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Hala Gorani Tonight
Israelis Celebrate What Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Calls A Glorious Day, Palestinians Are Begging The World To Help Stop What They Call A Horrific Massacre, United States Officially Opened Its Embassy In Jerusalem Today, Melania Trump, The Wife Of The Us President Has Undergone Kidney Surgery, At Least Three Families In Indonesia Use Their Own Kids, One As Young As Nine To Carry Out Suicide Bombing; Israel Government Welcomes U.S. Embassy Move; Melania Trump Undergoes Kidney Surgery At Walter Reed; TMZ Meghan Markle Dad No Longer Attending Wedding; British Cabinet Deeply Split Over Brexit Customs Deal; New Fissure Spew Lava, Rocks Into The Air. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 14, 2018 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HALA GORANI, CNNI: Hello and welcome, I am Hala Gorani. Tonight, as Israeli's celebrate what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls a glorious
day, Palestinians are begging the world to help stop what they call a horrific massacre. We begin with a dramatic and deadly day of contrast.
The United States officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem today, the city of course, claimed where both Israelis and Palestinians as their
capital. That added fuel to the fire of weeks of Palestinian protest along the Israel Gaza border.
You can see the contrast there in the images we're showing you.
Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, her husband; both senior advisers at the White House there celebrating the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem. On the
right, along the Gaza border, more than 50 Palestinians killed by the Israeli military. More than 2,000 injured. Today's protest include eight
children dead under the age of 16 on the Palestinian side, and it was the deadliest day in Gaza in years.
Israel is defending its use of live bullets to control the crowds saying rioters were throwing stones and rolling burning tires, some threatening to
breach the border fence. But it has to be said, there has not been a single injury on the Israeli side.
The Palestinian UN Ambassador says, the world is witnessing an atrocity against civilians. He is demanding justice for those killed.
(START VIDEO CLIP)
RIYAD MANSOUR, PALESTINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UN: This massacre is taking place at the same time when the United States of America illegally and
unilaterally and in a provocative way is opening its embassy. It is very, very tragic that they are celebrating an illegal action while Israel is
killing and injuring thousands of Palestinian civilians.
This is the life of the Palestinian people, and those who think that opening the embassy open doors to peace, let them look at what is really
happening in the Gaza strip.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Just a short drive away, a very different scene in Jerusalem. Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka played a key role in the formal unveiling
of the American embassy in Jerusalem.
(START VIDEO CLIP)
IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: On behalf of the 45th President of the United States of America, we welcome you officially and for the first
time to the embassy of the United States here in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was elated. He called it a great day for Israel and America, and he lavished praised on Donald
Trump for "having the courage to keep his promises."
(START VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: Remember this moment. This is history. President Trump, by recognizing history, you have made
history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Let's get to our reporters on the ground now. Oren Liebermann is live in Jerusalem and Ian Lee is in Gaza. So, Ian, I want to start with
you because we're looking now at 55 killed by Israeli forces along the Gaza border fence.
Really, this is one of the worst day in terms of death in years in Gaza.
IAN LEE, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: That's right, Hala. Since the 2014 war, there hasn't been a deadlier day and it was gearing up to be so with what
we are hearing from people, they were expecting tens of thousands along the border and that's what we saw today. These people had different camps all
up and down the border. At first, we saw this thick black smoke, which drew a curtain really across the border that obscured the site of Israeli
snipers and allowed protesters to move closer.
And Israel has said that they were going to use tear gas to try to push them away and then they were going to use live fire, and that's where we're
getting this high death toll from. We could hear the crack of rounds of live fire being shot at these protesters, the steady stream of ambulances,
and we saw some things we hadn't seen before, these drones that were dropping tear gas from the sky as well as the skunk water, which is this
really nasty horrible smelling water trying to disperse the crowds.
But we also...
[15:05:16]
LEE: ... heard heavy machine gun fire coming from the northern part of the Gaza Strip, also tank fire from the southern part of this Gaza Strip, and
then on the northern border, we also saw two air strikes and these air strikes we are told by - from the Israeli military were targeting Hamas
positions. They say, they were about to just carry out terrorist activities.
But you can just see then from all of that why we have at least, tonight. We are expecting this to rise. Fifty-five people killed so far, and Hala,
you know, this is a plan to continue tomorrow. Protesters say they are going to go back out there. They are going to try to cross that border
fence, and again, that's another recipe for another deadly day.
GORANI: And Oren, this opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem, the critics of the move say you're basically already declaring before any discussions
or any agreement has taken place, as far as the US is concerned, Jerusalem - the whole of Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.
How will it practically change things in terms of any kind of accord or agreement?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, in terms of the move itself, logistically, it was a very simple movement. They essentially just
switched the signs between what was the embassy in Tel Aviv and what happened until today, was the consulate in Jerusalem. It was a largely
symbolic move and yet, it was a move that made Israel very happy and you saw that in the court from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a short time
ago that we heard and infuriated and continues to infuriate Palestinian leaders who see this as the final essentially step in disqualifying the US
as an arbiter, as a sort of mediator of any sort of peace process.
