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Hala Gorani Tonight
Israel: 28 Protesters Killed Has "Terror Backgrounds"; Israel Defends Use Of Live Bullets To Control Protests; Iranian Foreign Minister Seeks Guarantees From E.U. Leaders; Iran Tries To Save Nuclear Fact After U.S. Withdrawal; TMZ: Markle's Father Changes Mind Wants To Attend Wedding; Report: China Loans $500M To Trump Linked Indonesia Project; Trump Reverses Course Vows To Help China's ZTE; KCNA: North Korea Suspends Talks With South Korea Over Military Drills; Ride Sharing Giant Changes Policy On Sexual Assault; KONA: North Korea Warns U.S. Over Summit; Israel Defends Use Of Live Fire To Control Protests; U.S. Supreme Court Lets States Legalize Sports Betting. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 15, 2018 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:36]
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Live from CNN London. I'm Hala Gorani tonight. It is still very real tense at the
Israel-Gaza border, a day after at least 60 people were killed at protest. We are live in Gaza and Jerusalem this hour.
Also, ahead, Uber takes steps to reduce sexually violence on its platform after a CNN investigation into abuse by the company's drivers. We'll tell
you about that.
And Meghan Markle now tells TMZ he has changed his mind again and does want to walk his daughter down the aisle after all.
We begin with Israel. It is facing growing demands for an outside inquiry into the killing of Palestinian protesters that critics are calling a
bloodbath. But Israel is brushing off international condemnation instead pointing the finger of blame squarely at Hamas.
Some Palestinian protesters turned out again today in Gaza, but the crowds were much smaller than Monday. That's when Israeli forces killed at least
60 people. Two more protesters were shot to death today near the Israeli border.
Grieving relatives are burying their dead. They are demanding justice. The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting on Gaza and Kuwait is
expected to circulate a draft resolution urging the U.N. to protect Palestinian civilians.
The U.N. Human Rights official says Israel's version of events must be independently verified.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUPERT COLVILLE, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE: The financial statements simply say this is all Hamas' fault and just ignore the fact that the children are
being killed. Women are being killed. Unarmed protesters are being killed in large numbers. So, I think for the state of Israel is both critical
investigations into these very serious, very serious events and possibly very serious crimes as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So, that's coming from U.N. Israel says some of the protesters killed weren't innocent civilians at all. It says at least 28 had quote,
"documented terror backgrounds."
Let's go now to our team on the ground. Ben Wedeman is live for us in Gaza and Elise Labott is in Jerusalem. Ben, let's start with what happened
today. It was quieter, but there were still deaths at the border.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, several deaths and though the crowds were smaller today, perhaps because people had gone
to the funerals the day before the evening before for at least 60 people killed yesterday and also there were more funerals this morning.
What was interesting is we did see the one of the protests near the fence that separates Gaza and Israel. Armed men in the crowd were able to shoot
down one of those Israeli drones that have been dropping teargas on the protesters and that led to much jubilation among them.
But by and large, things did seem to be somewhat calmer interestingly enough, even though today was the 70th anniversary of what is known as the
Nakba, the catastrophe, when in 1948 the Palestinians lost their historic homeland with the creation of the state of Israel -- Hala.
GORANI: Well, and Elise Labott, we are hearing condemnation from the U.N. We are hearing condemnation as well from allies in Europe including the
United Kingdom telling Israel to essentially try to not use live here and live ammunition as much as they have been. Is the country likely to change
its response to demonstrations at the border fence?
ELISE LABOTT, GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: I would say no, and the main reason is because they are not getting the same kind of urging of restraint
from the United States. Look, in previous years, with previous administrations, you would have the U.S. say Israel has the right to defend
itself and then you have the caveat.
But we urge them to use restraint and avoid civilian casualties. They are not even saying this this time and so I think right now when you hear, you
know, no comments from the United States to say Israel has a right to defend itself and that's that.
And essentially the message of the U.S. is that Hamas is 100 percent responsible and why are these Gazans going to the border if they know
what's going to happened to them anyway.
[15:05:12] So, it is kind of a double blame. It's blaming Hamas for the violence and then blaming the Palestinians for getting in the way of, you
know, this violence that Hamas is causing.
GORANI: And Ben, I want to fact check this a bit because Israeli officials have used these lines a lot in the last few weeks and especially yesterday.
Why go to the fence if you know that we have told you and we've dropped leaflets that we will be using every method we can at our disposal to stop
you from storming this border area.
This is what Israeli officials are saying. You are on the ground in Gaza, what is happening there? If you can answer that question.
WEDEMAN: Well, I think, Hala, it must be said that to a certain extent, Hamas as an organization is encouraging people to take part in these
demonstrations. They are providing transportation to those who do not have it to get to the border area, to the fenced area.
On the other hand, we cannot understate the desperation of many people here in Gaza who really feel that the world has forgotten them. I did get the
old Arab cliches of support to that they used to here of for the Palestinian cause of all but dried up.
