Return to Transcripts main page

CNN NEWSROOM

4 Dead, 2 Arrested in Tel Aviv Terror Attack; Poll: Majority of Other European Countries Say Britain Should Stay in E.U.; Rio Races to Get Ready for Olympic Games; "Harry Potter" Hits the Stage; Hillary Clinton Tries to Unify Democrats; Aired 1-1:30a ET. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired June 9, 2016 - 01:00   ET

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


[01:00:10] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM. Live from Los Angeles.

ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this hour, a night out in Tel Aviv ends in terror. Gunmen open fire in a popular marketplace.

VAUSE: Plus racing to the finished line. Constructions to some key projects at the Rio Olympics are now coming down to the very last minute.

SESAY: And Hillary Clinton is expected to be the Democrat's presidential nominee but it's still not clear if her rival staunch supporter will come along for the ride.

VAUSE: Hello, everybody. Thanks for joining us. I'm John Vause.

SESAY: And I am Isha Sesay. NEWSROOM L.A. starts right now.

A Hamas spokesman is praising the terror attack in Tel Aviv. Four people are dead, at least five others wounded as two men opened fire in a crowded Tel Aviv market late Wednesday. The terror attack happened as people were eating dinner and sipping coffee at the upscale cafes and restaurants.

VAUSE: Police shot and wounded one of the attackers. He's now in the hospital. A second suspect was arrested at the scene. A police spokesman says they don't know a motive, at least not yet.

SESAY: Well, CNN's Oren Liebermann joins us now from Tel Aviv.

Oren, this attack took place in an outdoor complex close to the Israeli Defense Ministry leading to some to ask questions about the security arrangements that were in place. What more are we learning?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And there have been questions about the security arrangements here at the Sarona Market for a number of months now. I just took a walk around the market and it's open in nearly all directions surrounded by areas that are definitely secured. The Ministry of Defense, there's a mall connected to the Ministry of Defense that has very heavy security. Sarona Market, not so much. Of course they've added security here today but generally you can walk in and out of the market at any time. That will be part of the question moving forward. Now as for people who were walking in the market, I'm here with Meital

Sassi, who was here for her 2-year-old son's birthday.

Meital, you were walking here with your son and your boyfriend. Tell me what happened next.

MEITAL SASSI, EYEWITNESS: My family, also. What happened next, we were here. We hear gunfire and when we realized this is terrorist and it's going to be a big disaster, and we just ran away from here and the terrorists run after us and keep on shouting and we went to the cafe and they opened the door, and we stay on the toilet for maybe 20 minutes, A, because of the drama, B, we didn't know what is going on outside.

I didn't have the feel to open, also, Internet because I was so afraid because I imagine to myself it's really a big problem you're in.

LIEBERMANN: Meital Sassi, thank you very much.

So the questions about security concerns here at the market will be part of what security forces are looking at, as well as how did weapons get from the West Bank. Police say the two Palestinians are -- the two suspects are Palestinians from the West Bank. How did weapons get from there into Israeli through an Israeli military checkpoint? That would be part of the question. The IDF confirmed for us just a while ago that IDF forces are in Hebron, in the southern West Bank, searching a town there called Yatta. That will be part, a small part of the larger investigation here, and the security concerns both at the Sarona Market and then again that question of how do those weapons get through?

VAUSE: And Oren, very quickly, no claim of responsibility but we are hearing from the militant group Hamas.

LIEBERMANN: Yes, no sign of responsibility. No claim of responsibility yet. That still could come. But they did release a statement praising this terror attack. They said, "Wednesday night's operation in Tel Aviv is the first good news to our people of the persistent struggle in the month of Ramadan and it's the first of many surprises that will be awaiting for the Israeli occupation forces this month."

So that from a Hamas spokesperson praising this terror attack in Tel Aviv.

One more quick point, John, this will be the first test for the new Israeli Defense minister as well as the new head of the Israeli security agency, the Shin Bet. This is the first big event for them. Still quiet so far. It's been Prime Minister Netanyahu out front on this one, saying there will be offensive and defensive steps taken in the near future.

VAUSE: OK, Oren. Thank you, Oren Liebermann live this hour again in Tel Aviv. Appreciate it, Oren.

SESAY: Steve Moore is retired supervisory special agent for the FBI, now a CNN law enforcement contributor joins us here in Los Angeles.