And yet, despite that, President Donald Trump has said he insists, he will keep pushing forward with his peace plan - a peace plan that is worth
noting that very few people have seen either on the American side or the Israeli side. He insists, he will still support peace between Israelis and
Palestinians, but at this point, Hala, it is very hard to see how he can bring the Palestinians back to the table who froze relations with the
American administration back in December when Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
So, for all of the celebrations on the Israeli side, it's such a stark contrast between what we saw here and the pictures we've seen out of Gaza
and my colleague, Ian Lee.
Hala, the only explosions we heard here were fireworks some short time ago.
GORANI: All right, and back to the Gaza Strip there, Ian, you were reporting that protesters, demonstrators and just ordinary Palestinians in
the Gaza Strip plan on demonstrating again, in the coming days, so I guess, we can expect more death as the week unfolds?
LEE: Yes, tomorrow is the Nakba Day. This is a day where Palestinians remember the 1948 war when many of them fled their homes and a lot of the
people that were out there are refugees and they say that they want to return to the lands they lost to Israel during that war, some of them are
descendants of those refugees as well.
And when you talk to them, they say that they are not afraid. They are not afraid to go out there and risk their lives to try to go back to their
lands, and we also heard from Hamas tonight, Hamas has said that the deaths of the people today, well, those are the on hands of the American
government who provoked the people today. They say, this was all a provocation from the US government and so, you know, tomorrow, we're
expecting again to see that.
You know, one thing to add, too, is we heard from Oren talking about this peace process and how he said that you know, we expect to get this plan in
the following weeks, and he is right when he says that for the Palestinians, it's going to be very difficult to bring them to the table to
even look at this peace plan, but you know, the one thing also, even if they are able to convince those Palestinian leaders to take a look at it,
it's the street that is going to have to agree to it, and today, listening to the people, talking to them, talking to them yesterday, you know, it's
going to be very hard to convince them to budge one inch.
GORANI: And Oren, I always ask you this, or I often ask you this, ordinary Israelis happy about this move, you know, I mean, this is the view of
Netanyahu and his liquid government, but are ordinary Israelis, do they believe this is a good idea to move the American embassy to Jerusalem?
LIEBERMANN: I would say very much so, and even more so over the past few weeks and months. I think there was a contingent of Israelis who
questioned Donald Trump's motivation in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, whether it was really for Israel or was it for his
evangelical Christian voter base, that has shifted to mostly out to the vast majority of Israelis now pro the embassy move in Israel.
Trump and Netanyahu have tried to create some sort of international momentum to get other countries moving their embassies here. They claim to
have had success, and yet, so far, only...
[15:10:16]
LIEBERMANN: ... Paraguay and Guatemala have committed to moving their embassies to Jerusalem. Hala, it's worth pointing out that those two
countries have heavy evangelical populations, and I will make one final point, if I may. In terms of the stark juxtaposition between pictures in
Gaza and what is happening here, Israel's celebration, I would say that Netanyahu is probably not too worried in terms of international
consequences from 55 Palestinians killed in Gaza with the simple fact that he believes and probably knows that Trump will protect - the American
administration will protect Israel at the United Nations and other international forums.
GORANI: All right, thanks very much, Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem, Ian Lee in Gaza. Thanks to both of you.
When the new US embassy opened its doors today, it reopened the debate about a two-state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
We're hearing two very different views on that from both sides, obviously.
Here is Israeli Education Minister, Naftali Bennett's take.
(VIDEO CLIP STARTS)
NAFTALI BENNETT, ISRAELI EDUCATION MINISTER: Any peace that was predicated on dividing Jerusalem was never going to succeed. Have you ever asked
yourself why is it always failing? Because Jerusalem was going to be divided and it's not going to work. It's just not going to work.
By taking Jerusalem off the table, effectively, all sides face reality and now, we can talk peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right, so according to Bennett, once you take Jerusalem off the table, we can talk peace, but I can tell you one thing, Palestinians
certainly disagree with that. Here is politician, Mustafa Barghouti.
MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, PALESTINIAN PHYSICIAN, ACTIVIST, AND POLITICIAN: If Israel is ready to end its occupation, if they are ready to accept that we
will also have a capital in East Jerusalem, and there is a solution that provides two states which can coexist with each other, there is a
possibility for a solution.
But when Israel continues settlements and kills every agreement that exists, and tries to impose on us unilateral actions like the annexation of
Jerusalem and now, moving the embassy - the American embassy to Jerusalem, this will not lead to peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Mustafa Barghouti. I am joined by Eugene Kontorovich, a Professor at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. He attended the US
embassy opening today in Jerusalem and was a proponent of having the US embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Palestinians would say this is a provocative move, Jerusalem - the status of that city has not been discussed. Palestinians did not agree to it that
both lay claim to this city. Why is it a good idea for the US to move its embassy there?
