewery in Covent Garden for its opening. Is he any good? How much froth? And he was tasked with pouring a pint of the notoriously tricky stout,
Guinness. But His Majesty clearly was a natural. Take a listen to what the Guinness ambassador, Leo Ravina, had to say about the pint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can pop it back down and let that settle one more time. And that is an absolutely perfect pint of Guinness. Congratulations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Looked quite pleased with himself. There you go. Never too late for a career change. The age-old question, coffee or tea, has an answer. If
you're worried about osteoporosis and your bones, the answer is tea. A study of 10,000 women over the age of 65 found those who drank five or more
cups of coffee per day had lower bone density, making them more likely to suffer fractures. The tea drinkers had some signs of improved bone density.
It's worth noting that if you put sugar in your tea, the bone benefits were reduced.
Thanks for watching tonight. Stay with CNN. I'll have "What We Know" coming up next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