VAUSE: And Bob Baer is a former CIA operative now CNN intelligence and security analyst. He's in Telluride, Colorado.

Bob, first to you. Coming off the back of the statement from Hamas which says this will be the first of many surprises this month.

[01:05:03] What capacity would Hamas have to strike Israel, especially if they're based in Gaza? Do they have much influence in the West Bank right now?

ROBERT BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: They do have some influence in the West Bank, but the real problem is they put out calls for attacks like this from the very small cells that are compartmented. They may not have known of this actual attack but they just sent out instructions to the West Bank and giving these weapons across really isn't very difficult if you break them down and several people carry them across, reassemble them in Tel Aviv.

The Israelis are braced for this and I would imagine there's going to be more attacks.

SESAY: Steve, to bring you in. No claim of responsibility as of yet. As you look at the two suspects in the frame for this and you look at how they acted, how they carried this out, does it suggest to you that they had training or that they could be in operation on their own?

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: It suggests both, that they could have been very well-trained, yet initiating the attack on their own. Their sophistication, the weapons they use were all characteristic of Hamas and affiliated organizations and their tactics were, too. But it doesn't mean that it was on the orders of Hamas.

VAUSE: Bob made the point about the weapon that was used in this attack. It's a limitation, if you like, for the Swedish made, Carl Gustav recoilless rifle, the Palestinians call them the Carlo. You can buy them on the streets in the West Bank, I guess. So tell us more about what sort of weapon this is, how easy is it to put it together to make?

MOORE: This is essentially a homemade weapon and I mean that very literally. It is wrapped steel. They sometimes use water pipe for barrels. They use their plastic parts from other guns like stocks and grips and things that won't show up on metal detectors. And these things can be manufactured in the streets, in small little towns, in a machine shop, and they can be smuggled across, disassembled where they won't even look like a weapon and they'll fire everything up to 45 caliber, sometimes even the 556 military rounds that the U.S. uses.

VAUSE: And we should see on our screen right now, that is the original Swedish made version of the Carl Gustav.

MOORE: That's a version.

VAUSE: Yes.

MOORE: That's a modified -- that's like a rocket launcher right there.

VAUSE: Yes.

MOORE: But it will use some of the same components.

VAUSE: Right.

SESAY: Yes. And Bob, your thoughts on why this location was chosen, this Sarona complex?

BAER: It's a soft target as Steve well knows you simply what the target is protected you move onto the next one. There are thousands of potential targets in Tel Aviv. There is no way that the police can protect them all. And some of these malls will have a security guard with a pistol but even at that, you know, without a machine gun and it happens very fast and the Israelis are very good at this and the police, from what I've seen, did well.

I mean, they inserted themself into the incident right away. They've been trying to cordon it off. And the people in the cafe did as they should. They ran. It's hard to get a running person. So -- but amazed that the Israelis are vulnerable to attacks like this.

VAUSE: And Bob, while we have you here, behind the scenes, I mean, we know what the Israelis are doing right now. They surrounded that village not far from Hebron and they're investigating this but behind the scenes, what's the reaction in the short term and I guess in the long term?

BAER: Well, the big question is always, do you go into Gaza at this point? If there is any connection to Hamas with this attack, I would be surprised if they go in. It's some sort of reprisal with a raid against leadership. They went in 2014, very destructive to the war both to the Israelis and the Palestinians and, you know, let's hope there is a little bit restraint but if there are more attacks like this, anything is possible.

SESAY: And Steve, what are your expectations in terms of changes to security arrangements there in Israel in light of this?

MOORE: They are going to have to examine how they lighten things up at Ramadan. While there is very humanitarian reason for it, at the same time, that is the time -- that's when they really -- when Hamas really wants to attack Israel. So at the time when their risk is the highest, they are letting some of the security go and so those things are sympathetic to each other and they're bad.

VAUSE: And the Israelis, you know, they're caught between a rock and a hard place.

SESAY: Yes.

MOORE: They are.

VAUSE: Because there is a lot of pressure on them to ease the security to allow, you know, the Palestinians in especially to the mosque and into Israel proper so --

MOORE: Absolutely.

VAUSE: That's the political consideration versus the security.

MOORE: You're absolutely correct.

VAUSE: Thanks, Steve. Thank you, Steve Moore.

MOORE: Thanks.

SESAY: Thank you. Thank you, gentlemen.

