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One World with Zain Asher

Heavy Fighting Continues In Northern Gaza; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Urges Congress To Move Forward With Aid To Ukraine And Israel; Preliminary Financial Trading Activity Research Suggests Some Traders May Have Had Advanced Knowledge Of Hamas Attacks On Israel; University Heads Say They Take Action On Anti-Semitism Problem. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired December 05, 2023 - 12:00   ET

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

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[12:00:30]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Apocalyptic. The U.N. says every time they think things in Gaza can't get any worse, they do. "One World"

starts right now. In the heart of Khan Younis, Israeli forces say today has been the most intense day since the beginning of their ground operation.

Also ahead, betting against Israel. A new report suggests some financial traders may have had knowledge of the Hamas attack in October, days before

it happened. And later from the hallowed halls of Capitol Hill to Hollywood. George Santos' plan to stay in the public eye.

Hello everyone live from New York I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. An Israeli commander is calling it the most intense day of fighting since

the beginning of the ground operation in Gaza. The IDF says its troops are now in the heart of Khan Younis as its forces intensify their push into the

southern part of the besieged enclave. But that's also where civilians were told to flee earlier in the war. The bombardments are now forcing the

Palestinian population into an area where there is little to no space left.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting is also taking place in northern Gaza, as well. The Israeli military released this footage of what it says shows strikes on

militant infrastructure. The Hamas-controlled health ministry says nearly 16,000 people have been killed since the start of the war.

Meanwhile, an IDF spokesperson is clarifying comments he made to CNN earlier. He initially said that a ratio of two Palestinian civilians killed

for every Hamas militant is, quote, "tremendously positive given the challenges of urban combat".

Well, now, Jonathan Conricus tells us that the IDF has not confirmed those numbers and that he should have chosen his words better. CNN's Alex

Marquardt joins me now in Tel Aviv. So Alex, the IDF believes that much of Hamas leadership is hiding near or around Khan Younis. What are they basing

this off of?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Well, this is based, we would imagine on Israeli intelligence is something

that's being echoed by the U.S. based on their own intelligence. The thinking, according to U.S. and Israeli officials, is that Hamas leadership

has moved from much of it from Gaza City in the north down to Khan Younis in the south.

They obviously do not explain the sources and methods that they use to track Hamas leaders, but we do know that there are signals intelligence

capabilities, so detecting their communications. We know that American and Israeli surveillance drones flying over the Gaza Strip over the past few

weeks, taking brief pauses for six hours during the hostage handovers.

But there is a general consensus among U.S. and Israeli officials that much of that leadership is concentrated in and around Khan Younis, which is why

now we're seeing these Israeli operations moving into the southern part of the Strip. We just heard from the top Israeli military official who said

that Khan Younis is being encircled.

Another top general today saying that the most intense fighting that we have seen yet has happened since the ground incursion in late October. That

happened today in terms of the number of Hamas militants who were killed, the number of firefights, the amount of firepower that was used.

Bianna, this raises all kinds of questions, of course, for the civilian population as well, because when Israel launched their operation in the

north, they told more than a million Gazans to go south. Many of them went to Khan Younis, and now they're telling those same civilians to go even

farther south.

So, major questions about where these innocent civilians can go -- 1.9 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations. A top

U.N. official saying that nowhere is safe, that there isn't enough shelter, there isn't enough aid, and the civilian death toll is gradually or rather

quickly rising.

And then when it comes to the IDF spokesman's comments, Jonathan Conricus, he did clarify by saying that he shouldn't have chosen those words

tremendously positive. But he didn't say that back - he didn't really go back on the argument that two civilians being killed for every one Hamas

militant was okay. That point remains. It does appear that the argument that he was making is that that would be acceptable.

Now, Israeli officials have not put a specific number on the number on the Hamas militants they've killed. They said it's several thousand.

[12:05:00]

So, let's say it's three or four thousand, even five thousand. And if you double that number, what the IDF is know saying is that that would be an

acceptable number of innocent Palestinian civilians killed in this fight. Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, it was notable to me yesterday when Mark Regev was speaking to CNN and he, even himself admitted that it was quite challenging

now for the civilians that it was perhaps from his words easier when they initially told them to go south.