EUGENE KONTOROVICH, PROFESSOR, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, CHICAGO: First of all, Jerusalem is and has been the capital of Israel for
70 years since the creation of the state. Long before the Palestinian issue emerged after 1967, Jerusalem was the capital and even before that,
it has not been recognized. So, this simply recognizes reality on the ground.
More importantly, Jerusalem is today a unified city, and acknowledging this reality tells the Palestinians who have rejected three prior peace offers
that included parts of Jerusalem, guys, if you say no, this does not mean restarting from the last offer when we reopened negotiations.
Once you say no, the next offer is going to be not as good, and that's a dynamic that needs to be injected into these negotiations.
GORANI: But I mean, 35% of Jerusalem is inhabited by Arabs. The final status after the peace accords of 1993 always, always had in mind that
Jerusalem was discussed at a later date. This is just imposing a reality on a big, big chunk of the population of that city without their buy in.
KONTOROVICH: I think that's really not true. First of all...
GORANI: How is it not true?
KONTOROVICH: ... the notion because there's some effort...
GORANI: ... that was the fact that they ended the peace accord. Yes.
KONTOROVICH: The fact that there is some minority in a city that's different from the majority means that they require a separate sovereignty.
The fact that you have two peoples living in one city means that Jews and Arabs cannot be part of one sovereign, that's like saying, Washington DC
has two different ethnic groups, they need two different countries. That's I think a fundamentally racist idea.
Now, it's true that the status of Jerusalem is something the Palestinians can negotiate on, but just like Israel was willing to negotiate about
Jerusalem, when the United States said no part of the city is your capital, Israel did not say, we are not going to negotiate because you're denying
even Western Jerusalem as our capital, so the Palestinians, they can negotiate now, and if a deal is reached, Israel is free to yield parts of
this city, certain neighborhoods to the Palestinians just like most deals contemplate, Israel will give neighborhoods and areas in currently
sovereign Israeli territory and then they give to the Palestinians.
Just because it's Israeli now doesn't mean that can't be changed in a peace deal, what was telling with the Palestinians is...
(CROSSTALK)
GORANI: So you would support the idea of parts of Jerusalem then becoming a future - the capital of the future Palestinian state, including the
Eastern parts of Jerusalem that are inhabited by Arabs.
KONTOROVICH: I would certainly not support...
[15:15:16]
KONTOROVICH: ... the notion that where ethnic groups live has to determine the sovereignty of that. That because Arabs live in a particular
neighborhood means they can't be part of Israel. Because we know that Jews can't live in most Arab countries, or pretty much any Arab countries.
However, it is not the case, Arabs can indeed live in Jewish countries, but the point is, the fact that Israel now has sovereignty over certain
territory does not predetermine the status of negotiations over the territory.
However, when America didn't recognize Israeli sovereignty, the Palestinians said no to a deal about Jerusalem three times.
GORANI: Now, I just wonder, you have the UK, you have the international community, all basically saying we will - the UK, Theresa May saying today,
we will not move our embassy there. We believe essentially they Americans made the wrong decision that this is predetermining an outcome of a
negotiation that hasn't taken place.
How is everyone - how do you explain that the international community by and large is opposed to this, but Israel and US support it, and really are
alone almost in supporting it?
KONTOROVICH: So, first of all, there was a fragile ossified consensus about this pretence that Jerusalem, including pre-1967 Jerusalem to which
the Palestinians have no claim is not part of Israel.
What Trump has said is this is not true, the Emperor has no clothes, and already, within a week of the moving of the US embassy, two other countries
are joining and already, European countries have said, they are going to move their embassy to Jerusalem.
So, America is not alone, not only do you have Paraguay and Guatemala, you have the Czech Republic, you have Romania and many more in the pipeline and
that's in the period of just a few months.
Two years ago, nobody - and already Russia has actually recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital - two years ago, nobody would believe this
could happen. If you said that Russia America are going to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, it seems crazy.
So, there is this consensus, but the consensus is shattering rapidly, and by leading in front, not from behind, I think the US is taking the
leadership role in making a new consensus that is based on reality and not...
(CROSSTALK)
GORANI: But in the meantime, you have a situation like Gaza and then we can argue, but really, a portion of majority of countries around the world
believe it's the wrong decision even if you have these examples that you cited some countries in Latin America and a couple in the Eastern Part of
Europe.
But, in Gaza, you have just a shocking death toll where you have Palestinians at the border fence area protesting, 55 plus killed in one
day? What's going on there?
KONTOROVICH: So, first of all, it has nothing to do with Jerusalem. I should note that Gaza is on the other side of the country...
GORANI: It was exacerbated by the announcement...
KONTOROVICH: Hold on, let me answer your question, it was exacerbated, it was preplanned. It was staged by Hamas, this is organized by Hamas, which
runs Gaza, a terror group. These are not protests, these are also efforts to break the fence and Hamas has declared that its goal is to penetrate the
fence and going to Israel.
GORANI: You did not have a single injury on the Israeli side and 55 killed on the Palestinian's side. There is a huge imbalance there. Even if you
accept the idea that Hamas was buying some of it, these were Palestinian civilians who were killed including children under the age of 16.
