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Quest Means Business

UN Security Council Meeting To Discuss Lebanon; CNN Uncovers Racist, Sexist Online Comments By GOP Governor Nominee; Harris Discusses Her Gun Ownership At Event with Oprah; Nike Hopes New CEO Will Help Tackle Rising Competition; U.N. Security Council Discusses Escalating Middle East Tensions; Israel Speaks At U.N. Security Council Meeting On Lebanon. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired September 20, 2024 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:17]

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: So folks, it looks like the markets are taking a Friday breather after the absolutely riveting week they've

had. You see there the Dow essentially up 37 points. Now, those are the markets and these are the main events.

The UN Security Council is meeting now hours after Israel says it killed top Hezbollah operatives in an airstrike on Beirut.

Nike shares rise more than six percent. The new CEO faces an uphill battle.

And is showtime the greatest of all time. Japan's Shohei Ohtani makes baseball history, and then some.

Live from New York, it is Friday, September 20th. I'm Paula Newton, in for Richard Quest and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.

And good evening. We do begin right now in Lebanon where Israel says it has killed the leader of an elite Hezbollah unit and 10 other commanders in an

airstrike on Southern Beirut. Now, the strike hit a crowded neighborhood and destroyed a residential building.

Lebanon's Health Ministry says at least 14 people have died and many more now injured. It follows a week of deadly chaos in Lebanon in which dozens

of people have been killed and thousands more injured by small explosions from pagers and walkie-talkies.

Lebanon's prime minister is blaming Israel and accusing it of carrying out acts "akin to genocide." Israel, meantime, is hailing it as a new era of

war.

The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting on the situation in Lebanon this hour high. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk

just called for an investigation into the circumstances of these attacks. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLKER TURK, UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: Simultaneous targeting of thousands of individuals whether civilians or

members of armed groups without knowledge as to who was in possession of the targeted devices, their location, and their surroundings at the time of

the attack violates international human rights law, and as applicable, international humanitarian law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Ben Wedeman has been following all of these developments for us from Beirut.

Ben, you just heard Volker Turk there clearly putting a line in the sand about what he believes that there should be a transparent investigation,

and yet so much more going on just in the last few hours.

What more are you learning specifically about these new airstrikes?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this airstrike happened this afternoon at a time when the streets were full of people. It

was a busy time in the southern suburbs of Beirut where a residential building was hit in an Israeli strike.

Now the building was totally flattened, some massive weaponry must have been used. At this point, the Lebanese Ministry of Health is putting the

preliminary death toll at 1,466 injured, nine of them in critical condition, but it must be stressed that the rescue efforts are still

ongoing. It is expected that there will be many more dead and injured as a result.

Now the Israeli military is claiming that the target of this attack was Ibrahim Aqil, who is a senior military commander for Hezbollah. He is

believed to be the head or one of the heads of the so-called elite Redwan Force. That's basically the special forces of Hezbollah and the Israelis

claimed that in addition to him, 10 other commanders were killed in what appears to have been a meeting at that building.

Now, Hezbollah has not confirmed that Aqil was killed or anybody else, and the Lebanese government also has yet to comment, but keep in mind this is -

- in the last four days there have been three major attacks in Lebanon. The first of course, the pagers, then the walkie-talkies and now this strike on

the southern suburbs of Beirut.

So the death toll from the last four days is at least getting close to 50 with more than 3,000 people wounded. Now, last night, we did hear Hassan

Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, saying that his group would take revenge against Israel for those attacks.

He said that Israel had crossed all red lines, but it appears that that doesn't really seem to have made much difference for the Israelis who seem

determined to escalate this situation to pursue Hezbollah regardless of whatever the UN might have to say.

[16:05:13]

And it doesn't appear that the United States is willing to put much pressure on Israel to restrain itself. So the fear is here in Beirut and

across Lebanon is that we are on the brink of a major escalation. We are already in fact, a major escalation that could lead to something much, much

worse -- Paula.

NEWTON: Now, already a deadly week in Lebanon as it is turning 11:05 PM there in Beirut.

Ben Wedeman for us on the ground. Appreciate it.

We want to get more now from H.A. Hellyer, who is a Middle East studies scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and he does join

us now from Cairo.