VAUSE: Well, the British government is warning football fans about a serious threat of terrorism for the European Championships in France. The Foreign Office issued a new travel advisory naming ISIS as one of the possible threats.

[01:10:05] SESAY: And Prime Minister David Cameron said half a million people are expected to travel from the U.K. to the tournament.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We have set out very clear travel advice because people do need to know that obviously there is a significant terrorist threat in France today and there is a potential threat to this tournament. We set out very clearly the threat level in France is critical. The threat level for the tournament is severe and people need to know that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: France is tightening security for the Euro 2016 Championship which begins Friday. 100,000 security forces will be sent to safeguard the tournament, the match venues as well as fan zones.

SESAY: But organizers say they understand why Britain has concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACQUES LAMBERT, EURO 2016 PRESIDENT (Through Translator): We the organizers do not know of any precise concrete targeted threat on Euro 2016 on a specific stadium or on a specific match. I have the feeling that the message is sent by some countries are more messages of caution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And the French Interior Ministry has launched a security app for the Euro 2016.

SESAY: It alerts people if there is an attack and gives advice on what to do. The app is free and available in French and English.

VAUSE: A short break here. When we come back, Hillary Clinton trying to unify the Democratic Party but she has a tough road ahead trying to win over those Bernie Sanders supporters.

SESAY: Plus, a top Republican has some advice for Donald Trump. It's time to start acting presidential.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(SPORTS)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:15:31] VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody.

After making history as the first woman to become the presumptive nominee of a major party for her trick Hillary Clinton will try and unify her party. Fellow Democrat Bernie Sanders has not brought that yet but Clinton tells Anderson Cooper she'll be reaching out to his supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE: I'm looking forward to working with him to achieve our common goal, which is to defeat Donald Trump. And Senator Sanders has said he'll work every day, every week, to see that happen. So we're going to be working to make sure that we have a unified party going into our convention and coming out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Well, Sanders is said to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House Thursday. The night before that meeting Mr. Obama discussed the need for unity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So my hope is that over the next couple of weeks we're able to pull things together. And what happens during primaries, you get a little ouchy, everybody does. So there is a natural process of everybody recognizing that this is not about any individual but about this is about the country and the direction we're going to take it. And I think we're going to have a great convention and we'll do well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Yes, get a little ouchy. Joining us here in Los Angeles, Wendy Greuel, a Clinton supporter and former L.A. councilwoman.

SESAY: And Luis Alvarado, a Republican strategist and political and media consultant.

Wendy, you get a little ouchy.

WENDY GREUEL, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: Yes.

VAUSE: And little grouchy. SESAY: A little grouchy. Yes. Everyone is talking sweet, sweet

words to Bernie Sanders, hoping, you know, that will basically kick him out of the race. It's going to take more than that, isn't it, to get him to concede and to step back in a timely manner?

GREUEL: I think so. I mean, I believe just like Hillary Clinton eight years ago, you know, so many of us who were supporters, you're disappointed. You're devastated. And how do you then turn around the next day and say OK, I'm going to go for the presumptive nominee. It will take time for people to get over their -- lick their wounds, sort of speak, and then be there because again, Hillary Clinton is someone who is going to fight for the same values that they were fighting for in the past and I think it's going to be -- the convention is going to be great.

People are going to come together because she stood up at that convention eight years ago and supported him and said we're going to have a voice vote. We're not going to go to each area. We're going to have a voice vote, a unanimous vote for Obama.

VAUSE: And that gives this so much more credibility this time around.

GREUEL: It does.

VAUSE: She did it in 2008, it would be a very hard sale. But Luis --

GREUEL: She's been there.

VAUSE: Yes. How does Bernie Sanders let down his supporters? Because they are rabid, and they are dedicated and they thought they were storming, you know, Washington with pitch forks and torches, and this was the revolution but not enough people turned up.

LUIS ALVARADO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST AND MEDIA CONSULTANT: They are still upset.

VAUSE: Yes.

ALVARADO: They are not happy. I mean, the reality is, can you imagine Bernie Sanders taking orders from Debbie Wasserman Schultz? It's not going to happen. The reality, it's a movement. It's a movement because just like Donald Trump base is very upset and they don't care how bad or mean or dumb things Donald Trump says. They're still going to be there for him.

Bernie Sanders supporters are just upset and just as big headed I guess you can use the word about not being falling in line and taking orders. So the question is, they may not even follow Hillary Clinton. They may just stay home and not vote at all, which like many Republicans are doing in protest because of Donald Trump.