KONTOROVICH: I don't understand this body count, last week, Israel bombed Syria, Iranian Revolutionary Guards bases, they killed over 50 people
without an Israeli casualty, does that mean you can bomb Iranian bases in Syria, that that's not a legitimate target? Hamas is known to use human
shields...
GORANI: You are equating Iranian bases in Syria with Palestinians along the border fence in Gaza, I don't see those two things are comparable at
all.
KONTOROVICH: The Palestinians were involved in planting bombs and trying to breach the fence and they have declared their goal. It's not a secret,
except maybe on CNN, the Palestinians have declared that their goal is to break through the fence and re-conquer Israel. This is what Hamas has
said.
Now, it's true that they use human shields, and the only connection between the embassy move and what is going on in Gaza, which has been going on for
weeks, which also happens every time around Israel's anniversary, which the Palestinians call the Nakba, the only connection is that they did
understand that getting negative headlines for Israel at the time of the embassy inauguration is a good idea.
And Hamas is putting children in harm's way in order to generate these negative images and negative headlines.
GORANI: All right, Professor Eugene Kontorovich, thanks very much for joining us from Jerusalem this evening.
KONTOROVICH: My pleasure, thank you for having me.
GORANI: Breaking news coming in - thank you - breaking news coming in to CNN, Melania Trump, the wife of the US President has undergone kidney
surgery at Walter Reed Medical Center near Washington today.
This news coming in to us. Her office says she's been experiencing a kidney issue that was benign, but did require medical attention. She is
expected to remain hospitalized for several days. I want to bring in Stephen Collinson. So, it's not unusual to have a kidney - do we know
exactly what it is? Kidney stones? Anything else? Do we have any more details?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: No, Hala, that's...
[14:20:16]
COLLINSON: ... what we have. It's just this White House statement that emerged in the last few minutes basically saying that the First Lady had
had a benign condition that was flagged during a medical check and she underwent surgery and she will spend the rest of the week under observation
in Walter Reed Military Medical Center, which is outside Washington.
So, that's just coming for us right now and that's so far the extent of what we know about this.
GORANI: Okay, and now, she is going to remain hospitalized though for several days?
COLLINSON: That's right. They are saying it will be until the end of the week for observation. The First Lady of course has been in the public eye
in recent days. Just a few weeks ago, she held her first state dinner for the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and she just last week announced her
program for helping young people, the White House says that she hopes to get back to that work, to improve the lives of young people and for her
causes that she is following as First Lady as soon as possible.
So, it doesn't seem like this is something that is very serious, although, you know, obviously, when it's a member of the President's family, every
precaution is taken and they get obviously first class medical care.
GORANI: Sure, and they do in the statement, you used the key word, which is "benign."
COLLINSON: Right, that's right. It doesn't seem to be anything more serious than that. It's difficult to say at this point. This White House
is exceedingly careful with details about the President's family. It's always the case, but with this White House, and their rather sort of
difficult relationship with the press, it is even more so.
But I think we will probably find out a little bit more about this as the day wears on, but at the moment, these are the first details that is coming
out about this. There was no public indication at least that the First Lady had even gone into hospital.
So, as far as that stands, it's a surprise.
GORANI: All right, Stephen Collinson, thanks very much. A lot more news after a quick break. Stay with CNN.
More on our breaking news coming in to CNN. Melania Trump, the wife of the US President underwent kidney surgery in Washington - near Washington at
Walter Reed Medical Center today. This is getting into us. Her office says she has been experiencing a kidney issue that was benign, but did
require medical attention, obviously, and she is going to be spending several nights in the hospital.
Kate Bennett joins us now with more. What more are we learning on this story, Kate?
KATE BENNETT, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Basically, all we have learned is what the statement says, which is that the First Lady did have a
procedure today. She went in this morning. She is resting comfortably. She will be at Walter Reed for the next several days. The condition is
related to her kidney. It's an issue that appears to be benign, that is - it's called an embolization. We were just talking to CNN's...
[15:25:16]
BENNETT: ... Dr. Sanjay Gupta who said it is typically - it's not an unusual procedure, certainly by any means, however, no one from the White
House announced that this was happening before, so we are just learning the details now, but again, the surgery was successful. She is resting
comfortably. And I am sure will be visited soon by the President who did not - who was not by her side today at the hospital.
GORANI: All right, but we don't know if he has visited her yet at this stage?
BENNETT: We don't know yet, but I would imagine shortly he would be visiting, you know, now that she is out of surgery and that the operation
was successful. They might be more forthcoming with details, possibly also with a visit from the President.
GORANI: Kate Bennett, thanks very much. We will get back to you for more updates when news emerges on this breaking news story. We want to tell you
now about that truly horrific story out of Indonesia.
At least three families use their own kids, one as young as nine to carry out suicide bombing. It's just unbelievable to wrap your brain around
this. Some of the video you're about to see is very disturbing. Anna Coren has the details.