If we take Israel at its word, they say they've entered this new phase of war. How does this latest airstrike fit in the assassinations themselves?

H. A. HELLYER, MIDDLE EAST STUDIES SCHOLAR, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: First, thank you for having me on your program. I

think your correspondent is entirely correct. This represents the beginning of a major escalation.

I think, Israel frankly is playing chicken to see how far it can go in Lebanon without Hezbollah raising the ante, and upping the ante much more

than it has already. Remember, Hezbollah is in possession of quite a huge arsenal of rockets and missiles that hitherto has not used against civilian

targets by and large in Israel.

And I think that we have to be very cautious about how things move forward from here.

As Ben pointed out, that hasn't been that much in terms of a warning from Washington, DC even though Washington DC made it very clear that it did not

want to see this escalation, that did not want to see Israel taking the region into a much wider regional conflict.

But it is another red line that Washington has placed in front of the Israelis over the past almost 12 months that Israel has walked over without

accountability, without consequences, so naturally, they feel empowered to be able to proceed as they see fit and I think this brinkmanship is very

risky and runs the risk unfortunately, of plunging the region into a quite severe regional conflict.

NEWTON: Now, given the fact that Hezbollah has taken some blows, what do you expect from them in terms of how they will respond and perhaps when.

HELLYER: Well, the when could be pretty soon, but I frankly think that Hezbollah is also very cautious about the idea of going into a major

regional conflict. Iran, its main sponsor is also not willing to go into a regional conflict, past this war of attrition, and the war of attrition

that is currently underway is something that suits, frankly, the Iranians quite well, going much further beyond would lead to a much wider war across

the border and I don't think that works to Hezbollah's interest or to Iran's interest.

But having he said that, the Israelis have really crossed so many different lines in this latest escalation. Hezbollah will feel obliged to respond in

some sort of fashion in order to ensure that it maintains its own reputation in the country and it will try to re-establish some kind

deterrence.

Again, I am not sure that that's entirely possible without taking the region into a much more devastatingly difficult position.

So, it is in everybody's interest for the Israelis to pull back. The question is whether or not they'll do so.

NEWTON: And I want to go back to a point that you just made. You know, the UN says it "urges countries with influence over all the parties to leverage

it now."

And yet what we seem to be seeing is western impotence in the Middle East, first and foremost, the United States.

Do you believe anything there will change given the fact that the United States is right now in the middle of an election.

HELLYER: So let me be really clear, it is not impotence, it is a choice. The United States has the ability to use the leverage that it has, and it

has tremendous leverage when it comes to the Israelis in terms of arms, in terms of financial support, in terms of political support; at the United

Nations Security Council, it has incredible leverage. The question is whether or not it will use it.

And I don't think that they will use it, irrespective of the election, but that's a choice. That's not impotence. That is a very definitive choice and

one that unfortunately has been a pattern over the past 12 months and that's been quite unfortunate because again, the cost of that has been a

terribly devastating bombardment of Gaza and the risk of taking the region into a massive regional war.

[16:10:09]

NEWTON: To be clear, you say they are not impotent, they do have leverage. They are absolutely unwilling to use it. And why then?

HELLYER: That is exactly what I am saying. They are unwilling to use it and the reasons for that are, I would say complex or at least multifold.

The question is whether or not within the Democratic Party leadership, particularly President Joe Biden whether or not he is willing to use that

leverage over the Israelis, and clearly, he is not, despite the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that he will not take "the bear hug

strategy" particularly seriously.

Yet, despite crossing red lines when it came to Rafah in Gaza, the use of certain types of weaponry, the United States has not used the leverage that

it does have, but that is a choice. That is not impotence, that is a very definitive policy choice.

NEWTON: Understood H.A. Hellyer, thank you so much. Appreciate your insights there.

Now, Donald Trump endorsed a North Carolina Republican now facing disturbing allegations in a CNN report.

Will there be political fallout for the former president as he tries to recapture the White House? We will have it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: Kamala Harris' campaign is trying to link Donald Trump to a Republican at the center of a political firestorm. Mark Robinson is running

for governor of North Carolina. A CNN KFILE report has uncovered a series of racist and sexist comments he made on a porn website more than a decade

ago, an accusation that Robinson denies. Trump has endorsed Robinson and praised him on a number of occasions.