And for many there really is not much left to live for now. Now I was looking for since publication by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics said
that men between 20 and 24 here, there is an unemployment rate of almost 50 percent.
If you are a young man here in Gaza, it's very hard to find a decent job or a job at all. You might be able to find a job with Hamas, with the
infrastructure that Hamas runs here in Gaza or you might have nothing else to do so, you just go out to the border and demonstrate against an army, an
enemy, that of course they see as responsible for their original dispossession.
So, yes, Hamas obviously encourages this sort of manifestation, but it cannot force people to go close to the fence that separates Gaza and Israel
and make them basically become target practice for the Israeli Army.
GORANI: Elise, has public opinion changed at all in Israel over this? Do they believe their country's responses proportional to the threat?
LABOTT: I think that they do, and I think that, look, Prime Minister Netanyahu has had a very, very good week. Not only did he get the U.S.
Embassy. He also got President Trump to withdraw from the Iran deal.
He is, you know, getting a certain amount of Arabs to support even if it is not public, it certainly private for his actions against Iran and Syria.
And so, the question is whether this kind of dampens that euphoria not swagger that Prime Minister Netanyahu has had --
You know, after some difficult months of his own domestic political investigations, I would say right now when you talk to Israelis, it is all
about security and they feel that they know that Israel knows that the consequences are very high right now considering everything going on.
And that they wouldn't use the live fire if they did not have to. And so, I think that there is a lot of support for that and also, they are getting
that support from President Trump in the United States.
I cannot overestimate the effect of what that does for the Israeli psyche. This idea that the U.S. has their back and if the U.S. says it is OK, it's
OK.
GORANI: Elise Labott in Jerusalem. Ben Wedeman live in Gaza. Thanks very much to both of you.
Much more on this story coming up including interviews you will not want to miss. I will speak with the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom here
in the studio, Mark Bregev (ph) and Diane Butu (ph), former legal advisor to the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. We will have those
interviews later in the program.
The Middle East was already on tender hooks another big U.S. foreign policy decision pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. Iran's foreign minister is
finishing a whistle stop tour of the globe. What is the objective for Iran trying to salvage what is left of this landmark agreement after the U.S.
has pulled out.
Today, he spent his time in Brussels. He met with European counterparts in the last hour. Can they salvage the deal? The E.U. says they want to
salvage it, but companies like Siemens, for instance, have said, well, we can continue to operate if the U.S. walks away.
[15:10:00] Let's go live to Brussels. Erin McLaughlin is there. So, Javad Zarif is the foreign minister of Iran. He's in Brussels. We saw him with
Federica Morgarini (ph), the foreign affairs representative for the E.U. What can they salvage from this deal now?
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Hala, that is the open question. What we are seeing unfold in Brussels today is an all-out
diplomatic effort on the part of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the E.U. to save this deal and they've been meeting behind closed doors.
We are expecting some sort of press availability after that meeting. But, you know, the conundrum before the E.U. at present is can it provide Iran
with sufficient guarantees that the deal can continue while also providing protection to E.U. businesses facing the possibility on sanctions from the
United States.
Achieving both of those goals will be no small feat as something seemingly acknowledged by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson earlier today.
Take a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: We will be looking at all the ways that we can come up with to protect a legitimate U.K. and European
business, who may want to trade with Iran. We do want to trade and indeed to have great plans to do that, but we have to accept, realistic about the
electrified rail, the live wire of American territoriality and how that can serve as a deterrent to (inaudible).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCLAUGHLIN: Because the fact of the matter is, Hala, this deal will have difficulty surviving if the European Union cannot invest in Iran if the
European Union cannot do business in Iran and that, of course, is in jeopardy with the prospect of, as I said, the secondary sanctions expected
from the United States to roll out at the end of the so-called winding down period in the next three to six months.
So, what ministers had been meeting behind closed doors today discussing ways to mitigate the prospect of those sanctions. It will certainly be
interesting to see what they have to say when that meeting wraps up shortly -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. I am having a hard time understanding how it can work, how if companies want to invest and they might be open to and subject to
secondary sanctions if they'll continue to do so, but we will see what European officials come up with and if any announcements come out of that.
Thanks, Erin.
Still to come tonight, bizarre two days for the father of Meghan Markle. He's had another change of heart. We'll update you on the latest Royal
wedding drama next.
And Donald Trump is vowing to save jobs, but this time jobs in China. That's a sharp u-turn from what he said in the past, what's behind it?
That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:15:25]
GORANI: Four days out from the Royal wedding, we are hearing about a change of heart from Meghan Markle's father. Yet another one. He has told
TMZ that he does indeed want to walk his daughter down the aisle as she weds Britain's Prince Harry.