But the argument obviously is, well, now you've told them to go south, and what are they supposed to do now? Where exactly are they supposed to go? It

just isn't feasible for such a large portion of the population to move so quickly. Alex Marquardt, I see the weather turning worse behind you, as

well. Thank you.

Well, nowhere that's safe, no place to go, and a situation that is getting increasingly apocalyptic. U.N. officials are again sounding the alarm about

the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and warning that if further aid isn't allowed in, an even more hellish scenario will unfold if that's possible.

A shortage of aid isn't the only threat facing civilians in Gaza. A spokesperson for the U.N. Children's Fund says exposure to the elements and

the fighting are also a massive worry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES ELDER, UNICEF SPOKESPERSON: It's not a safe zone if it's only free from bombardment, as some zones have not been. It's a safe zone when you

can guarantee the conditions of food, water, medicine, and shelter. You cannot overstate this. These are tiny patches of barren land, or they're

street corners, they're sidewalks, they're half-built buildings. There is no water, not a little bit. There's no water, no facilities, no shelter

from the cold and the rain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The Norwegian Refugee Council also had very strong words saying, quote, the pulverizing of Gaza now ranks among the worst assaults on any

civilian population in our time and age. CNN's Ben Wedeman joins me now from Jerusalem. And Ben, you heard those descriptions in the introduction

to you. Tell us what your reporting has led to.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Yes, well those descriptions are very apt. I mean, right now it is cold, it is rainy

here in Jerusalem, and it's going to be cold and rainy in Gaza, as well. And what we know, what we've seen, is that tens of thousands of people have

set up makeshift camps outside of Rafah, other parts of the southern Gaza Strip, by the road.

Basically, they're using plastic sheeting to try to make shelters. They have no access to water. There's no water sources available. So, if you

want water you have to find something that's not going to be nearby. There are no stores, there are no health facilities.

Basically, they are on their own in the wilderness. And the situation is bound to get much worse as the weather deteriorates as it is as I'm

speaking. And so, people are just happy to do what they can to just get the slightest bit of food.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Desperate times call for desperate measures. And in Gaza, if that means looting the local bakery destroyed overnight by an

Israeli airstrike, so be it. Look at the people, says Ikram Rai. They are doing this out of hunger. It was the Baraka Bakery. Baraka is Arabic for

blessing. But now Gaza is under the curse of a war.

It was the last functioning bakery in Deir Al Balah. The people's basic needs, striking it as a kind of terrorism. Once the sun came up Monday,

people of all ages descended upon the bakery, taking away bags of flour, cooking oil, scraps of wood to use for cooking and heating, and just about

anything else they could carry away. This man describes it in one word, chaos. The World Food Programme's Abeer Etafa warns the people of Gaza are

reaching the breaking point.

ABEER ETAFA, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: When you have civil order breaking down completely because people are becoming desperate, hopeless, hungry, by the

moment, this is, of course, bound to happen.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): And with Israeli ground forces now operating in southern Gaza, the hundreds of thousands who fled the north in search of

safety are now even more than before in the line of fire. Gaza, after almost two months of war has come to this.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[12:10:00]

GOLODRYGA: And Ben, you alluded to this earlier. We saw the lightning behind Alex and his report. There is a storm along the eastern

Mediterranean. Talk about the possible grave consequences for those thousands who are now displaced and trying to find somewhere to go.

WEDEMAN: Well, if you've ever gone camping in a rainstorm, that's basically what it is. The ground quickly becomes soaked. It's hard to sleep when

you're completely wet. There's also the threat of flash floods in Gaza, as well. And well, it's low-lying land, and there's that extra threat, the

cold, the rain.

And of course, when people are not eating enough, when they're living in unsanitary conditions, their immunity drops, and they become susceptible to

disease. And this is something we've heard repeatedly from the World Health Organization and others, that one of their main concerns is that at some

point, if this continues and continues to deteriorate, more people could die from disease than from the bombing. Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Just a horrendous situation all around. Ben Wedeman, thank you. Well. The White House is making it clear that time is running out for

Congress to approve another aid package for Ukraine. With Ukraine's U.S. aid hanging by a thread, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making a push for

more funding. He will personally appeal to lawmakers in a classified Senate briefing on Capitol Hill.