Now, a new ad from the Harris campaign obtained exclusively by CNN emphasizes their relationship. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And he has been unbelievable lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson.

LT. GOV. MARK ROBINSON (R-NC): For me, there is no compromise on abortion.

TRUMP: I think you're better than Martin Luther King.

ROBINSON: We could pass a bill saying you can't have an abortion in North Carolina for any reason.

Abortion in this country, it is about killing a child because you weren't responsible enough to keep your skirt down.

TRUMP: I've been with him a lot --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: You get a sense of that ad right there.

CNN's Dianne Gallagher has been very closely following the fallout from all of this.

[16:15:00]

And I have to ask you now, right, it is not just the fallout on the governor's race, this will potentially affect the presidential race itself.

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And potentially every race beneath the governor's race here in North Carolina.

I will tell you, I've covered politics in this state for years, and I've never quite had an experience like I did yesterday before the CNN KFILE

story even published, having Republicans calling me and asking what's going to be in it, panicking and freaking out about what this might mean for

other races, both down and off the ballot, stretching all the way to former President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GALLAGHER (voice over): The fallout from CNN's bombshell report about Mark Robinson spilling over into a second day.

ROBINSON: I am running for governor.

GALLAGHER (voice over): The GOP nominee for North Carolina's governor, moving forward with his campaign after the deadline passed for him to

withdraw as absentee ballots are sent out to voters, Friday.

The fresh swirl of controversy follows a KFILE investigation that found Robinson made a series of inflammatory comments on a pornographic website's

message board, more than a decade ago referring to himself as a "Black Nazi" and expressing support for reinstating slavery, among other

salacious, lewd, and gratuitous statements.

ROBINSON: Thank you so much --

GALLAGHER (voice over): Robinson, categorically denying the allegations.

ROBINSON: This is not us. These are not our words, and this is not anything that is characteristic of me.

GALLAGHER (voice over): The controversy extending beyond the Tar Heel State's race for governor with Robinson having received the endorsement the

former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly praised the conservative firebrand.

TRUMP: This is Martin Luther King on steroids, okay.

GALLAGHER (voice over): The campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris highlighting the ties between Trump and Robinson in a new ad, Friday.

ROBINSON: We are going to pass a bill saying you can't have an abortion in North Carolina for any reason.

Abortion in this country is about killing a child because you weren't responsible enough to keep your skirt down.

TRUMP: I've been with him a lot. I've gotten to know him and he is outstanding.

GALLAGHER (voice over): The former president is set to hold a rally in the state on Saturday. Sources tell CNN that Robinson has not been invited to

the event despite being a regular presence at Trump's events in the state eight including two last month.

Now, some Trump allies are dismissing the potential impact on the former president's campaign.

REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL): We are going to be fine in North Carolina.

This issue is going to come and go, but the reality of what is happening in our country remains, and that's why Donald Trump is going to win the state

of North Carolina.

GALLAGHER (voice over): As democrats in North Carolina seek to turn Robinson's controversy into a challenge for other Republicans.

GOV. ROY COOPER (D-NC): I think that when people go to the polls, they need to think about these candidates who had supported and encouraged somebody

like Mark Robinson and continue to do so.

GALLAGHER (voice over): Even some Republicans acknowledging the fallout could affect others on the ballot in November.

REP. GREG MURPHY (R-NC): Well, I think any bad news of a particular candidate in their personal life can have a deleterious effect on other

candidates.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GALLAGHER (on camera): And we are seeing Democrats in the state of North Carolina already use this to their advantage. Every single Democrat running

for statewide office are basically doing the same thing that you saw the Harris campaign do.

They are posting pictures of their Republican opponent with Mark Robinson, or at least highlighting nice things they've said about him or endorsements

that they have made and I am told by many of these Democrats, they plan to continue doing the same thing through November linking them to Robinson and

in some ways they say hopefully to those comments that he has made.

NEWTON: And to be clear, they are hoping to affect the turnout, the Republican turnout, who may not, and the Independents may not switch to the

Democrats, but they may, of course stay home.