This time yesterday we told you that he wasn't going to attend the big day after he admitted to staging these Paparazzi photos. There are also
reports that he's had a heart attack. He checked himself in and out of the hospital. He lives in Mexico, by the way.
Our Bianca Nobilo is in Windsor where the wedding will take place. Are we hearing any reaction to all of this where you are?
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN REPORTING: Well, I've already just got that information in the last hour or so. I've been speaking people by Windsor Castle and up
and down the high street today about Thomas Markle, about was the question on everyone's lips here is will he be attending the wedding or not?
And actually, it's something that people really related to, this idea of family drama in the buildup to big events or a wedding, and it's something
which made Meghan even more relatable to people here.
Some thought he shouldn't come because he's embarrassed the family enough and some felt like the only thing he could do to make up for some of these
recent transgressions would be to come to Windsor and to support his daughter.
But what we do know and what are we learning? So, TMZ have said that Thomas Markle has called the staging of those photographs as stupid, quote,
"transgression" and he's also said that he hates the idea of missing one of the greatest moment in history as well as missing the opportunity to walk
his daughter down the aisle.
So, his attention according to TMZ is to come and he said that he is willing to risk his health to do that because, as you mentioned, Hala,
there had been reports that he suffered a heart attack about a week ago.
And TMZ's reporting that he's back in hospital now after reportedly suffering severe damage to his heart.
GORANI: Bianca Nobilo in Windsor. Thanks very much. Let's bring in CNN royal commentator, Victoria Arbiter joins me here in the studio. Boy,
that's a lot of drama by any measure, right? Four days to the wedding and this is one of the most anticipated events in a long time.
VICTORIA ARBITER, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: This is just an extraordinary development in a 24-hour period, but the Markle family has behaved rather
accordingly from the get to. That behavior was kind of limited to the half brother and half sister, but now for her father to be caught up in the
drama.
It must be deeply troubling for Meghan and by extension for Harry as well. So, I think it's an embarrassing time. It's a humiliating time. My only
hope is the right happy ending come Saturday.
GORANI: But would the royal family want him to attend after all this?
ARBITER: I think the royal family will be behind whatever Meghan wants. The queen is very aware of how difficult it is to marry into the royal
family. Let's face it, the (inaudible) had this fair share of this function.
She repeatedly has asked the press to back off Diana and leave her alone. So, she's going to be keen to give Meghan the guidance she needs, the
comfort she needs and the support she needs.
GORANI: What I don't understand is why would the father had been so embarrassed about a Paparazzi photo scandal, you know, staging Paparazzi
photos, I mean, we know Princess Diana. There were reports she was in touch with some of the photographers she favored among the paparazzi. Why
is that such a big deal?
ARBITER: Staging photos is nothing new, as you know, but I think he just got caught up in some actions. He made some bad decisions, choices and he
got caught, and I just don't think he really understood the repercussions on Meghan.
Meghan hasn't married into the royal family yet. So, here we have a young lady desperately trying to please and show respect to her future family,
but also sort of trying to make a name for herself on this side of the pond.
And it's just embarrassing any which way you look at it, and I think four days before the wedding, he just thought I've made a really bad decision
here and of course, now he's facing the consequences.
GORANI: And if he doesn't show up then her only relative at the wedding will be her mother?
ARBITER: That's exactly right. And that's why I think her mother would be the right person to walk her down the aisle. She has an incredibly close
relationship to her. She's the only person in the family who hasn't tried to sell her out.
Some have suggested Prince Charles might step up or Prince William, but I think her mother is the person that she do it. Queen Victoria walked two
daughters down the aisle so there is a precedence for it.
GORANI: Why not walk yourself down the aisle? I did it.
ARBITER: There you go. That certainly (inaudible), but I think when you are marrying into the Windsor family, that's quite a long walk down the
aisle.
GORANI: Well, so, I mean this is going to put -- there is a cloud now hanging over this event a little bit, right. I mean, we need at least some
resolution to know either way what the father is going to do.
ARBITER: This week should have been caught up with those final preparations. Meghan's girl friends are all flying into town. Families
should be flying into town. Any bride who's experience days pre-wedding, they know what a joyful time it is.
So, you're right. There is something of a cloud hanging over this wedding right now, which is why I hope Thomas Markle would do the right thing,
which is to be quiet, shut up and to show up.
GORANI: But if he shows up, maybe he will take away some of the attention that is meant -- well, probably not, though.
[15:20:06] Now you spoke of girl friends, and friends, and things like that, I am not aware -- there is no official guest list out or anything.
Do we know who of her close -- several friends will attend?
ARBITER: (Inaudible) will definitely be in attendance and there are some speculation that her daughter might be one of the bridesmaids included in
the bridal party. Jessica has been an amazing support. She is a great friend. She's reports to have help Meghan choose her wedding dress.
Meghan has such a tight circle of girl friends. She didn't actually want to choose any of them to be her maid of honor because she didn't want to
single one of them out. And so it's great knowing she's got that circle of friends because, you know, watching the royal family on a daily basis is
not for the faint of heart and you need to have a troop behind you to support you.