It's been nearly seven weeks since President Biden asked Congress for $60 billion to help Kyiv with arms and ammunition, and nothing has happened.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sounding the alarm, calling on colleagues to support the aid package.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK SCHUMER, U.S. SENATE DEMOCRAT MAJORITY LEADER: I urge every single Senator to think where we are at this moment in history. America's national

security is on the line around the world, in Europe, in the Middle East, in the Indo-Pacific. Autocrats, dictators are waging war against democracy,

against our values, against our way of life. That's why passing this supplemental is so important. It could determine the trajectory of

democracy for years to come. We are at a moment in history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Annie Grayer joins us from Capitol Hill. So, Annie, help us explain to our viewers what exactly the impediment is here. Because,

Republican seem to have dug in their heels about getting border funding if any aid is going to go to either Ukraine or even Israel.

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN REPORTER: That's right, Bianna. There is a huge divide playing out on Capitol Hill right now. House Republicans are digging in and

demanding that for any future aid to go to Ukraine and help with their war effort there, there has to be more aid to secure the U.S. border. Speaker

Mike Johnson put out a new letter to the White House today making those demands very clear.

And the problem is that does not square with what's happening in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as we've just heard, is

demanding that Congress move forward with aid to Ukraine and tie that aid to aid for Israel. House Republicans, meanwhile -- the Republicans

controlling the House, want aid to Israel to be voted on separately, so that Congress can work on these issues about tying Ukraine aid to the

border.

So, these are very sticky issues here, Bianna. And the issue is -- the big issue here is that time is of the essence and Congress is taking the time,

trying to figure out these border talks. But the White House is saying that there is no time. They're demanding action now.

So, President of Ukraine, Zelenskyy is going to be speaking remotely to both the Senate and the House today. Both House and Senate are going to be

having their own separate classified briefings, and we'll see what comes out of those later today.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, speaking in, and we should remind viewers that it's been nearly a year since he gave that memorable speech before a joint session of

Congress. And things have turned quite quickly for their situation right now. Annie Grayer, thank you.

Joining me now is CNA Military Analyst, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Colonel, good to see you. I want to get to Gaza in a

moment, but let's just continue the conversation regarding funding for Ukraine. Did you ever imagine a situation where it would be the United

States out of all allies who have been helping fund Ukraine, that it would be sort of the impediment and the concern here for getting more funding,

for getting more weapons and ammunition?

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, RETIRED, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Bianna, you know, in my heart of hearts, no. I did not imagine that it would be quite this

difficult because one of the things that a lot of people seem to have forgotten on Capitol Hill is that the very essence of American foreign

policy up until, you know, recently, has really been to in essence, Capitol Hill is that the very essence of American foreign policy up until recently

has really been to in essence, contain before the Soviet Union and then after that Russian activities in Eastern Europe.

[12:15:00]

And failure to approve funding for Ukraine would certainly deal a blow to the standard U.S. foreign policy that we've seen over the past few years,

of course with the major exception of the Trump administration. And that is I think part of the problem.

There's this political divide where people are picking sides that really are antithetical to U.S. interests. So, they may not realize it, but it's

pretty clear that if you do not fund Ukraine then you put at risk the eastern flank of NATO and you put at risk all of the gains that were made

since the fall of the Berlin wall.

GOLODRYGA Yeah, and they're losing valuable time, as well, because it's not like there's some magic wall when funding is finally approved, that

they'll get everything they need, it takes a while to procure weapons, as well. Of course, we'll continue to be following this story.

But let me turn to Gaza and the IDF, really, they're closing in the largest city in the south, Khan Younis. The fight is set to be one of the biggest

battles, so far, of this war. In terms of scale and what we can expect to see, the horrors that we saw from the northern battle, I mean, what is this

going to compare to, especially when you've got warnings from some of Israel's closest allies that this fight has to look different?

LEIGHTON: Yeah, I'm afraid it's not going to look that different, Bianna. And part of the reason for this is just the way in which Gaza is laid out.

Not only do you have Hamas fighters that are interspersed and intermingled with the civilian population. You have a lot of support for Hamas within

that population, and you also have all kinds of equipment -- the tunnels.

You have a very Byzantine type, structural system underneath as well as above ground in these areas. And as far as Khan Younis is concerned, that

area of course is where a lot of the refugees from the north came. Now, those refugees, those very same refugees, are being told to move back

either to the north or somewhere else, and that is really complicating things.