(START VIDEO TAPE)
ANNA COREN, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: A family of five aboard two motor bikes approach a security post at the police headquarters of
Indonesia's second largest city, Surabaya, Indonesia. Within seconds, they detonate bombs, four of them are instantly killed while 10 officers and
civilians are injured.
Suddenly, a young girl belonging to the family of suicide bombers rises in the rubble. Witnesses yell for her to get away, it's dangerous, until a
bystander picks up the eight-year old and carries her to safety.
It's the latest in the series of attacks that have rocked the city in just 24 hours. On Sunday morning, another local family pictured here in a
family portrait unleashed horror on the streets in coordinated attacks on Christian parishioners.
It began when the father described by police as the head of the ISIS affiliated group, Jemaah Anshorut Daulah in East Java, dropped off his wife
and two young daughters aged nine and 12 outside a church.
Dressed in abayas and strapped with explosives, they walk towards the entrance before being chased by a guy. Moments later, they blow themselves
up.
A short time later, the 46-year-old father drives his car laden with bombs into another church killing himself and many innocent civilians.
And then, his two sons, aged 16 and 18 weave their way on a motorbike into a crowd outside a third church and detonate more bombs.
SIDNEY JONES, INSTITUTE FOR POLICY ANALYSIS OF CONFLICTS: This is the first, not just for Indonesia, but it may be the first in the world that
whole families have been used as suicide bombers.
COREN: Speaking to local media, the mother of the man who orchestrated the church bombing said, "My son told me to pray for his martyrdom a long time
ago. I told him, don't tell me that," but it was his dream to become a martyr.
Explosions also went off overnight at the house of another family. Police believe they were plotting an attack. ISIS has claimed responsibility
describing each of the bombings as a martyrdom operation.
JONES: Despite the setbacks in the Middle East and the defeat in Syria and Iraq that ISIS in Indonesia is alive and well.
COREN: This is the worst terror attack in Indonesia linked to ISIS and according to experts, more than 1,000 Indonesians traveled to Syria and
Iraq to (inaudible) in the last four years.
Hundreds have since returned which is not illegal under the current counter terror laws. However, Indonesian President Joko Widodo says legislation
must now be passed to outlaw this and give more power to security forces.
This is the act of cowards. Undignified and barbaric action, he said, we will fight terrorism and eliminate the root cause of it.
Indonesia has been a hot bed for terrorism over the years - the Bali bombings in 2002 carried out by Al-Qaeda linked militants with the
deadliest attacks claiming 202 lives.
And while the country's elite counterterrorism units have eliminated targets and foiled many plots, there are fears ISIS is finding a haven in
the world's most populous Muslim nation.
Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Still to come tonight, a celebration for some, a day of anguish for others as the new American embassy in Jerusalem officially opened. A
huge loss of lives in Gaza. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:17] HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Oh, let's get back to our top story. A historic day for Israel as the new U.S. embassy opens its
doors in Jerusalem, but not far from the smiles and the applause events in Gaza are historic for an entirely different reason. It is facing its
biggest one-day death toll in years. Official says at least 55 Palestinians, including children have been killed in protests along the
Gaza-Israel border. More than 2,700 are injured. Israeli officials are defending their forces use of live fire to control the crowds.
Palestinians accused Israel of a massacre. All of this as tensions are flying high in the region. Let's not forget that Israel and Iran were
exchanging fires just days ago.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Iran's capital and our Elise Labott is in Jerusalem. So Elise, let's talk about the opening of the U.S. embassy. I
mean, what is it -- does it change anything really in terms of on the ground, in terms of any potential feature negotiations? What is it changed
concretely?
ELISE LABOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, let's just start by saying, Hala, it's a highly emotional and significant move, but a highly symbolic
one at this point, because nothing's really going to change. The ambassador has an office there. There's a seal that says U.S. embassy.
But the ambassador, David Freidman will -- most of his work will remain in Tel Aviv, his staff is not moving to Jerusalem and he is not moving to
Jerusalem. For all this, a very emotional move.
Look, what the U.S. saying is this is a state of complete. It's the reality on the ground. Let's just acknowledge it and then move on. It's a
little bit hard when they're not acknowledging at the same time that the Palestinians might have claimed to Jerusalem as well. But if you talk to
U.S. and Israeli official, they do acknowledge that President Trump, when his negotiators Jarred Kushner's son in law and Jason Greenblatt are going
to lay out their piece plan in the coming weeks. They're going to be asking for something.
Look, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who had a very good week. He had the Iran deal. President Trump withdrew from the Iran deal. He has
President Trump's unequivocal support against Iran and Syria. He has the U.S. embassy. He was feted in Russia. He had a very good week and
largely, that is because of President Trump. And at some point, President Trump is going to say I bolstered you, I stood by you. You have signs in
Jerusalem that say, President Trump is a friend of Israel and we'll make Israel great. This is what I think you need to do, make these comprises to
keep yourselves safe, to make a peace deal and Israeli officials acknowledge is going to be hard for the prime minister to look President
Trump his best, so-called best friends in the eye and say no.