GORANI: Victoria Arbiter, thanks very much. So, we'll continue to -- it seems he's talking only to TMZ. He has some sort of relationship there.
OK, thank you very much, Victoria.
Now to a stunning reversal from the U.S. president, Donald Trump. Now you'll remember just last month, his administration flapped the Chinese
tech firm, ZTE, with crippling sanctions. The U.S. accused the firm of illegally doing business with Iran and North Korea.
Now Trump has ordered the Commerce Department to help get the company back into business fast. He's been tweeting about this since Sunday and his
latest, he linked the ZTE dispute to the larger trade deal that the U.S. is negotiating with China.
Could it have something to do with the transaction in Indonesia? CNN is investigating reports that the president's reversal on ZTE may be connected
to this Indonesian development that is to include a Trump branded hotel, residences and a golf course.
It's $500 million loan from the Chinese government that was reportedly approved just before the president publicly shifted his position on ZTE.
Top Democrat Adam Schiff told CNN he finds it suspicious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPRESENTATIVE ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), RANKING MEMBER, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: This is the issue when the president won't divest his business
holdings, when the family still attempts to leverage the presidency to gain business, and you know, one thing that you could definitely say about
China, given the strong state intervention in the economy is nothing happens by accident.
Now, early on, the president, consider doing away with "One China" policy something very important to China. Now he later abandoned that and when he
abandoned that magically mysteriously China gave the Ivanka brand trademarks that it had long sought.
I can guarantee you China would not have given those brands if Donald Trump had follow through on his campaign commitment to not recognize One China.
Similarly, here, I cannot imagine China going forward with this transaction, helping the Trump branded property in Indonesia to the tune of
half a billion if the president to continue the sanctions on ZTE. It's just hard to imagine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Adam Schiff, a top Democrat in the U.S. Samuel Burke has more on the story, and it's not just the Democrats, but he is also defying members
of his own party on this?
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN MONEY TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: President Trump isn't just defying members of his own party and the Democrats. He's defying
years of his own dogma. Remember that all throughout the campaign trail, he went as far as saying the Chinese practice when it comes to commerce and
trade, he went as far as saying that it was great. He called it theft as well.
So, when you see that he is going against his own dogma or what we thought was his own dogma when he goes against what Senator Marco Rubio has been
tweeting, for example, if we just take a look at what somebody from his own party.
This is of course, a Republican senator, who also ran for president from Florida says, "Clearly, President Xi personally intervened for ZTE, but
replacing sanctions with fine of $300 million, $400 million is not a good deal." We have leverage to bring fairness back to relationships with
China, whose other tech firms, Dingwall, Huawei, Lenovo rely on U.S. chips as well.
So, what is happening here is you have people from all sides questioning what is the motive behind this deal and every day it is a different turn
from putting pressure on this company through policy, but now it's very difficult to see where the policies is. If this is all just part of trade
negotiations and of course, it may just be done.
What the president is doing here just be done to try and create leverage as the Chinese and the U.S. enter into negotiations in D.C. over the $150
billion of tariffs the President Trump has threatened on them.
GORANI: All right and solving conducted on Twitter and publicly so. Thanks very much, Samuel Burke with that.
We have some breaking news so we're going to leave that there, from the Korean Peninsula, North Korea is suspending talks with South Korea because
of a military drill conducted by South Korea and the U.S. This is according to the North Korean state news agency, KCNA. The talks were
supposed to resume tomorrow, Wednesday.
Let's take you straight to Seoul live. Our Paula Hancocks is there. So, did this essentially -- what does this mean for the summit between Kim
Jong-un and Donald Trump? Could it have any impact on that?
[15:25:11] PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a bit too early to say at this point, Hala. What we know at this point is
that those high-level talks were supposed to happen today local time. It's already Wednesday here.
And we have heard from KCNA that they are going to suspend those high-level talks because they believe that these (inaudible) drills, this is the Air
Force drill between the U.S. and South Korea, which is an annual drill, has gone against the (inaudible) Declaration.
The state-run media running an article saying that this is against the agreement that was made between the North and South Korean leaders. That
there wouldn't be any hostilities between the two countries.
Now, the South Koreans and the U.S. always maintain that these types of annual drills are defensive in nature. They say that it is necessary to
keep readiness for both of these ministries and it's nothing to do with anything aggressive towards any particular country.
This is the standard line we hear from them. But what we have in the past heard from North Korea is that they believe it is a dress rehearsal to an
invasion. It is interesting, though, because we did hear from Kim Jong-un through the South Korean delegation.
When they went up earlier this year met with him, he had said that he understands the need for these military drills, specifying at that point a
different military drill, the full (inaudible) which happens in the spring.