So, these operations are going to be extremely difficult to conduct by the Israelis. But in terms of scope and scale, it's going to be very similar to

what you saw in the north may even be a bit more intense, just because I think the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces, they feel that they're closing

in on many elements of Hamas that they are actually actively targeting. So, that's going to be part of the problem in this case.

GOLODRYGA: Carl, can I get you to weigh in on the comments and the sort of clarification that we heard from the IDF spokesperson, Jonathan Conricus,

yesterday saying that the civilians, two civilians for each Hamas terrorist killed is a relatively impressive ratio. For the layman, I mean, that just

seems like a poor phrasing of words in general. His clarification was he doesn't have the exact numbers. But from a military perspective, can you

help explain the point he was even trying to make?

Yeah, it's really difficult even from a military perspective. Of course, I'm looking at it from the U.S. point of view. But having said that, you

really want to minimize civilian casualties and having two civilians die for every single combatant that you kill, that's not a good ratio by any

one's math. And the problem that the Israelis have, of course, is, you know, basically a geographical and a structural one.

But the fact that they're dealing with this really requires them to be far more precise than they are right now. And it's difficult to do it, but this

is not something that I would hang my hat on. This kind of a ratio, I think, it's really a failure in terms of the ability to protect the

civilian population, which is actually a primary obligation of any military force. It's an absolute failure to protect that civilian population and

that is something that is really difficult to justify if not impossible.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, understandable. Then they try to clean up some of those comments as quickly as they did in a matter of hours. Cedric Leighton,

thank you so much.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Well, coming up, claims that some financial traders knew the October 7th Hamas attacks were coming and profited from the knowledge.

That's next.

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[12:22:20]

GOLODRYGA: Welcome back. Well, research into financial trading activity in the days before the October 7th terror attacks suggests some traders may

have had advanced knowledge of what was coming and made money off of it. The preliminary research by law professors at Columbia and New York

University's details, in their words, "a significant and unusual spike five days before the Hamas attacks".

Matt Egan is covering the story for us from New York and joins us with more on this. So Matt, walk us through some of the irregularities in trading

that led to this alarming conclusion.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, Bianna. This research is shocking. So, what happened is the professors, they went and they sifted through the trading

activity in the days before the October 7th attack and what they found was startling -- a spike in bets against the value of Israeli companies.

What they did here was they found an increase, an unusual increase in short-selling activity. That's a way to bet that the price of something

will go down, sort of like in the big short, the Michael Lewis book and movie that was about the housing crash, except here, they're not betting

against housing, they're betting against Israel's economy.

And so they found this unusual short-selling activity, not in one place, but in multiple places, including a popular ETF, the MSCI Israel ETF.

That's essentially a way to bet on Israel's economy, as well as options trading and dozens of Israeli companies that trade in Tel Aviv.

Now, what's so interesting here is that the researchers -- they didn't find anything like this kind of spike in short-selling against Israel at any

time in recent history. Right? Not during the 2020 COVID crisis, not during the 2014 Israel-Gaza war. Not even during the 2008 financial crisis. They

actually found that on October 2nd, five days before the terror attacks, that there was more short selling activity against Israel than in 99.5

percent of all days since 2009 -- 99.5 percent.

Now, let me read you a key line from this paper. The researchers wrote that "Taken together, our evidence is consistent with informed traders

anticipating and profiting from the Hamas attack." In other words, someone knew something and they made money off of it.

Now, we should note that this research is preliminary. It is not peer- reviewed. And it really does leave us with more questions than answers. They don't know who made these trades. They don't know on what basis they

made these trades. But Bianna, you got to think that regulators are going to be asking these very questions.

[12:25:00]

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, well, that's what I was just going to ask you is there a way that investigators can possibly trace back to who these short-sellers

were?

EGAN: Regulators do have access to more data than the researchers do, right? These academics, they went through public data. And that's somewhat

limited. Regulators at the SEC and FINRA, they have non-public data that might offer some more clues.

Now, we've reached out to the regulators. The SEC -- they say that they don't comment on the existence or non-existence of investigations. We did

reach out to the Israeli equivalent of the SEC. And that regulatory authority said that they are aware of these findings, that it's being,

quote, "thoroughly checked". And then they say they've worked with all relevant parties in Israel and abroad.