Dianne Gallagher, really appreciate having you on the ground there in North Carolina.

Now, the Georgia state election board will require ballots to be hand counted on Election Day. That is despite bipartisan objections from

election officials and poll workers.

Three allies of Donald Trump voted for the requirement. The other two members of the election board strongly opposed warning that it could delay

the results.

Georgia's attorney general says the requirement is likely unlawful. State law prevents local election workers from hand counting ballots before votes

are officially counted.

Kamala Harris meantime is campaigning today in two key swing states. She just finished speaking at a reproductive rights event in Georgia. Now she

is on her way to a rally in Wisconsin.

Now, we want to go over what happened last night. The US vice president sat down with Oprah Winfrey who bluntly asked the Democrat about her gun

ownership. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, TV PERSONALITY: I think it was so powerful at the convention when you -- when you said you have guns -- no, at the debate. At the debate

when you --

KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am a gun owner, Tim Walz is a gun owner.

WINFREY: I did not know that.

HARRIS: If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:20:09]

NEWTON: Eva McKend is in Madison, Wisconsin for us where Harris will speak tonight and we will get to what her rally was just about and what the

upcoming rally will mean.

But just on that point, I mean you've reminded us before. She has said that she owns a gun. We've known that for a few years, but I am wondering what

the reaction has been to her being so blunt as to saying, if you try and break into her home, you're going to get shot.

EVA MCKEND, CNN US NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it seems to be well received by many are her supporters and it is just one of the aspects

of her personal biography that she is leaning in to, Paula, in an effort to connect with as many Americans as possible.

But most of them her campaign has really been grounded in this argument over protecting reproductive rights.

She just got off stage in Atlanta. She was introduced by a health care provider. She talked about how one in three women in this country live in a

state with a Trump abortion ban, those are her words.

It is going to be a little bit different here in Wisconsin when she gets here. The campaign is expected to focus in on workers' rights. A labor

leader will introduce her this evening.

Now, this comes as the national Teamsters union declined to endorse any presidential candidate. It was a big blow to Democrats because

historically, the Teamsters and their huge organizing cohorts have supported Democrats.

But the campaign is still playing up that they have local support and that he vice president is an ally to these unions through the policies that she

endorses and advocates for and through her personal biography that has a connection to workers and understands their struggles.

We are in Dane County, Wisconsin. Democrats here tell me they are feeling particularly good about this region due to the population growth here.

There are so many available voters that they think that they can capture. It is home to the University of Wisconsin Madison, a significant university

here.

Just this week, Paula, the campaign opened its 50th field office and they've got 250 staff members here on the ground in this state and they

think if they can leverage all of those resources, particularly in this region of the state, they can keep Wisconsin blue -- Paula.

NEWTON: Eva, and thanks for that profile of what the ground game is like because as you've reminded us as well, many times, that ground game is what

is going to matter on game day.

Eva McKend for us, thank you so much, as we await that rally there in Wisconsin.

Now, Chechnya's strongman leader is accusing Elon Musk of remotely disabling his Tesla Cybertruck after it was sent to the frontlines in

Ukraine.

Ramzan Kadyrov posted a video last month of the truck, which had a machine gun. You see it there mounted on top. Now, he claimed it was a gift from

Musk, which the tesla CEO promptly denied.

Kadyrov said the truck had been performing well in combat, but has since been towed from the battlefield.

Anna Stewart is in London, hopefully unraveling this mystery. Go to it, young lady.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: I mean, where does the story go from here? But I think we do need to recap how this even began. This was one month ago as

you say, the Chechen warlord who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin posted this video of his brand new Tesla Cybertruck with

machine gun mounted on the front, clearly very, very happy about it and he put on Telegram a message with that video, which said: "We received a Tesla

Cybertruck from the respected Elon Musk."

So very respectful -- it all starts quite nice, this story, I have to say. However, he also said that he was sending it to Ukraine, so it could go

into battle and we then had a response from Elon Musk, who clearly wasn't nearly as pleased about all of this.

He essentially denied that he had given any sort of gift. And he actually said it was kind of ridiculous to think that he would donate a Tesla

vehicle to a Russian general.