So, certainly, it's a new development. It was North Korea who suggested these talks on Tuesday and then just less than 24 hours later saying they
should be suspended because of these military drills -- Hala.
GORANI: OK, now you wouldn't have seen this, Paula, but on North Korean official news agency, that North Korea is warning the United States saying
the U.S. should carefully consider the fate of the summit that is planned for June. So, they are putting it out there, that it could be in jeopardy.
Yes, it is an interesting line and say straight to the core of the matter. North Korea is saying that it could be that the summit itself that would be
-- that would be in jeopardy. Now certainly, an interesting tact to take for the North Koreans considering as I say, Kim Jong-un through the South
Korean delegation, we never heard from him directly on this did say that he understands the need for these military drills.
Now clearly Pyongyang feels that something has changed since that (inaudible) Declaration has been signed and within that (inaudible)
Declaration it says that there should be no hostile activity between the two.
The KCNA saying it is a deliberate military provocation against the trend of well-developing situation on the Korean Peninsula. So, clearly, looking
for some kind of the stay in this military drill.
Now the sort of flights and jets that we know are involved is often the F- 16s. We believe the F-22 stealth fighters are involved this year as well. That stealth fighter on the Korean Peninsula is not something that North
Korea would welcome.
And that is what they are alluding to as well, saying that it appears that this could be a dress rehearsal for some kind of invasion, a line that we
haven't heard this year. It's a line we usually hear every single year in the springtime when these military drills take place. But it's really a
departure from what we have been hearing from North Korea in recent months.
GORANI: All right. Interesting developments. We'll see if they send out any more updates on this, but the North Korea warning the United States
that they should carefully consider the fate of a summit scheduled for June, after joint U.S.-South Korean drills. Thanks very much, Paula.
Still to come tonight, after a CNN investigation, Uber is changing its policies for writers who say drivers assaulted them. Do the changes go far
enough? We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:36] GORANI: Let's bring you the latest on that breaking news from the Korean Peninsula. North Korea says the U.S. should carefully consider
the fate of the North Korea-U.S. summit in view of what it calls provocative military disturbances with South Korea. That is according to
the North Korean state news agency. The North also suspended talks with South Korea that were set to resume tomorrow Wednesday. So North Korea is
telling the United States carefully consider this. They are no fans of the joint Korean -- South Korean-U.S. military drills. They are suspending the
talks on Wednesday with Seoul and also telling the Trump administration essentially that they should carefully consider the fate of that summit.
All right. We'll have a lot more on this breaking news story when new details emerge. But now to this following a CNN report. The ride-sharing
service Uber is changing how it handles reports of sexual assault. Under the new rules, victims can speak out and they can also go to court,
something passengers effectively gave up their right to do when they signed on to Uber. Exclusive reporting by CNN's Drew Griffin brought the issue to
life and Drew joins me now from our Washington Bureau. So, what changes -- what changes is Uber promising?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the overall change, Hala, is to no longer fight these to the point where they keep all of the information
about sexual assaults basically in the shadows. Uber is going to have some transparency. They're going to "turn the lights on" to what is happening
inside your Uber and that is going to allow a lot of victims to, one, not only sue Uber in court but to tell their stories like this woman told us
about what happened when she was out for a night and thought she was getting a safe ride home in an Uber.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just remember whoever I called the Uber had escorted me into the car and I felt safe. I woke up as my driver was on
top of me at this point. I don't really remember.
GRIFFIN: And you woke up?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: yes.
GRIFFIN: And?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have woke up. My mom had told me that there was a lot of (INAUDIBLE) I told her, you should take me to the hospital because I
think I've been raped.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Hala, she sued Uber. Uber tried to force that arbitration agreement upon her force and do a private arbitration instead of a
courtroom. Uber is now backtracking. They say they are no longer going to require arbitration agreements to the used in the sexual assault cases.
Also, they are dropping the non-disclosure agreements that have come with settlements. This would allow these victims to speak out and the company
says moving forward, it is actually going to have to reporting transparency to the public and how many sexual assaults are reported on its drivers,
that is something we sought in our months of reporting on this, trying to get that from Uber. We still don't have those numbers, but Uber says
forward, looking forward. They will release those numbers so the public can fully be informed on what the problems are.
GORANI: I'm actually surprised. I mean, I thought sexual assault will be considered a criminal matter that you would call the police, that you
wouldn't be bound any rules set by Uber. I guess I'm confused on how that was ever the case.
[15:35:07] GRIFFIN: Well, let me explain it to you. Most of these cases involve is single woman, a woman riding alone. Most of the time, either
inebriated or has been out drinking, it comes down to a he said, she said and many times the rape victim in these cases are not fully aware of
whether or not consent was allowed or not. That has allowed many of these drivers to escape criminal prosecution, because prosecutors just don't feel
they have the evidence to bring these cases to court. It's why so many sexual assault cases are never even reported to begin with. They blame the
victim. So that was the first hurdle. So many of the cases though, I must say, have been criminally convicted and Uber drivers have gone to prison.