SESAY: Do you see that happening, Wendy, in significant numbers?

GREUEL: No. I believe that they are going to see that Trump is such a threat to the future of this country and this world that they are going to stand up and say we're going to support Hillary Clinton. We may not agree with her on everything but we know she's going to be the best -- the best president we can have for the issues that we care about.

VAUSE: OK. Secretary Clinton, obviously she's looking toward the general election. The next big thing for Secretary Clinton will be picking the running mate. She spoke about that with Anderson, as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Look, I'm looking at the most qualified people and that includes women, of course, because I want to be sure that whoever I pick could be president immediately if something were to happen. That's the most important qualifications. There are a lot of people in the Democratic Party who bring so many great assets to the table.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: OK. So clearly when she said I'm looking at everybody including women, that is code for Elizabeth Warren. Elizabeth Warren will reportedly endorse Hillary Clinton. She says that she's not interested in being VP but she won't rule it out so clearly she's interested in being vice president. Is this a possibility? Like, can you see two women at the top of the ticket?

[01:20:04] GREUEL: I think it would be historic. I think it's possible.

VAUSE: It would be historic but is it realistic?

GREUEL: It would be historic and I think it's possible but it's going to be Hillary Clinton looking at who's the most qualified and then from a political perspective, who balances out the ticket when they have to go to some of those battle ground states and who brings different experiences than Secretary Hillary Clinton? And that's going to be what they're going to look at for a successful November election.

SESAY: And Luis, let's not forget, Hillary Clinton has a problem with white males when it comes to the voting bloc so, you know, an all- female ticket, that does not help her.

ALVARADO: Yes, the question is so are we talking about Kaine --

SESAY: Talking about Tim Kaine.

ALVARADO: Tim Kaine probably be the most feasible candidate but the question is also there has to be a chemistry between the president and the vice president. You know, every vice president and president has their own dynamic and they have to be able to support and I think eventually, Vice President Biden and President Obama found that chemistry. It was a little bit uncomfortable at the beginning.

VAUSE: At the beginning, Kennedy hated Johnson. There was no chemistry between, you know, Obama and Biden to begin with, you know. Reagan -- (CROSSTALK)

ALVARADO: But this is the media world now.

VAUSE: Right.

ALVARADO: This is the media presidency and the reality is there has to be messaging and there has to be an hysteria. And it has to come from both sides, and I think Biden has done a great job doing that.

SESAY: McCain-Palin.

ALVARADO: Yes. In a certain way. Exactly. Well --

(LAUGHTER)

SESAY: That's why I brought it up.

ALVARADO: But that's the question, right? It has to be --

GREUEL: It was a shotgun wedding.

ALVARADO: It has to be somebody --

(LAUGHTER)

ALVARADO: It has to be somebody who's the other side of the bookend to be able to -- from -- for Hillary Clinton I imagine that she needs somebody who makes her look presidential and continues to make sure that she is promoting the policies that she wants to put in play.

VAUSE: OK. Let's go to Donald Trump right now, the Republican side, because it seems that out there in Republican land there is people on the Trump train and then there is Republican leaders, either they're saluting, they're running away or they're surrendering but for the most part it seems the Republican leaders are saying, they voted for him. We've got him. This is Mitch McConnell, the Senate leader, on CNN earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MAJORITY LEADER: He's been chosen by the Republican primary voters all across America. He won it the old fashioned way. He got more votes than anybody else. So he's going to be the nominee. What most folks would like to see is him run the kind of campaign that gives him a chance for victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: It's secret. I used it last time, I'll say it again. A hijacker who's taken over the plane and all the passengers are cheering the hijacker. And that's the situation the Republican Party is in right now.

ALVARADO: And the question is where do we take -- everybody is asking -- VAUSE: Towards the mountain. This country --

SESAY: Make it stop.

(LAUGHTER)

ALVARADO: Well, but I think also the question is the Republican Party is not just there to elect president, also there to help Congress. Help the Senate and help the governors who are doing a fabulous job and we have great Republicans that are doing their job and the question is how do we make sure government is still governing because we don't want to also sacrifice great leaders at the expense of the political process.