Now, I would assume that was where the story would end, but no, no, no. Today, Ramzan Kadyrov has also posted on Telegram, very upset because this

cyber Tesla truck has stopped working. He believes it has been remotely deactivated by Elon Musk himself and part of the message he put says: "It's

not manly. The iron horse had to be towed. How come, Elon? Is this how it is done?"

Paula, right now, we don't have any response from Elon Musk, which is frankly quite surprising. We don't have any response from Tesla yet. But we

do know that this Chechen warlord has not been put off the Tesla Cybertruck because check out this video. I will let it play for a few seconds.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

[16:25:10]

STEWART: I believe this is the case, does he have two new Cybertrucks? Who gave them to him? Are they suitable for war? I would expect not. They are

really for school runs around cities, although they perhaps don't look it and also they look like they are running now, Paula, but how long is it

going to be until Elon Musk finds out?

NEWTON: Until they are once again disabled. Fascinating story that we will continue to keep on top of, or at least you will, Anna.

STEWART: I will.

NEWTON: Thank you so much for explaining. Thanks.

Coming up, Nike shares popped on the announcement of a new CEO. We will look at whether a new leadership can help the company get back its stride.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: Investors are welcoming a change of leadership at Nike. Shares popped nearly seven percent on the news that CEO, John Donahoe is leaving;

former Nike executive, Elliott Hill, will take the reins in mid-October.

Now the sportswear giant has had a rough year with shoppers pulling back and growing competition from brands like Hoka and On.

Isa Soares discussed the sneaker market last week with the CEO of StockX, the online reseller, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT CUTLER, CEO, STOCKX: Sneakers has really converged with fashion, not only just performance on the pitch or on the field. Now, it is really a

fashion statement, and the younger consumer is inspired by what they see out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Nathaniel Meyersohn is with me.

Listen, how does this story start in terms of how things went wrong for such an iconic brand, Nike?

[16:30:16]

NATHANIEL MEYERSOHN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: So, Paula I think that there are a few reasons why we're seeing Nike struggle right now. The first has

to do with competition. You know, just go out on the street and take a look at what type of sneakers people are wearing when they're running or at the

gym. It's often, it's Hoka now, it's on. I know some of our producers, you know, they're wearing lots of Hokas and on running -- on running shoes.

Brooks has gotten really popular. And then you look at some of the apparel that people are wearing, the clothing you have Alo, Lululemon. So

competition is just really pressuring Nike, but also Nike struggling because some of the strategy mistakes it's made, you know, it tried to pull

back on a lot of brick and mortar retailers to try to shift shoppers to buy at its own stores and online.

But look, people are still shopping at department stores, maybe a little bit less than they used to, but Nike's moved to kind of cut distribution

really hard.

(CROSSTALK)

CORASANITI: -- I have to interrupt you there. We are going to the U.N. as they continue to discuss the situation in Lebanon. This is from Lebanon's

ambassador to the U.N. Listen.

ABDALLAH BOU HABAB, PRIME MINISTER OF LEBANON (through translator): -- and the faith of the humanity. Mr. President, Your Excellencies. No one in this

world is safe anymore and aftermath of the electronic attacks which were (INAUDIBLE) out recently in Lebanon. Those were unfathomable attacks. They

have led to the injuring of thousands of innocent civilians including children, women and elderly.

The responsibility of the Security Council is not only toward the innocent Lebanese victims who were targeted unjustly but also toward humanity as a

whole. If this terrorist attack is not condemned by your council and if you do not name the perpetrator. If you do not deter the perpetrator, condemn

it and compel it to stop such aggression. The credibility of this council of international law and of Human Rights law are at stake.

Accepting what has happened amounts to opening a Pandora box. Indeed, states and extremist groups will follow sort and will be targeting

civilians everywhere with these lethal technologies. No one can prevent them from using these technologies in the future to target civilian plans,

trains and to kill civilians and indiscriminately terrorize them without discrimination.

Isn't this terrorism? When you target a whole population in their cities, streets, markets, shops, homes, while they tend to their daily life, while

they are not fighting on the front. To understand what happened, it is enough to look into the identity of the victims. Are we seeking today the

annihilation of the Lebanese people and its collective punishment? It is our right to ask, isn't this the scenario that was stated by senior Israeli

officials? Look at the ugliness of what has happened in these pictures.