[15:35:13] GORANI: And, Fred Pleitgen in Tehran, at least mentioned the good week for Benjamin Netanyahu, the U.S. president shredded that Iran
deal. But Iran is saying, we want to try to continue to stay in this agreement. Can they do it as we are hearing from John Bolton, the national
security adviser that there is the possibility of the U.S. might impose secondary sanctions on businesses and corporations doing, spending any kind
of money in Iran?
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that's the most difficult part. We've been talking all about the fact that
the Iranians are trying to salvage this nuclear agreement. First of all, inside Iran is quite interesting, because many people would have thought,
Hala, that there would be a rift between the hardliners who were always extremely critical of the nuclear agreement and then the more moderate
forces around President Hassan Rouhani. That hasn't happened to the extent that many people would have thought certainly if you ask, as far as the
supreme leader here was saying. He was saying that he doesn't trust the Europeans to try and keep this deal in place, but he is willing to give
these negotiations a chance, at the same time you have this very important visit by the foreign minister, Javad Zarif today. He was in Russia, that
was a very important part. But the real test is going to come tomorrow when he's in Brussels and meeting with his European counterparts, because
in the end, it's all about what the Europeans are going to do. The Iranians are essentially demanding from the Europeans to shield their
companies from any sort of retribution from the United States, possible sanctions that John Bolton was talking about.
The Europeans on the one hand, they are extremely angry at President Trump for getting out of this nuclear deal, but at the same time, it would be a
huge step for them to go up against the United States on this issue, but that's essentially what's at stake. The Iranians are saying, look, we want
to keep this going. The Iranians said they're willing to do their part, but they also want to reap the benefits of the nuclear agreement, because
they have already dismantled large part of their nuclear program and they say, if that's not the case, when they can't ramp up the nuclear program
again, it would be bigger than it was before and they can do it without restrictions in the future. So I think the next couple of days they're
going to be telling the Iranians say, they're going to give it two months if it works out, it if doesn't, then the nuclear agreement is essentially
dead, Hala.
GORANI: And, Elise, I want to get back to that embassy opening. A pair of -- a strange choice that has to be said, controversial evangelical leaders
spoke today at the opening of the Jerusalem embassy. Listen to what they say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PASTOR JOHN HAGEE, FOUNDER, CORNERSTONE CHURCH: Let every Islamic terrorist hear this message, Israel lives. Let it be heard in the halls of
the United Nations, Israel lives. Let it echo down the marble halls of the presidential Palace in Iran, Israel lives.
PASTOR ROBERT JEFFRESS, AMERICAN SOUTHERN BAPTIST: We thank you every day that you have given us a president who boldly stands on the right side of
history, but more importantly, stands on the right side of you, oh, God, when it comes to Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, in the past , both have come under fire, on Sunday,, in fact, Mitt Romney, one-time presidential candidate addressed that. He
tweeted quote, "Robert Jeffress, you can't be saved by being a Jew and Mormonism is a heresy from the pit of hell. He's said the same about
Islam, such a religious big issue now be giving the prayer that opens the United States embassy in Jerusalem."
Elise, why did they choose these men? It's quite surprising.
LABOTT: Yes, it's quote confusing why they poured fire on an already kind of combustible and controversial situation with these controversial
speakers. I'll say that Robert Jeffress was one of President Trump's biggest supporters during the campaign. Yes, he was very controversial,
but he speaks to President Trump's base. And the same with Pastor John Hagee who is very popular among President Trump's evangelical supporters.
They're also is this idea that the evangelicals are very important to President Trump in terms of what he wants to do in the Middle East. And so
there's a question as to whether he chose them --
GORANI: But they've said in the past, Elise, that even Jews can be saved. They were surrounded by Jews. I don't know -- I mean, I guess the
evangelical side of things. But that's where I found most confusing.
LABOTT: No, I find it -- I find it completely confusing. You asked me why. And I have to say the only reason we can say is because of that
evangelical support. The honest answer that I think, Hala, is I think President - these were supporters of President Trump. They weren't
properly vetted. This kind of stuff happens all the time where they're putting out someone who is a big supporter of President Trump and then they
find out something controversial that he said about Islam, that he said about women, that he said about gays. Here, he said something about Jews,
Mormons, Christians, you name it, Catholics. I mean, it is a very, very strange choice, I agree. The only answer you'll get from the White House
is these were supporters of President Trump and they asked them to speak and the administration doesn't -- hasn't seen those comments or doesn't
adhere to those comments, but clearly a very controversial message by sending them to the opening.
[15:40:30] GORANI: Elise Labott, thanks very much. Fred Pleitgen in Tehran, thanks again to you.
Today's embassy opening coincides with the anniversary of Israel's founding in 1948. It is mourned by Palestinians as a national tragedy exactly 70
years on. The Palestinian ministry of health said that at least 55 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli ministry. The Israeli, military, I
should say along the Gaza-Israel border including children.
So, has the world abandoned the Palestinian cause? Professor of international relations at London school of economics and author of "Making
the Arab World," Fawaz Gerges joins me now.