And I think Wendy would agree with this, and I assure you, I hope we have a good Democrat doing a great thing for a great city just because Democrat, I'm not going to knock him down. I think the reality is we still have to be Americans at the end and we have to believe that we are here to build our country and sometimes that means you have to do a bad decision or you have to just stay quiet. And right now many Republicans are asking themselves --

VAUSE: You are such a Californian Republican, aren't you?

GREUEL: I know. There's a difference. And I think you've seen in the last 24 hours, you know, senators who are pulling their endorsement, a candidate who he endorsed in Congress lost her race yesterday. You know, he does not have coat tails and I think that's going to be a big issue for the Republican Party going forward.

SESAY: Yes, do you embrace Donald Trump if you're in a tight race in those down ticket races or is this a moment where you step back?

ALVARADO: And that's what many Republicans, elected officials and prospect candidates, are going to be asking themselves. It goes back to another question about the donors and how many resources are going to be there for them. What actually is the polling happening, you know, and that's -- it goes to being presidential.

SESAY: If you were advising the candidate, what would you tell him?

ALVARADO: If I was advising a candidate?

SESAY: Yes.

ALVARADO: I will be asking them to make sure that they understand what the job is that they are seeking for and how to make a connection with the electorate that they are trying to represent and that is what public officials should be doing so they can actually govern and that's the question. And I don't think Trump -- I don't think Trump -- I know where you're going with that. I don't think Trump has understood that yet.

VAUSE: Right.

ALVARADO: You know, when you see Donald Trump at a press conference talking about the steaks.

VAUSE: Yes.

ALVARADO: That he's trying to sell, then that gives you pause.

VAUSE: OK.

ALVARADO: And that's why guys like me are being accused of being establishment.

VAUSE: Right.

ALVARADO: And the reality it has nothing to do with being establishment. Common sense.

VAUSE: Can I show you the problem that I think any Republican is going to have in their option in November? And it's on the front page of the "New York Daily News." This was -- take a look at this front page from today. It is Donald Trump with Paul Ryan, and "I'm with racist." That hurts and that's going to be a problem.

[01:25:02] SESAY: Yes.

GREUEL: I mean, if you have any -- if you are running for office and you have Latino, African-Americans, Muslims, Asian Americans that are in that issue but you want to vote for you, you can't support Donald Trump because he has offended them. He has called them names. He has said we don't want you in this country. You got to run away.

ALVARADO: But here is the problem that I have is that I've seen it. It's where Democrats now are also lying to the electorate. I have seen here in California where the Democrats were running a tight race and they accused the Republican of being a Trump supporter and the Republican was not. The Republican had denounced Trump but it didn't matter. The Democrats and their allies had pictures of this person with Donald Trump next to each other and say look, this is what you want for your government? And that's the danger for America that also we throw away the baby with the bath water.

VAUSE: Yes.

ALVARADO: We need to be cautious about that.

SESAY: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: OK. Wendy and Luis, thank you so much.

SESAY: Thank you so much.

GREUEL: Nice to be here.

ALVARADO: Pleasure.

SESAY: It's a great conversation. Time for a quick break now. People in Britain seem to be split on

whether to leave the EU and you may be surprised to see just how strongly some of EU nations feel about the issue.

VAUSE: And a frightening scene similar to the Paris attacks from last year, this time in Tel Aviv. We'll talk with the former Israeli ambassador to the United States, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[01:30:22] SESAY: Police in Tel Aviv say they don't know the motive yet for the terror attack on a crowded marketplace. Four people are dead, five others wounded after police say two Palestinian men opened fire. Both were arrested, one shot by police. A spokesman for Hamas praised the attack.

VAUSE: Michael Oren is a member of the Israeli Knesset and former Israeli ambassador to the United States and he joins us now from Tel Aviv.

Ambassador Oren, good to speak with you.

I want to get your reaction from the statement we received from Hamas praising the attack and warning Israel there will be, quote, "more surprises during the month of Ramadan."

MICHAEL OREN, MEMBER, ISRAEL KNESSET & FORMER ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: Israel is always prepared for the surprises of, quote, unquote, "the terrorists," whether from Hamas in Gaza or Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. This is a country which, over the course of its 68-year history, has grown tragically accustomed to these attacks. We're very resilient that the market, which is a popular eatery area for Israelis, an upscale restaurant area and shopping area and also a tourist site, it will be filled with tourists and Israelis again today.

VAUSE: Michael, when you look is the security camera footage of people running for cover and images coming out of Tel Aviv, it looks similar to the ISIS attack in Paris. Why hasn't there been the same international reaction?