I apologize for this picture. To highlight what has happened and its consequences. On Tuesday, the 17th of September 2024 Israel carried out a

wide scale electronic attack targeting thousands of pages. Detonating them on the following day. Israel once again detonated hundreds of walkie

talkies. On the 19th of September, Israel also terrorized the population of Beirut and other regions when warfare broke the sound barrier repeatedly,

unleashing fear and panic, especially among children.

Today, Israel carried out a missile attack in one of the most densely populated regions in the southern suburb of Beirut, destroying a

residential complex and claiming the lives of 12 victims, including children and 66 wounded. Of 12 victims, including children and 66 wounded.

[16:35:09]

These attacks have led so far to the killings of dozens of people, including children and women, to the injuring of thousands, including

hundreds in a serious condition. Hundreds of others were disfigured, were maimed, or even lost sight completely. This attack left hospitals and

medical workers in an unprecedented emergency state fully overwhelmed. The aggression also created a state of terror and panic among civilians in all

Lebanese regions.

These attacks represent a serious, unprecedented event in the history of wars, and they come in the aftermath of Israeli declarations concerning a

full-scale war on Lebanon, sending Lebanon back to the Stone Age. Israel did not only launch these attacks. They were followed by official

declarations and by a tweet from the advisor of their Prime Minister that was lately deleted.

Emphasizing the responsibility of Israel and praising the positive results of this assault, this has deliberately undermined the efforts of

international mediators working for a ceasefire in Gaza and South Lebanon, and has undermined all the attempts of the Lebanese government to

deescalate and exercise self-restraints.

In this context, it should be noted that resorted to remotely exploding communication devices, collectively, with no regard to those carrying them

or who are around them is considered an unprecedented method of warfare in its brutality and terror targeting thousands of people from different age

groups in densely populated areas while tending to their daily life in their homes, on streets, in workplaces, in shopping centers, is nothing but

terrorism.

It is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, of international human rights law, and amounts to war crime. The first

additional protocol to the Geneva Convention of 1949 pertaining to the protection of victims of armed conflicts, stipulates in Article 35 that the right of parties to the conflict to choose methods of

warfare is not unlimited, which means that using electronic detonation as a warfare, which is a non-conventional warfare, should be subjected to

international and humanitarian laws, especially the principle of protection.

Meaning protecting civilians according to Article 48 and the principle of precaution, whereas all parties to the conflict should take all the

necessary precautions when directing their military operations to avoid civilian loss of life and to avoid damaging civilian property. This is

Article 57. The first protocol also stipulates in Article 51. The prohibition of the acts or threats of violence, the primary purpose of

which is to spread terror among civilian population.

It also prohibits in article 37, killing, injuring or capturing an adversary using perfidy. Article 58 also prohibits using -- or targeting

defenseless areas. Israel, through this terrorist aggression, has violated the basic principles of international humanitarian law and did not

distinguish between civilians and military personnel. It has indiscriminately targeted civilians, and this operation was not justified

by necessity and was not proportional either.

Mr. President, it is clear that Israel does not abide by international and humanitarian law and that it does not abide by U.N. resolutions and

Security Council resolutions. It is clear that Israel continues to ignore the international legitimacy and human rights because it is used to never

be held accountable. When Israel commits such acts, we only witness timid expressions of regret which emboldens Israel to disregard the international

resolutions, none of which has been implemented against Israel 1948.

As a result, Israel has become a rock state, despite all that, we cannot accept this reality as a status quo. We cannot accept to allow Israel to

continue enjoying impunity. Israel did not draw any lesson from --

NEWTON: And we have been listening to the Lebanese foreign minister there who is making his comments at a U.N. special meeting there in New York.

Abdallah Bou Habib is in fact, the foreign minister. Apologies as earlier, I incorrectly labeled him as Lebanon's ambassador to the U.N. I also want

to say that he did show quite a graphic photo there and we apologize if anyone was offended by seeing that.