But in many of these cases, like I said, the problem has been these women only could seek their remedies in a civil lawsuit and then only into force
arbitration.
GORANI: Got it. Drew Griffin, thanks very much and also thanks to your exclusive reporting. Certainly that has changed the way Uber is handling
these cases. And this is a direct a result of a reporting on CNN.
Still to come, Palestinians are outraged and say the killing of protestors in Gaza, an actual war crime. Israel says it's all about self-defense.
I'll get perspective from both sides, two special guests will join me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Strong condemnation of Israel today from the United Nations Human Rights Council. Accusing the country of violating international rules on
the use of force again and again. The day after at least 60 Palestinians were killed during protest in Gaza, UN official said it seems anyone is
liable to be shot dead or injured, women, children, press, first responders, bystanders, essentially almost anyone at any point up to 700
meters from the fence border of Israel. Israel strongly disagrees that it's violating what it calls the rules of engagement. In fact, my next
guest says Israel has been very measured and surgical into use of live fire. Mark Regev, the Israeli ambassador to the U.K. and a former Israeli
government spokesperson.
How are you surgical when essentially the Israeli forces at the border have killed, have shot to kill 60 Palestinians?
MARK REGEV, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.K.: When you have 40,000 people, 40,000 emboldened violent riots on the border, when there is a deliberate
Hamas strategy to try to damage the fence to infiltrate into our country to kill our civilians, so obviously you have to protect the fence in order to
protect your people. And that's necessarily what we are doing.
GORANI: There's no other way to do that than by shooting live ammunition into the crowd?
REGEV: Once again, I don't think people shoot live ammunition into a crowd. What we first do is we use tear gas and other no-lethal mechanisms
and only use live fire when there's notoriety, when it must be used.
[15:40:11] GORANI: Are the Israeli forces -- let me show you here. I want to give our viewers an idea now one of the thing that happened on the
border, how dangerous it can be for journalists. And we know Palestinian journalists have been shot and killed. The senior correspondent for Al
Jazeera, Hoda Abdel-Hamid tweeted a video showing her reporting in Gaza apparently nearly getting hit by tear gas. She said, "Pretty sure elite
snipers know what and where they are targeting." Take a look and then I'll have you react.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: I wonder. We've heard so many instances of this, journalists clearly indicated press on their flak jacket. Seemingly getting targeted.
REGEV: I thought you just said that was tear gas.
GORANI: Well, in this case I believe that was -- I could even hear that that was a bullet flying.
REGEV: Oh, okay. Once again we don't (INAUDIBLE) and you know better than most that Israel is the only country in the Middle East which has a free
press and respects the freedom of the press. The whole concept that Israel would deliberately journalists is frankly just wrong.
GORANI: So that's wrong. And what about when all the allies that Israel has good relationships with, the U.K., you're the Israeli ambassador to
this country. Boris Johnson says just stop using this much live ammunition. This is what Boris Johnson have to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: I'm deeply sad by the loss of life in Gaza where a peaceful protest were being exploited by
extremists. I urge Israel to show restraint in the use of live fire and I think this opportunity to repeat the U.K.'s commitments to a true state
solution with Jerusalem as the shared capital.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: It seems like this message has not at all resonated with Israel.
REGEV: No. I mean (INAUDIBLE) the Hamas is exploiting this civilian population to further its own extreme agenda.
GORANI: Let's assume that's true. Let's assume that's true. And let's assume that's true. Let's say perhaps some people -- nobody's really
necessarily forcing civilians to go to that fence area. Not necessarily all of them. We have a reporter Ben Wedeman there who says you cannot
(INAUDIBLE) they're not putting their gun to their head and told them to go to the border fence area. Some of them out of desperation go there and
want to demonstrate. Why so much live ammunition? There's no other situation really in the world where you have that in a border area.
REGEV: Because you had 40,000 people that's part of a violent riot, determined to break down the fence and to charge into our country and to
kill our people.
GORANI: It is not much of an existential threat that they needed to be killed on this spot.
REGEV: Those people involved in violence, those people with Molotov cocktails, with explosives, with weapons themselves, if they pose a threat,
they are legitimate targets. And let's be clear. The overwhelming majority -- I think it's 95 percent plus, of people injured are young males
of military age and we've already recognized about half of the names of the people go against, there'll be no members of Hamas or militia. And as we
go through the names, I'm sure we'll discover more. So the whole idea that these people who are injured were all innocent civilians, this is frankly
ridiculous.
GORANI: Is there an aspect of the civilian situation in Gaza that you believe needs to be changed in order for the desperation level of that
strip of line to go down? They are basically in a strip of land which some call an open air prison. There's no freedom of movement. They have no
control of their shoreline. They have no airport. They have no way to go in and out of the Gaza. Fifty percent unemployment for young people.