OREN: Well, there have been condemnations from around the world today, including the U.N. secretary general. Hillary Clinton condemned the attack. I think increasingly in the world there is an understanding that these terrorists who take out pistols and shoot innocent civilians at a restaurant in downtown Tel Aviv are no different than the people who take out guns and kill innocent young Parisians, the same terrorist organizations with the same ideology that want create the same caliphate. And Israel is a Western democracy that is fighting exactly the same terror that is targeting Belgians, Parisians and Americans.

VAUSE: Apart from a security response that seems to be playing out right now on the West Bank, is there anything else that the Israelis can do, maybe on the diplomatic front, maybe with the Palestinian Authority, to try and keep Israelis safe?

OREN: We're always going to draw lesions from terrorist attacks such as these. At this moment, we don't know how these two 21-year-old Palestinians managed to enter Israel with automatic weapons. Israel has become increasingly adapt at stopping these types of penetrations. We'll investigate this very carefully and draw conclusions.

On the diplomatic front, I believe that Israel can always take an initiative that Israel must not be passive and we should only build settlements in those areas that we are part, that Israel should we reach a two-state solution, but we should not delude ourselves. The people carrying out these terror attacks are not people who are in favor of a better two-state solution. These are people that want to destroy the Jewish state and any borders whatsoever. And in fact, some of us remember the beginning of this peace process, 20, 25 years ago, when actually the progress made towards peace led to an immediate uptick in terror as Palestinian terrorists who opposed a two-state solution sought to kill the peace process by killing Israeli civilians.

VAUSE: Do you reject the narrative that comes out that many of these attacks are being carried out on Israelis by the Palestinians because there is an absence of hope, because the peace process is completely broken down, and young men especially in the West Bank don't see much of a future and so they then go out and attack Israelis?

OREN: As of this moment, Hamas and Gaza is claiming these two terrorists as its own. Hamas is a covenant that calls for the rejection of the state of Israel, the destruction of the state of Israel, and for the killing of Jews throughout the entire world. It's a genocidal covenant. So there is no connection between Hamas and its terrorism and the peace process. I think that Israel should conduct a peace initiative, not because it's going to remove all threats of terror, but because it's in our interest to preserve our identity as a Jewish and democratic state, and because it will increase and enhance our position in the world. But it's not like it's a zero-sum game. We'll have more peace process and less terror. In fact, our experience has shown that the more negotiations you have, chances are you're going to have more terror.

[01:35:11] VAUSE: Yeah, because the extremist want to disrupt the process because they don't want a settlement, and around and around it goes, and it's an impossible situation it seems.

Ambassador, always good --

(CROSSTALK)

OREN: And yet, we live our lives and live the good lives in the state of Israel.

VAUSE: OK. We'll leave it there.

Thank you, Michael.

OREN: Thank you very much. SESAY: Now the Iraqi ministry says it has freed the first

neighborhood in ISIS-controlled Fallujah and are advancing on other neighborhoods as militants abandon their positions. Despite the gains, there are concerns about tens of thousands of civilians still trapped in Fallujah.

VAUSE: The U.N. says ISIS may be using residents as human shields. And a refugee groups says militants are shooting people that try to escape. ISIS captured Fallujah back in 2014.

SESAY: Well, people in the U.K. planning to vote on whether to leave the European Union have more time to register.

VAUSE: The British government is giving everyone until midnight Thursday. The deadline was meant to be on Tuesday but the website crashed when it was flooded with applications. The referendum scheduled for June 23rd.

SESAY: The University of Edinburgh polled people from nations outside the U.K. and found most of them think Britain should stay.

VAUSE: France is the only country near a split on the issue, but Spain, Ireland, Germany and Sweden overwhelmingly think the U.K. should remain in the E.U.

SESAY: Jan Eichhorn is one of the lead researchers on that report and he joins me now.

Thank you so much for joining us.

So most of the respondents in each of these six countries said Britain should remain. Could you spot demographic trends among those who want Britain to stay versus those who say go?

JAN EICHHORN, CHANCELLOR'S FELLOW IN SOCIAL POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH: It is really interesting because there is quite a bit of variation between the countries, so what we see is, in some countries, in particular younger people, are pro European and pro U.K. in that sense. In places like Poland, the new countries in 2004, it's the other way around. The older person, the more pro European they are, the more pro unity they are, which makes sense given the history and probably what the European Union means.