Please stay with CNN. We'll be right back with more news in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:43:40]

NEWTON: Tourism is emerging as a major driver of economic growth and trade right across Africa. Now in the southern part of the continent, five

countries have come together to form the world's largest land-based conservation area. As Connecting Africa's Eleni Giokos explains it

incorporates one of the best known tourist attractions in that part of the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The magnificent Victoria Falls. It's a major tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over

the world, but this giant's attraction is only a tiny location inside one of the world's largest national parks, the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier

Conservation Area.

NYAMBE NYAMBE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KAVANGO ZAMBEZI TRANSFRONTIER CONSERVATION AREA SECRETARIAT: It translates to a geographical space, which

is if you're in America, both the size of Texas or California. If you're in Europe, German-Austria combined.

And here in southern Africa is about the size of Botswana.

GIOKOS (voice-over): These salt pans in Botswana are among the largest in the world. Visitors can traverse this landscape as they go in search of

different wildlife species, from elephants to giraffes, crocodiles to hippopotamus.

NYAMBE: South Africa, especially self-drive tourists from South Africa is a growing component, and KAZA offers a wide variety of opportunities for wide

range of tourists.

[16:45:07]

GIOKOS (voiceover): Angola is the group's latest member. The Civil War there came to an end in 2002. Wild animals started to return, and now the

country is making huge strides to attract tourists. Among them these elephants reveling in this cooling pond.

RUIZ BOA, KAZA NATIONAL COORDINATOR, ANGOLA: We are in (INAUDIBLE) of Angola that is part of Luengue-Luiana National Park and this area we can

consider as the biggest wildlife sanctuary in Angola.

GIOKOS (voiceover): It already offers visitors luxurious accommodation, but it still faces many challenges as it aims to boost tourist numbers.

BOA: We need to create all the facilities to allow people really to enjoy all the tourism products that Africa can offer to the world.

GIOKOS (voiceover): One thing that should help a uni-visa, a special visa that currently allows entry into Zambia and Zimbabwe. There are plans to

expand the visa to cover entry into all five countries.

NYAMBE: The experience so far has shown quite some positive feedback from tourists, because it made the experience to travel relatively easy. If you

can get one visa and be able to visit multiple countries, that is a bonus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: And we'll be right back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: We're going to go back now to the U.N. Security Council, where the Israeli ambassador to the U.N. just started speaking moments ago. Let's

listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANNY DANON, ISRAEL AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Thank you, Mr. President. Once again, I see to you in this Council, as I did on Monday,

Thursday and now Friday. Defending Israel's right to exist, to defend ourselves. Also on Tuesday and Wednesday, we sat at the General Assembly

for two days watching the Israel bashing circus led by the Palestinian Authority as part of their diplomatic terrorism.

Are there no other conflict in the world? Are there no other pressing matters that required this council's attention or the U.N.'s obsession with

condemning Israel so consuming that it blinds you to everything else? We did not seek this war.

[16:50:07]

We did not. On October 8th, while Israeli civilians were still being slaughtered in the south by Hamas, Hezbollah. I haven't told you, Mr.

Minister, mentioning Hezbollah even once in your speech. Hezbollah unleashed hundreds of rockets at our civilians in the north. This was not

provoked. It was a calculated assault to show support for Hamas, a declaration made by Hassan Nasrallah himself.

Since that day, over 8000 rockets have rained down. 46 of our people have been murdered, 294

injured and more than 60,000 remained displaced, unable to return to their homes in the north as Hezbollah attempts to burn them to the ground. Every

day Hezbollah's rockets deliberately target our civilians, attempting to destroy homes and force entire communities to flee in fear. Families have

been torn apart.

Twelve Israeli, those children were playing soccer one moment we're dead the next. And still, the terror continues every day. Where was the

international community? Human rights? Nowhere. Every day, rockets, missiles, drones. Hezbollah's relentless attacks have forced innocent

civilians, parents, children, the elderly, to abandon everything. They are now refugees within their own country.

Living in temporary shelters, unsure of when or if they will ever return to the places they once called home. This is not just the displacement of

individuals, but of entire lives, memories and futures. It has been nearly a year, a year, since they were forced to flee and still the wait for the

day it will be safe to return. Israel will not allow this to continue. Our objective is very clear. We will restore security to our northern border,

and we will bring our people home.