So that's my first question to you, because 55 killed at the border. We're covering it. There isn't real any of the few expected statements at the
U.N. The commissioner for human rights at the U.N. or the representative for human rights didn't even make a statement himself. He sent a
spokesperson. I mean, you don't sense a lot of outrage.
FAWAZ GERGES, PROFESSOR, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AT LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Fifty-five people killed, 2,000 injured. How the Palestinians
feel? They feel forsaken, abandoned by the world. The Trump administration has not just moved its embassy to Jerusalem. Jerusalem face
a Security Council, Hala, about Jerusalem. These some partisan occupied Palestinian city. And the international community recognized these and
part as the capital of feature Palestinian state. The Palestinian have not just been abandoned by the world. I mean, think of how cheap Palestinian
lives. Where is the world? Imagine, Hala, and I'm speaking here as an observer. Imagine if 55 Jewish were killed today. Imagine if 2,000 Jews
were injured today. Imagine if two million Jews have been in a big prison for the past seven or eight years --
GORANI: But you heard our Israeli voice a professor who said, this is organized by Hamas, they are terrorists, they are sending their human
shields to the border, they do now deserve our sympathy. This is a view in Israel that is not uncommon.
GERGES: Such a claim blames the victims. The victims are the 55 Palestinians who perished in cold blood. The victims are 2,000
Palestinians. The victims are almost two million Palestinians who have been living in the biggest prisons in the world. The victims basically
have no voice, which should recognize the fact. If Donald Trump -- the reason why you're talking about -- I mean, the tragedy, tomorrow is the
anniversary. What the Palestinians called (INAUDIBLE) a disaster, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled from historic Palestine
in today's Arab countries.
The reality on the -- and this is many of your guests don't tell you, what the Palestinians view the move of view as embassy as the second (INAUDIBLE)
the second desire or the second betrayal.
GORANI: In fact what you're saying about blaming -- the White House says the 50 plus Palestinians killed by Israeli forces are -- the responsibility
with these tragic deaths were solely with Hamas.
GERGES: The victim rests -- I mean, the responsibility --
GORANI: Is there any Palestinian responsivity? Not in the deaths but in the situation?
GERGES: I asked you a question, I asked your viewers. If I were a Palestinian living in a prison for many years, if I'm desperate, if I'm
jobless, if I have no future, if I'm squeezed, if my world -- what do I do? I would do more than that. What's trump is protesting? Were they fighting
of the Israeli soldiers? You have tanks, Israeli tanks. Less soldiers basically were given orders to fight and tomorrow might be a bigger day.
The question is, we need the reason why Israel -- Israeli soldiers have fought on Palestinians. It has the Trump administration, Pompeo in Amman,
when he visits Amman, he said, Israel has the right to defend itself.
GORANI: But can we move on from this situation? Or will it just get worse?
GERGES: Trump has sacrificed these at the altar, his domestic constituency, and ideological predictions. In fact, the United States,
Hala, and I'm sorry to say, the United States now is part of the problem not the solution for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. As long as
Donald Trump remains in the White House, and I'm not exaggerating, there will be no advance on the peace process. This is the sad reality of where
we are today.
GORANI: Well, it was more of before Trump and it's not going in the direction. We'll see what has unveiled in the coming weeks, but certainly
there is not a lot of hope as you just said. Fawaz, as always, thanks so much for joining us.
[15:45:02] Let's return now to our breaking news. The First Lady, Melania Trump has been hospitalized for kidney surgery.
Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins me now live. So you were able to read this short statement from the White House. What does
it tell us?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it sounds like, Hala, she had an embolization procedure, the First Lady. It's a little bit
different than an open operation on the kidney. This is typically using catheters that are put in the blood vessels and then those catheters are
taken to some area close to the kidney and with an embolization procedure, you're injecting something into the blood vessels, like a glue or something
to block the blood flow to a part of the body or in this case, to the part of one of the organs, one of the kidneys in this case. So that's what it
sounds like she had. SO it is an operation. Sometimes, patients will be under anesthesia or they'll certainly be sedated foe this sort of procedure
and it can be done for a variety of things. When people typically here a benign kidney thing going on, they oftentimes, they think of a cyst or
something, but that's not typically treated with an embolization procedure. So there's something else the first lady has treated.
GORANI: What about kidney stones?
GUPTA: Kidney stones not typically treated with an embolization procedure. Those are stones that you actually want -- that are causing blockages in
the normal function to the kidney. This is something where you said -- needed to stop the blood flow to a particular, the kidney. And they also
make very clear in the statement here that this was a benign kidney condition, because typically embolization procedures are done for cancers
tumors, but they are benign tumors or some kind of other benign process that seem to have required this. We do know, Hala, she's been in the
hospital for several days as well. So whatever it was, whatever was treated here, the recovery period is significant, at least until the end of
the week we know she'll be in a hospital.
GORANI: Yes, I noted that too a few days in the hospital. We'll keep following the story, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, as always, thanks so much.