SESAY: One thing I find interesting looking at your study, though the majority in the countries want Britain to remain, that doesn't mean they think British membership is good for the E.U. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

EICHHORN: Well, I think it's interesting. It's still a majority that on balance would say British membership is positive for the E.U. But, in some countries, more people who think membership is better for Britain than the E.U. The balance on who benefits more from British membership varies. And very interestingly, Germany and France, which might be seen as some of the drivers or the old core Europe. The other ones that have the feeling, well, British membership is good, but it's best for Britain itself, whereas some of the Mediterranean countries like Spain, or Poland in the east, have a feeling the E.U. benefits more than Britain benefits. There is quite a bit of variation depending on the position one's own country is in actually.

SESAY: Yeah, really interesting. So what did the survey -- what did your research reveal to you about the value attached to this idea, this principal of E.U. cohesiveness?

EICHHORN: It is interesting. In all our countries, respondents say we want fewer exceptions for individual countries but we are willing to reform. Some ideas put forward by the U.K. in the renegotiations in February were actually greeted by majorities in a lot of these countries. Not all the propositions but quite a lot of permissiveness, actually, but only if changes to the rules are applied across the continent rather than just two individual countries. So there is actually an open door. And some of this we've seen come out of the renegotiations for changes of the E.U. because there is skepticism in all the countries. Trust in the institutions has gone down. But in most of the countries, we see a willingness to reform, but only if everyone goes together. There's no great appetite for separation and much more division in the speed, although that's what we have already to some extent with the Eurozone and so on. So it's quite a complicated picture, but people like the idea of a joint effort, if there is an effort together at all.

SESAY: Yeah. I guess the big question is, if Britain does exit the E.U., what it will mean for domestic politics of the remaining E.U. member states. How do you see it in the immediate term?

[01:40:00] EICHHORN: That is really interesting because in the British debate, of course, a lot of people have been saying this is based on very rational arguments. Economic interests matter. However, next year, big elections in Germany and France, and in those elections, public opinion obviously will matter. What we asked is, what do you want Britain to be able to do with regards to the single market if it decides to leave. And in countries like Germany and Poland and Ireland, people say no, pragmatically yes, Britain, if they leave, they should stay part of the single market, free trading and so on. But in France and Spain, we have the reverse. They are the majority of people who have a view that say, well, if Britain leaves, they are out of the single market. If you can imagine someone like Francois Hollande, whose is under a lot of pressure, quite a lot of problem in the polls, if there is an attitude that basically one should play a much harder game with Britain that has left. That could effect his position and how he plays it out, especially with an upcoming election. So it could be quite complicated, actually, and affect domestic politics quite a bit.

SESAY: Fascinating findings.

Jan Eichhorn, we really appreciate it. Thank you so much for joining us.

EICHHORN: Thank you.

VAUSE: We're going to go to Rio after the break. They're racing against the clock there to get everything ready for the Olympic Games. Will it come together in time?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is always going to be some sort of last-minute rush but the sheer amount of political and economic upheaval that Brazil is experiencing that have many concerned that leaving such a vital part of the infrastructure down to last-minute preparations is cutting it too fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back. Maria Sharapova says she will fight a two-year suspension from tennis for testing positive for a banned substance.

SESAY: The five-time grand slam winner acknowledges she was taking it since 2006 for medical reasons but didn't realize it was banned in January this year. Sharapova plans to appeal the International Tennis Federation's decision.

VAUSE: The Olympics in Rio less than two months away but an important part of the infrastructure, it's kind of missing.

[01:45:14] SESAY: Yeah. As Nick Paton Walsh shows us, it won't be completed until just before the opening ceremony.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH (voice-over): Rio has a big question without an answer ready just yet. How do Olympic tourists get from hotels here to the games across town without spending hours in this, some of the worst traffic in South America?

(HONKING)

Well, this was meant to be the answer, an extension to the subway from the beaches almost to the Olympic Park. But there is just one snag. They just announced a new updated opening time and that's only four days before the games begin.

(on camera): There is always going to be some sort of last-minute rush but the sheer amount of political and economic upheaval that Brazil is experiencing that have many concerned that leaving such a vital part of the infrastructure down to last-minute preparations is cutting it too fine.