Now, I did speak to one of the professors here, Joshua Mitts at Columbia and he told me that he's very confident that this short-selling activity is

extraordinary and exceptional, that it's not just the product of ordinary trading. And I did ask him about who he thinks could have been behind these

trades.

And he said that, you know, it's very speculative to link it to Hamas although that is obviously one possibility. The professor also said that

it's possible this is someone who had overheard what Hamas was doing or something else is possible here, as well.

Well, what was so chilling, Bianna, is that Mitts told me that he's confident that this is just the tip of the iceberg, that there was actually

a lot more trading going on behind the scenes than the researchers were even able to see. And so, clearly, this is something that regulators need

to dig into and try to understand who was making these trades and why.

GOLODRYGA: So chilling. I know you'll be following this for us, as well. Matt Egan, thank you. Well coming up, demonstrations expected in Italy next

hour amid a spike in anti-Semitic attacks. We'll hear from some of those affected by the hate and violence next. Plus, it's a part of the world that

was desperate for rain just months ago. Now there's too much of it. How East Africa is coping with massive floods. That's ahead.

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[12:30:51]

GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World", I'm Bianna Golodryga. In the next half hour, a national demonstration against anti-Semitism crimes is set to

get underway in Rome. Now, it comes amid a recent spike in such crimes in Italy and other countries. Italy's National Commission Against Anti-

Semitism says attacks have increased threefold since Hamas' assault on Israel on October 7th. CNN's Barbie Nadeau joins us now from Rome. Barbie,

tell us what you're seeing around you and what we can expect to see.

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN REPORTER (on-camera): Well, the piazza right behind me, and we're expecting a few minutes for them to actually open the gates so

that people can come to this rally is really what it is. There'll be no movement of people. They're not marching or anything like that.

It's a very curated crowd, and there is so much security. We've seen police take a couple of people away already who are being, let's say, a little bit

antagonistic. And it's a very tense moment in Rome. We took a closer look just at what this means, this hike in anti-Semitism attacks in this

country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADEAU (voice-over): The winds of war are fanning the flames of a new wave of anti-Semitism in Italy. Ever since Israel responded to the attack by

Hamas on October 7th, the frequency of anti-Semitic attacks across Italy has increased according to the National Commission of the Fight Against

Anti-Semitism. Cobblestones marking Jewish people who were deported to concentration camps have been vandalized in Rome. An anti-Semitic graffiti

has appeared in Genoa, Ravenna, Milan, Florence and elsewhere.

Here in the Jewish ghetto in Rome, thousands of Jewish people were taken away to concentration camps 80 years ago. Today, the commission says,

security is at an all-time high. Marco Misano gives tours of Jewish history in Rome. He has one son living in Israel and another going to the Jewish

school here.

MARCO MISANO, HISTORIAN, JEWISH ROME TOUR GUIDE: Now, I think this is my, of course, personal opinion, that we always had the anti-Semitism flipping.

When the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians restart after October 7th, wake up all of these people. And it's just an excuse because you can

be against Israeli politicians but why to making it these anti-Semitic things against the Jews in Rome, against the Jews in Paris, in London.

NADEAU (voice-over): Here in Italy, the scars of the Holocaust are still there. Liliana Segre is a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor who was deported

to Auschwitz concentration camp when she was 13 years old. She's the only one of her family who survived. She recently told Italian Parliament that

she's worried about indifference to anti-Semitism today. Authorities are worried, too.

GIUSEPPE PECORARO, NATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST ANTI- SEMITISM: The indifference is because when people aren't interested, they are afraid to intervene. The worst thing is those who don't care.

NADEAU (voice-over): Misano says he sees many Jewish people now hiding the fact that they're Jewish, wearing a baseball cap over the yarmulke or

covering the logo of the Jewish school uniform.

MISANO: I wear the yarmulke. I keep wearing when I give a tour because the time that you start to wear something to cover, they won. We have a Jewish

school in the ghetto with 950 kids. We have more police. We keep living.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NADEAU (voice-over): And you know, I mean, it's so important, this rally tonight, for so many people in Rome's Jewish community. And they're

expecting Senator Segre, that 93-year-old Holocaust survivor, to be up on the stage here behind us here in about a half an hour or so.