REGEV: Yes, it's a tragedy. If the people of Gaza are prisoners, they are prisoners because the jailor is Hamas. Hamas which imposes authoritarian
theocratic regime which is not interested investing in schools and hospitals and better jobs for the people of Gaza, but all its energy. In
this Jihad, this holy war against Israel, and I asked you to listen specifically to what Hamas leaders say. They say, my country should be
destroyed. They say every Israeli civilian is a legitimate target. They say, care through the border and to quote, the leader of Hamas, tear up the
hearts of the Israelis.
GORANI: What about Jews outside of Israel? More and more, there are mainstream, not necessarily always left leaning Jews. There's one here in
who works for the Jewish Chronicle, a very well respected journalist, Stephen Pollard. He tweeted this about Israel's response on the Gaza
border. "Yesterday was a shameful day. Yes, Hamas exploited, you're saying that, even organized much of the protest. Yes, no one would have
been killed if they'd not been charging at the border, but no one can tell me that the correct response was to fire up live ammunition an unarmed
Palestinians."
REGEV: Once again, we don't fire live ammunition.
GORANI: Is everyone misreporting that in this report in Gaza?
REGEV: We do not fire live ammunition at unarmed people. People who are not a threat.
GORANI: They were children who were killed. That's a fact.
REGEV: First of all, we don't how or when or why and I'd urge people to be very, very careful. Once again, the orders of engagement for Israeli
soldiers are clear. Our job is to protect the border, to protect hostile infiltration. To keep the Israeli community safe. Ultimately you know we
have Israeli civilian communities, farms, homes, just hundreds meters away from that border. If we're allowing that border to be porous, we'll have
(INAUDIBLE) obligation, must be to protect our people.
[15:45:23] GORANI: Mark Regev, the Israeli ambassador to the U.K., thanks very much for joining us in the studio.
REGEV: My pleasure.
GORANI: My next guest says Israel is killing Palestinian protesters is a clear violation of international law. Diana Buttu is a former legal
advisor to the Palestinian authority president, Mahmoud Abbas.
Diana Buttu, you heard the Israeli ambassador Mark Regev say that essentially unless Israeli forces utilize lethal force at the border that
those who want to infiltrate the border area and pour into Israel will be able to wreak destructive force on Israeli civilians. What is your
reaction to that?
DIANA BUTTU, FORMER LEGAL ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS: Hala, this is where at the height of blaming the victim. This is a man who is blaming
Palestinians for their own death. This is a man who is justifying the dirt mount that Israel has created in order for snipers to deliberately shoot
Palestinians who are anywhere near this area. This is a man who has taken upon himself to represent the Israeli government to represent and to defend
massacres. It's shameful to me that we have to continually have to defend ourselves and constantly being blamed for our own victimhood. It's time
for the international community to step up, to actually start putting sanctions on Israel and to make sure that they do not allow this massacre -
- these massacres to continue.
GORANI: But what about Arab leaders, Mahmoud Abba, the Palestinian authority president three days of mourning. Arab leaders essentially
talking the talk, not a lot of action off the back of it. It seems as though Palestinians have been, some have observed pretty much abandoned
here to their own fate.
BUTTU: Yes, we have bene abandoned and this is exactly the problem, Hala, is that not only have we've been abandoned, but we get people who were
constantly blaming us for the fact that Israel is gunning us down. What we're witnessing here is the massacre and the fact that Arab regimes around
the Arab world, the fact that the international community is doing nothing, doesn't make it any less of a massacre. It's still a massacre. And this
is why it's so important for people to be signing on to the increasing and growing boycott diverse and sanctions campaign so that Israel gets the
message that they will not be allowed to perpetrate these massacres any longer, that they won't be allowed to steal Palestinian land, that they
won't be allowed to build more and more settlements, that they will be held to account.
GORANI: But that's not the direction in which things are going at all. I mean, you're observing as accurately as anyone else. I mean, it seems as
though it's actually going in the opposite direction, either in the direction of condemning people who embrace things like BDS or really a
general sense of indifference at what's happening in this Palestinian territories. How do you respond when the Israeli ambassador says the
people of Gaza are not in an open air prison because of Israel? They are in an open air prison because Hamas, a terrorist organization would rather
spend its money on arms and indoctrination and schools and hospitals? This is what the Israeli ambassador said and this is what many Israeli official
told me in the past.
BUTTU: Yes, these are very convenient little slogans that they've used, in order to try to demonize two million Palestinians. Imagine if I did the
opposite and said that every Israeli is the target or that every individual of a certain age is of military age and therefore a target. Obviously
people would be outraged by my statements. You don't even have to believe me, Hala. All you have to do is look at the U.N. and see what the U.N. has
stated. Israel has maintained the Gaza strip in an open air prison, since before even Hamas was elected. It's been an open air prison for more than
20 years. Since 2006, it's intensified and the fact that they are not allowing basic humanitarian supplies into the Gaza strip, is indicative
that Israel wants to perpetrate a massacre. There's not a single hospital around the world that would be able to take in 2,000 injured people and
with the types of injuries that Palestinians are witnessing and yet Palestinians are still managing despite the fact that there is a brutal
blockade that's been imposed on them, despite the fact there is no electricity. Drinking water is not safe and it controls every aspect of
Palestinian lives.