(voice-over): It was meant to be open in July. And without it, guests may spend a lot of the day in jams. That's not going to happen insists the government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are completely sure that everything will be done. No problem for us. Of course, this aside but we have 8,000 people working during the days and nights. No problem at all.

WALSH (on camera): The sound of building is so loud it's drowning you out. We still have quite a bit more time to go before it's ready.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything is in our schedule.

WALSH (voice-over): They said the same thing about the Olympic Park itself but when we visited when there was 66 days to go, it didn't feel that ready.

(on camera): It's strange to walk in from there right into the edge of the Olympic Park here, what's supposed to be a secure zone in a matter of weeks from now. And we just are going to walk down this way to the sites of where previously there was one man holding out with his home.

(voice-over): Deeper and deeper we went, security sitting by, to find the home now demolished. The owner taking a payout and moving. An odd feeling walking so freely around.

UNIDENTIFIED WORKER: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WALSH: This worker told us sometimes security is there and some days they are not.

Living just alongside and refusing to be moved, Cassandra and Maria. They call themselves the resistance. And they forced authorities to accept they can stay on the land.

Sandra says she'll soon have all this packed away, ready for the new home the city is building her just next door. That's also on a tight schedule, supposed to be ready, she says, 12 days before the games begin.

What does Maria think about security?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): It should be like that in every country. We were born to walk freely. I don't know why they came up with so much security. A man doesn't make another one safe. Security comes from God.

WALSH: You have to hope they won't be leaving it up just to him however to get Rio ready in time.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: They say that before every Olympic Games and, somehow, as if by magic, it all comes together.

SESAY: This will be a real squeaker, this one.

VAUSE: It's true.

SESAY: Time for a quick break. "Harry Potter" headlines --

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

SESAY: "Harry Potter" headlines a London stage and Muggles are happier than a Quidditch champion, despite the controversial casting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A whole different version of everything everyone loves about the books. Incredible.

[01:49:01] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forget the thrills, this is fantastic. I would definitely come to watch this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:52:58] SESAY: Hello, everyone. British singer songwriter, Ed Sheeran, is facing a $20 million copyright infringement lawsuit over his 2014 hit song "Photograph."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Two musicians claim Sheeran's song has the same musical composition of "Amazing." See if you can recognize the similarities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Oh, that's a stretch.

SESAY: I don't know. I mean --

VAUSE: Not too sure about that one. Good luck, boys.

This comes after a similar lawsuit from the family of Marvin Gaye.

SESAY: A judge ordered Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams to pay $7.5 million due to similarities of their hit "Blurred Lines" and "Got to Give It Up."

That one was a lot closer.

VAUSE: Blurred lines.

SESAY: I have no idea what that was. Moving on, "Harry Potter" fans are spellbound by the new stage play in

London.

VAUSE: That was clever.

The play is broke up into two parts, and part two debuts Thursday night.

Here is Jonathan Mann.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN MANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The magic is back. "Harry Potter" has moved from the page to the big screen and now to the stage. Hundreds of lucky fans lined up in London to see the first showing of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" Tuesday.

The new play is based on an original story from Potter's creator, J.K. Rowling, set 19 years after her last book. In the play, a grownup Harry is a husband and father and working at the Ministry of Magic. Further details of the story, which is split into two parts, are kept under wraps.

Rowling has recorded a special message requesting audiences not spoil the story for others.

[01:55:10] R.W. ROWLING, WRITER: To keep secrets and let audiences enjoy "Cursed Child" with the surprises we've built into the story.

MANN: No spoilers here, but the preview reportedly got a standing ovation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A whole different version of everything everyone loves about the books. Incredible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forget the thrills, this is fantastic. I would definitely come to watch this.

MANN: The play attracted controversy for casting an actress of color as Hermione. In the movie, Emma Watson, who is white, played the same role.

Rowling has hit back at critics, saying she never specified the character's ethnicity in the books. And audience members give the cast rave reviews.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her mind, Hermione in particularly as a woman of color, is ground breaking and amazing and does the role so well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like that they brought in a woman of color to play Hermione. I think that's a problem people saw with the books, it wasn't very diverse.

MANN: The show officially opens on July 30th and will also be published as a book July 31st, which happens to be to Rowling's and Harry Potter's birthday.

Jonathan Mann, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Great big check.

VAUSE: Oh, yes. She's done it again.

You're watching NEWSROOM, L.A. I'm John Vause.

SESAY: And I'm Isha Sesay.

Another hour of news right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)