You know, the security is very, very high, though. This is a country that has had attacks against the Jewish community over the course of the last

half century, and they really don't want anything really serious like that to happen anytime soon. Bianna.

[12:35:00]

GOLODRYGA: Such important words from that official, "The worst thing is those who don't care." A really powerful piece there. Barbie Nadeau in

Rome. Thank you. Well, anti-Semitism is also the focus in Washington, D.C. this hour. The Presidents of three elite universities are testifying before

Congress about the alarming rise of anti-Semitism, as well as violence on college campuses in the wake of the Israel-Hamas War.

Incidents at Harvard, MIT and the University at Pennsylvania have made headlines in recent weeks. Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, who

chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, is vowing to hold their leaders accountable. Harvard University's President says she's

seeking to confront hate while preserving free expression, and says the university is already taking action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLAUDINE GAY, PRESIDENT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: We have increased security measures, expanded reporting channels, and augmented counseling, mental

health, and support services. We have reiterated that speech that incites violence, threatens safety, or violates Harvard's policies against bullying

and harassment is unacceptable. We have made it clear that any behaviors that disrupt our teaching and research efforts will not be tolerated. And

where these lines have been crossed, we have taken action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Time now for The Exchange and let's discuss this issue further. Jonathan Greenblatt is the CEO and National Director of the Anti Defamation

League and joins us live from New York. Jonathan, thank you so much for joining us. So, we hear from these university heads that they're all taking

action, that they're addressing this seriously. Do their actions thus far back up their words?

JONATHAN GREENBLATT, CEO, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: Well, Bianna, I would give these university presidents, esteemed scholars and accomplished

academics -- I would grade each of them with an F. An F for their failure to protect their students.

Look, I appreciate that they're testifying before Congress, and I am grateful that Chairwoman Foxx convened this session. But all you had to do

was listen. Listen to the testimonies. And I've spent time with President Gay from Harvard. I've spent time with President McGill from Penn. But I

must tell you, it is long overdue for these presidents not to sort of make speeches, not to have offer empty dictums, but to actually enforce their

own Codes of Conduct.

Your lead in segment, Bianna, about what's happening in Italy, you could have done that, sorry, about Germany, about France, about America. And by

the way, sorry, as I was saying about America, because here in this country, we've seen a tsunami of anti-Semitism, a hurricane of hate, and

the eye of the storm are these elite universities.

GOLODRYGA: And so, these presidents say they're grappling with protecting free speech while combating hate speech. What action, if any, have you seen

them take, to address just that over the past few weeks that we've been covering this?

GREENBLATT: Yeah, I wish what you were asking me was a real question, not a hypothetical, Bianna, or a rhetorical question, because they've done

nothing. And I think we just need to recognize that these universities, and I'm the graduate of one, I have two college-aged children myself, but

they're not committed to free speech. They're committed to favored speech. And favored -- in a favored speech environment, it's some things go, but

other things don't.

And what we've seen is that calls to violence against Jews. Chants about genocide that happened in Philadelphia over the weekend that are happening

all over the country. Those are okay, and we know they're okay because they're happening literally almost every day.

And by the way, not just at Harvard and at Penn, but at Columbia, at UCLA at Northwestern, all over the country. And where are these university

presidents? The level of moral cowardice? Their willingness -- unwillingness to take on the mob is just stunning and a total, in my

opinion, abandonment of their responsibility to our children.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and their student body is, are the people who are suffering from this. You released a new study last week, ADL and Hillel

International, found that 73 percent of Jewish college students had experienced or witnessed anti-Semitism since the start of the school year.

You addressed that this, in your view, is not free speech but favored speech.

One donor -- former Penn donor, who said that he will not now be continuing to give donations to the school, Marc Rowan, has pointed to the University

of Chicago as an institution that has handled this well and has moved to a place of neutrality. Are there schools that these university heads, if

they're really interested in changing their approach, can turn to, to use as better models?

[12:40:00]

GREENBLATT: Great question. So, look, there are university presidents who show courage, like Ben Sasse at the University of Florida, stepped up and

spoke out immediately. And there are presidents who have taken action. President Ron Liebowitz at Brandeis -- they de-chartered one group,

Students for Justice in Palestine. That's the main driver of hate on these campuses. I mean, so between Brandeis and U.F., you've got some models, but

the plan is simple.