It is our responsibility. The goal of returning our displaced citizen has been formally included in the objectives of this war. We will do whatever

it takes to achieve this, and we will not allow Hezbollah's terror to dictate the future of our nation. If Hezbollah does not retreat from our

border and back to the north of the Litani River through diplomatic efforts, Israel will be left with no choice but to use any means within our

rights to defend our citizens and enable the evacuees of the North to return to their homes.

Hezbollah has turned southern Lebanon into a war zone, using civilian homes as weapons depots and unfilled bases as launch points, digging tunnels

beneath them and using innocent civilians as well as U.N. peacekeepers as the human shields. This is not just an attack on Israel. It is a crime

against Lebanon itself. Hezbollah has brought untold suffering, not just to Israelis, but to the Lebanese people who were also trapped in the grip of

this terrorist organization.

If this modus operandi sounds familiar, it is because the same is used by another terror organization, Hamas, also using civilians. Yet the Lebanese

foreign minister who sits here today could not find the courage to even mention Hezbollah. We know that is a problem if we will sit together, we

can achieve very fast agreements about everything. I'm not familiar with occupation of Israel in Lebanon. I'm not familiar with this major dispute.

We can sit with your help and achieve some kind of a compromise. But we know that the real problem is not Lebanon. The real problem is Hezbollah.

It is his government, after all, that bears the responsibility. They are incapable of implementing security council resolutions, nor preventing

terrorist organization from dragging their entire country into war. Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, your Excellency, you have allowed a terrorist

organization to create a state, a state within your state bringing ruin to your own people.

[16:55:12]

Instead of blaming us, your peaceful neighbors, you should take action now to restrain Hezbollah and avoid greater escalation. If you continue to

ignore Hezbollah's aggression, the pain and the suffering of the Lebanese people will be on your shoulders.

Mr. President, while Israel is not seeking a wider conflict, I will be clear, we will not allow Hezbollah to continue its provocations. The

actions violate international law and Israel will defend itself. We will not allow our people to live under constant threat, nor will we allow

Hezbollah to use Lebanese territory as a launch pad for violence. For too long, we have called on this council to enforce resolutions 1701 and 1559.

For too long, our calls have been ignored. For years, Israel had supplied data on Hezbollah's build up in clear violation of council resolutions, but

to no avail. Hezbollah and its Iranian puppet masters must face real consequences for their actions. Hezbollah must be disarmed, and Iran must

be held accountable for destabilizing the region. The world cannot afford to let Hezbollah continue unchecked.

We call on this council to condemn Hezbollah and Iran and to designate Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist

organizations. Roads are no longer enough. This Council must act. For nearly a year, we have exercised restraint. We did. Waiting for a

diplomatic solution and here's what we would prefer. We prefer, and we urge you, and we are we thanking those who are trying to help this process.

That's what we want.

We have no desire for war, but we cannot continue to allow our people to bleed. Nor can we abandon the 60,000 Israelis who have fled their homes.

The outcome of this situation is clear. Hezbollah will be pushed back from the border exactly as stated in resolution 1701. The question that remains

before us is how this will be achieved and at what cost? The devastation caused by Hezbollah's actions goes beyond human lives.

Over 800 fires have been ignited by Hezbollah's rockets, burning more than 50,000 acres of forests, nature reserves and agricultural land, entire

ecosystems have been destroyed. It is not just an environmental disaster. Did an act of war against the land itself. And yet, where is the U.N.?

Where are the voices of condemnation for those who claim to care so deeply about the environment?

The U.N. is about to convene its summit of the future. We know that climate and the environment are central themes, but where is the concern for the

fire of Hezbollah, as said, where is the outrage for the destruction of our forwards, your forest in Lebanon? U.N. officials cannot even mention --

NEWTON: And you have listening to Danny Danon. He is Israel's ambassador to the U.N. That was a special U.N. session and he again underscored that

Israel is not seeking a wider conflict, but that will do whatever it takes in order to defend itself. Prior to that, Abdallah Bou Habib, Lebanon's

foreign minister spoke. He accused Israel of looking for the annihilation of the Lebanese people and collective retribution.

He called on the U.N. to investigate. I will say, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights himself is calling for an investigation into

those electronic attacks that happened earlier in the week in Lebanon.

OK. That does it for this edition of QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Paula Newton. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.

END