GUPTA: Thank you, Hala. Thank you.
GORANI: We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well, some breaking news coming in to CNN about the upcoming royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. TMZ is reporting that Ms.
Markle's father will no longer be attending the wedding on Saturday. He was supposed to walk her down the aisle, you'll remember. It comes after
an unfolding photo scandal over a deal that Thomas Markle made with the photo agency to take pictures of him getting ready for the wedding. They
were staged. They were fake. These are some of the photos, Mr. Markle says he thought the deal would help him recast his image. The report adds
that Meghan Markel's father admitted he now thought the pictures were "stupid and hammy" and that he made the decision in order not to embarrass
the royal family or his daughter. And these are some of the images that were taken of Thomas Markle.
You remember that one that went around the world of him reading a picture book about England? Thomas Markle, Sr. was due to walk his daughter down
the aisle on Saturday, as we mentioned, at the couple's wedding in Windsor. We'll have more on the story as it unfolds and we get more details whether
or not this was requested of him or whether or not he made the decision on his own.
The British prime minister faces a crucial cabinet meeting tomorrow Tuesday. One that could potentially change the face of Brexit. Theresa
May faces rebellion from within her own party over one of the thorniest issues left in negotiations. The question of what sort of customs
arrangement the U.K. should have with the EU after it leaves. As you can imagine, it is complicated. Isa Soares takes us to the options on the
table through the medium of Lego.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[15:50:55] ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There are three rows the U.K. could go down for its future customs relationship with the
EU. First, it could stick with the profits on and stay in the Customs Union. This would mean no hard border with island a new changes in
tariffs, the goods coming into the U.K. from outside the EU. But it will mean the U.K. is unable to strike its new trade deals with countries
outside the European Union. Like U.S. (INAUDIBLE) or Australia.
The second option, one that is faced by Theresa May is a Customs partnership. Under this, the U.K. would set its own tariffs. And when
goods arise from outside the EU, companies would have to pay whichever is the highest tariffs. The U.K. or the EU, then it could ended up staying in
U.K. companies be later applied for refund of the difference. Now, critic say the system will put a huge burden on businesses in which Britain drew
close to the European Union.
So there is this third option, favored by pro-Brexit members of the U.K. government and it's known as maximum facilitation. Under this arrangement,
the U.K. would set its own tariffs, but it would mean some kind of order would be needed between islands and northern islands. Proponent say this
could be done in part high technology like number plate recognition cameras and it would mean the U.K. will be free to make its own trade deals with
other countries.
Now as Brexit fast approaches on Custom's arrangements, this is a long road ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Issa Soares reporting. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: More Hawaii residents are being forced to evacuate. The ongoing Kilauea volcano eruption, two massive new fissures opened over the weekend,
spewing out lava, fumes and ash in huge quantities. You can see here which called a lava bomb apparently, as literally exploding hundreds of feet into
the air. Here's another view of one of the fissures. The lava has destroyed at least 37 structures so far and nearly 2,000 people have been
ordered to stay away from their homes.
CNN's Scott McLean is on the Big Island with the firsthand look at the volcanic activity.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are two main threats here, one is at the top of Kilauea, the other which is much more pressing is down below
where some 18 fissures have opened up. You'll notice there is hardly any traffic there, that's because this is the evacuation area where some 2,000
people have been told to leave their homes. And for a good reason, 37 homes and buildings have been swallowed up by those 18 fissures. The most
recent though luckily is on a super private farmland just down there. It's harder to see now that it's daylight out, but you can still see the odd
explosion and the off plume of smoke billowing above the tree line there.
Air quality here is also not good. Sulfur dioxide is the gas that's released from these vents in the earth at the very best. It can be
irritating at the very work that it's quite dangerous. The other big concern is the threat of an explosion at the crater, the main crater at the
top of Kilauea. Right now, there are rocks falling into that crater and the concern is that if they plug it up, there's nowhere for that pressure
to go and it'll build up potentially creating an explosion which could shoot boulders the size of refrigerator or even cars flying some half a
mile. The big problem, nobody knows whether this could happen in days or weeks or whether it will happen at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:55:14] GORANI: All right. Scott McLean there in Hawaii. I believe we have more developments on our top story, I'm being told.
OK. Well, quick update on what's happening in Gaza and Jerusalem. Of course, as we've bene reporting, the U.S. embassy has now officially moved
to Jerusalem, though a lot of staff as the infrastructure is still on Tel Aviv. That will happen overtime and this is against the backdrop of
renewed and intensified demonstrations along the Gaza border that have resulted in the Israeli military killing 55 Palestinians, injuring more
than 2,000. You see here on the map that tragically as is the case in this situation. All of the jubilation in one city, the desperation and misery
in another part of the territory are only a short drive away. The distance is so small, but the world is so very different and the pictures so very
different in both cases.
We are also following the story of the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump who was admitted to hospital, Walter Reed Medical Center
outside of Washington D.C. She's being treated for a benign kidney condition. We're keeping our eye on that as well.
I'm Hala Gorani, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