Number one, adopt a standard definition of anti-Semitism, the IRA definition. And then number two, enforce your own codes of conduct. Suspend

students who bully and intimidate and threaten their peers. Number two, it's simple. Eject the students who are serial offenders, like those from

Students for Justice in Palestine. And number three, rework your DEI programs.

As you were just saying, can you imagine a world in which 73 percent, three quarters of Jewish students have directly experienced or seen anti-

Semitism? This is a national outrage. The problem is our university presidents aren't addressing it.

And there's another important stat. Only 18 percent of Jewish students who have done their DEI programs have even been educated about anti-Semitism.

So, four out of five have done DEI training, Bianna, with nothing about anti-Semitism. That isn't diversity, equity, and inclusion. That's denial,

exclusion and kind of idiocy. So, I think it's long overdue to rework DEI, to make sure it includes anti-Semitism once and for all.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, I'd argue that it's a conversation in class that should be taught long before students get to college at a much younger age. All three

of these college presidents are relatively new to the job, and all three said that they have implemented an anti-Semitism task force.

I'm sorry if I'm a bit negative on the term task force. In your view, how effective and what role -- I mean, have they turned to you? Who is part of

this task force? And do you think that we could actually see constructive change come out of them?

GREENBLATT: Look, in fairness, both Harvard and Penn have come to ADL and asked for help. And look, we're willing to give it to them, but they need

to do certain things. Number one, time box these task forces, Bianna, have a start date and a finish date. Number two, commit to concrete steps like

adopting IRA enforcement, enforcing Codes of Conduct, investigating and ejecting SJP, reworking entirely of their DEI programs.

And then finally, let's remember, they have not just a moral obligation, which they're failing, they have a fiduciary responsibility to their

institutions. And all these schools, Bianna, they risk Title VI violations. It's against the law to discriminate against students based on Jewish

students, based on ethnicity or background. And they could risk their federal funding.

That's why ADL launched a legal call-in line. We've had over 260 cases submitted to us in three weeks and we've trained up 150 lawyers. I have to

tell you, I love the task force. Good for you. But we will hold them accountable and we'll use the full force of the law to do it.

GOLODRYGA: All right, Jonathan. You'll keep covering this for us. Thank you.

GREENBLATT: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: We appreciate your time. Well, still to come on CNN, former Congressman George Santos is now making celebrity videos. He can't make

this stuff up. Less than a week after he was expelled from the U.S. House. We promise you this isn't "SNL". Stick around.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE SANTOS, OUSTED U.S. CONGRESSMAN: Don't get bogged down by all the haters out there. Stay strong. Merry Christmas.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:46:18]

GOLODRYGA: East African leaders at COP28 have been describing the harsh realities of climate change taking place right now in their countries. More

than 350 people have been killed by torrential rain and flash floods across the region. CNN's Lynda Kinkade reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Trapped and submerged by water. This was the scene in recent weeks as heavy rains inundated the Horn of Africa, causing

unprecedented flooding and landslides. Hundreds of people have been killed, more than one million now without homes. Displaced, many saw their

possessions swept away in seconds, a trail of devastation left behind. After the floodwaters swallowed her home, one resident returned recalling

the horror.

FATIMA HASSAN GUMO, LOCAL RESIDENT (through translator): The waters have ruined everything, my house and the toilet. It rained from the morning

until the evening. By 8 P.M., we had to pack and flee.

KINKADE: The heavy rains in East Africa follow the worst drought in four decades. And whilst there's been some respite in parts of Somalia where the

water has begun to recede, displaced families and others are still facing the risk of disease after floods destroy toilets and drinking wells.

Speaking at COP28 in Dubai, Somalia's President says climate change is a reality they have to deal with every day.

HASSAN SHEIKH MOHAMUD, SOMALI PRESIDENT: I must note that today's victims of these devastating floods are, sadly, the survivors of yesterday's

droughts. Only a year ago, Somalia apparently averted famine following consecutive failed rainy seasons. What's transpiring in my country today is

not unique to us.