GORANI: I'm curious for your thoughts on this, because the Arab week which I mean, obviously is not the most effective organization certainly they
have meetings here and there, but not much comes out of those meetings in terms of action. What is the responsivity of Arab nations here do you
think?
BUTTU: It's Israel that's doing the occupying, not the Arab leagues that are doing the -- not the Arab leagues or the Arab states. It's Israel.
Israel has had a choice, Hala, for over 51 years. It's had a choice whether to choose to build and expand settlements, whether to perpetrate
massacres and over -- since March 30th, since these protests began, every Israeli soldiers who was on that border has had the choice as to whether
they want to use a sniper and gun down a Palestinian or not. And at every junction, they've used the snipers. This is exactly the problem is that if
we continue to try to shift responsibility and look elsewhere or ignoring the real perpetrator and the perpetrator here is Israel and it's Israel
that must be stopped.
[15:50:42] GORANI: Diana Buttu, thanks very much joining us live from Haifa. We appreciate your time this evening.
And let's bring you the latest on that breaking news from the Korean Peninsula. A senior U.S. administration official says the White House is
currently preparing a response to North Korea's warning about that summit that is expected to take place in Singapore between President Trump and Kim
Jong-un in June. It comes as North Korea says the U.S. should carefully consider the fate of that meeting and view of what it calls provocative
military disturbances with South Korea.
We'll continue to bring you developments on this as we get them. We'll be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: We are marking the passing of the iconic American author, Tom Wolfe who died Monday. And exhaustive researcher Wolfe's book to "Right
Stuff" about the history of space flight was made into a film. Wolfe's other works include the "Bonfire of the Vanities" and "The Electric Kool-
Aid Acid Test." His agent says he'd been hospitalized with an infection. Tom Wolfe was 88 years old.
GORANI: You may not know this, I actually didn't. Right now, it is illegal to bet on sports almost everywhere in the United States. That is
have to change in major way. The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a federal law mostly banning sports betting clearing the way for states to
legalize it. And with it, could come a whole lot of money. Some estimates indicate illegal sports betting generates $150 billion a year.
Let's go to Los Angeles and our Dylan Byers with more on what the court ruling mean. How quickly will things change, Dylan?
DYLAN BYERS, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, this will actually take some time in New Jersey which was leading the fight for this. This will happen very
soon. The best analysts, sports betting analysts I'm speaking to believe it will happen before the NFL football season starts this fall. Other
states are positioned to sort of jump on board in Mississippi West Virginia, Oregon. But after that, it's going to be a sort of a longer,
slower rollout. Here in California where I live and obviously where sports betters are hoping California gets involved because there is so much money
and so many people here. That could be a matter of years, not months. But eventually the conventional wisdom here is that we are going to see this
roll out nearly nationwide over the course of the next couple of years.
GORANI: What was the argument for reversing that ban then? Why did the Supreme Court essentially rule -- issue a ruling allowing sports betting
nationwide to go ahead?
BYERS: The rule is actually sort of strange, because what it actually did is it basically required states to issue a ban on something and the current
thinking of the court -- it was a five to four ruling, so it narrowly passed. But the current thinking of the court is that the federal
government doesn't have or shouldn't have the right to basically impose that ban on states.
[15:55:15] Now, look, there's also outside of this legal framework here. There's also an incredible business incentive that I think everyone
realizes which is now all of a sudden if you are betting platform, a tech company, a media company that has rights to sports, if you own one of the
major league sports teams here in this country, the revenue opportunities are immense. I was emailing with Mark Cuban, who's the owner of the Dallas
Mavericks, National Basketball Association team. He says that the value of a team is going to double over the course of the next few years as a result
of this decision, solely because there will be so many new opportunities to sort of cash in on this new betting market that will be open to most
Americans.
GORANI: All right. And we'll see. Here in the U.K., sports betting is huge, as you know, especially online. That revenue stream certainly is
increasing as well with more and more people downloading those sports betting app. Thanks very much, Dylan Byers in L.A.
A quick update our breaking news this evening coming to us from the Korean Peninsula. The North Korean new agency is basically telling the United
States to watch out and to be careful regarding its movements connected to joint drills with South Korea that is sending the message that it could
jeopardize a summit in Singapore planned for June between Kim Jong-un and the U.S. president, Donald Trump. They are unhappy about these joint
drills. They have also suspended talks with South Korea scheduled for tomorrow.
I'm Hala Gorani, stay with CNN, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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