KINKADE: With vast areas of farmland decimated by the floods and livelihoods wiped away, there seems to be no break as meteorologists say

parts of Kenya will experience rain into the New Year. Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:51:04]

GOLODRYGA: Well, we're just six weeks away from the Iowa caucuses, if you can believe it, the first contest of the 2024 race to the White House. Four

Republican presidential candidates are set to face off in Alabama for the fourth presidential primary debate on Tuesday. Ron DeSantis, Chris

Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley will meet in the smallest debate lineup so far.

Former President Donald Trump will, again, skip Wednesday's debate, as he has for the three previous meet-ups. He'll instead attend a Florida

fundraiser. Here's what Ron DeSantis had to say about Trump's no-show decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Donald Trump is not willing to debate. I mean, you have to ask yourself why. Why can't you just stand up on the stage for two hours and articulate?

What's going to be different this time than happen in 2020? How is he a better candidate? What, will he admit any mistakes? I don't think so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Well, in addition, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum failed to qualify for the debate. He announced on Monday that his campaign was

ending. Well, it has been less than a week since former Congressman George Santos was expelled from the U.S. House and he has already found a new way

to make money. CNN's Brian Todd explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Booted out of Congress, George Santos is rebooting, now joining Cameo, the celebrity video message

platform.

SANTOS: Don't let the haters get to you.

TODD (voice-over): Engaging in everything from birthday to holiday greetings and pep talks on Cameo, the platform's co-founder says Santos

raised his price on Cameo on Monday from $75 to $200 due to the demand -- demand from even inside the Capitol with Senator John Fetterman buying a

Santos Cameo clip to tweet Senator Bob Menendez, who like Santos is also under federal indictment.

SANTOS: You stand your ground, Sir, and don't get bogged down by all the haters out there.

TODD (voice-over): This comes as the Republican is now on what seems like a revenge tour against those who voted to expel him from Congress.

SANTOS: That is going to be the undoing of a lot of members of this body because this will haunt them in the future.

TODD (voice-over): Santos has already gone after four House members on X, threatening to file ethics complaints.

OLIVIA BEAVERS, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, POLITICO: Usually you see revenge as the sort of dish that they do more privately and they find sort of a

moment where, you know, to serve it cold. But here, he's serving it hot. He's coming on Twitter and he's definitely trying to make a bomb and make

an explosion with what he says.

TODD (voice-over): NBC's "Saturday Night Live" gave Santos a send-off this past weekend with a Wolf Blitzer impersonator.

UNKNOWN: Disgraced and now expelled Congressman George Santos is giving his final press conference.

UNKNOWN: Okay, enough.

TODD (voice-over): But Santos is hinting he'll dictate his own career in the public eye now that he's cut off from his $174,000 a year House salary

and benefits.

SANTOS: I'll definitely be writing a book. I have refused every single offer for a documentary.

TODD (voice-over): And he said he won't rule out something other disgraced politicians have done, a possible appearance on ABC's "Dancing with the

Stars".

SANTOS: Maybe in the future, if I find the chutzpah to go on television and embarrass myself with my four left feet, maybe.

TODD (voice-over): But Santos also has to contend with a federal trial next year on 23 charges ranging from identity theft, to wire fraud, to using

donor money for Botox. He's pleaded not guilty. As for how that could affect his media career --

BEAVERS: The things that used to get you pushed out and make you disappear from politics and maybe the public eye is now maybe raising your elevation

a lot higher, especially since he refused to sort of back away from it in sort of a Trump-like approach.

TODD: Another point of intrigue regarding George Santos is the race for his now vacant House seat.

[12:55:00]

A special election has to be held within about three months. If his seat flips to a Democrat, which is a decent possibility, then the Republican

majority in the House will be even slimmer. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: All right, long before, Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" dominated the airwaves, Brenda Lee's "Rocking Around The Christmas

Tree" was the top holiday song. And 65 years later it's dancing its way up the charts once again to the number one spot on billboard's top 100.

("ROCKING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE" PLAYING)

GOLODRYGA: That means Christmas just a couple of weeks away. And it's just the third holiday song to ever reach the top spot on the Hot 100. The other

two are 1958, "The Chipmunk Song" by the Chipmunks. And you guessed it, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" in 1994. That is my

favorite one, I have to say.

Well, that does it for this hour of "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thank you so much for watching. Amanpour is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END