Transcript:
The Inside Story: Fighting on Two Fronts
Episode 122 – December 14, 2023
Show Open:
This week on The Inside Story…
Two nations at war... both reliant on u.s. aid and mired in political debate.
From disease to homelessness and hunger... humanitarian groups warn the crisis in Gaza will only worsen, as Israel steps up attacks on Hamas.
Plus, Ukraine's president visits washington in a push for more aid in his country's fight against Russia.
Now... on The Inside Story... Fighting on Two Fronts.
The Inside Story:
JESSICA JERREAT, VOA’s Press Freedom Editor:
Welcome to The Inside Story. I’m Jessica Jerreat, VOA’s Press Freedom Editor.
This week, we are focused on two conflicts: one involving Russia and Ukraine. The other, Israel and Gaza.
At the United Nations here in New York, the world continues to grapple with the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
And in Washington, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is lobbying the White House and lawmakers for more military aid in his country’s fight against Russa.
With heavy fighting in Gaza, humanitarian organizations warn of a growing crisis. Palestinians say 85 percent of the population are internally displaced, and the World Health Organization warns of the growing crisis posed by disease. VOA’s Linda Gradstein starts us off this week from Jerusalem.
LINDA GRADSTEIN, VOA Correspondent:
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is growing increasingly dire, according to aid organizations working there. They say they have stopped much of their aid distribution efforts in southern Gaza because Israeli airstrikes and ground operations make it too dangerous.
Shaina Low, Norwegian Refugee Council:
The severe restrictions on aid access and delivery have only aggravated the situation, leading to starvation among Gaza’s population and intensifying an already dire humanitarian crisis. Critical shortages of food, water, electricity and fuel persist. In overcrowded shelters, scarcity of these items heightens health risks.
LINDA GRADSTEIN:
Medical professionals say the health care system is collapsing, and there are concerns about disease spreading, especially among an estimated one million children.
Alexandra Saieh, Save the Children:
Our colleagues have told us of hundreds of children lining up for a single toilet in the south. Children and families roaming the streets of what hasn’t been flattened, with no food, nowhere to go and nothing to survive on. Those who survive the bombardment now face imminent risk of dying of starvation and disease.
Our team are telling us of maggots being picked from wounds and children undergoing amputations without anesthetic. More than a million children, practically all of the child population of Gaza, is left with nowhere to go as ground operations continue to expand in the south.
LINDA GRADSTEIN:
Israeli officials say they are doing whatever they can to allow humanitarian aid to reach those who need it. They are opening another terminal at the Nitzana border crossing to speed up the Israeli inspection of the aid, which is done to prevent weapons smuggling.
Col. Elad Goren, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories:
In Nitzana we expanded the capabilities, and we accelerated the process. Today we can expect up to 250 trucks every day in Nitzana. As I said, the problem is not Nitzana. The problem is the capability of the U.N. agencies to collect all the international assistance after we are checking it, goes to Rafah.
LINDA GRADSTEIN:
Almost 18,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting and almost 50,000 wounded, according to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Authority in Gaza. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly called for a cease-fire.
Antonio Guterres, U.N. Secretary-General:
I expect public order to completely break down soon and an even worse situation could unfold, including epidemic diseases and increased pressure for mass displacement into Egypt.
LINDA GRADSTEIN:
Egypt is said to be reinforcing the wall it built on its border with Gaza. It has warned Israel and the international community that it will not accept any Palestinian refugees, leaving them to face the winter in a war zone.
Linda Gradstein, VOA News, Jerusalem.
JESSICA JERREAT:
The U.S. on Friday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. That decision attracted widespread criticism. VOA’s Patsy Widakusara has more.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA, VOA White House Bureau Chief:
Another market destroyed in Gaza, this one in the Jabalia refugee camp.
The level of civilian casualties is making U.S. President Joe Biden increasingly concerned.
President Joe Biden:
We have made it clear to the Israelis, and they are aware that the indep — the safety of innocent Palestinians is still a great concern. And so the actions they're taking must be consistent with attempting to do everything possible to prevent innocent Palestinian civilians from being — being hurt, murdered, killed, lost, etc.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA:
Israel is losing international support, Biden said during a campaign appearance earlier Tuesday, in his sharpest public criticism.
He said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs to change his coalition, according to a White House transcript,and empower the Palestinian Authority to become a partner in the peace process.
He singled out Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who opposes a two-state solution.
Biden’s comments came as 153 countries voted overwhelmingly in support of a U.N. resolution demanding a cease-fire. Ten countries opposed the measure, while 23 abstained.
Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Permanent Observer to the United Nations:
Our duty is to try to save the lives who are still alive by having this resolution adopted and by forcing Israel to comply with it. And those who are shielding Israel to comply with the global consensus.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA:
The vote followed a similar U.N. Security Council resolution Friday that failed due to a U.S. veto – a position that critics say damages Washington’s interests beyond the Middle East.
Josh Paul, Former US Diplomat:
But also where we are arguing, for example, in the United Nations to gain the support of the Global South, for our just condemnation of Russia’s abhorrent invasion of Ukraine. We are also going to lose votes, if we are seen to be hypocritical, if we're seen to be walking away from our values.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA:
General Assembly resolutions are non-binding but carry political weight.
Richard Gowan, International Crisis Group:
U.N. officials, the majority of U.N. member states, are simply looking for every means possible to create a sense of moral pressure on the U.S. to change its posture.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA:
Israel and its supporters say a cease-fire will only benefit Hamas, allowing them to regroup for future attacks on Israel.
Julie Rayman, American Jewish Committee:
It's allowing Hamas to have a legitimacy that it hasn't earned. It's giving trust to terrorist leaders who have proven unequivocally that they are not trustworthy.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA:
Following Hamas’ October 7 attacks that killed at least 1,200 in Israel, responding strikes by Israel in Gaza have killed at least 18,000 people by Palestinian count in the bloodiest campaign of the decades-long conflict.
Patsy Widakuswara, VOA News.
JESSICA JERREAT:
Integral to the larger U.N. General Assembly vote for an immediate ceasefire Tuesday, are calls for the immediate release of Israeli hostages still held by militants, and demands that humanitarian groups have access to Palestinians trapped in the midst of a crisis.
Negotiations for the safe return of hostages has been playing out in Qatar. Earlier I spoke with Joel Simon, director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at the Craig Newmark school of journalism here in New York, who is an expert in hostage policy.
JESSICA JERREAT:
Joel, you recently wrote in the New Yorker about the hostage negotiations taking place with Israel and Hamas. It's hard to think of two ideologically opposed groups. How do negotiations even work in those circumstances?
Joel Simon, Director, Journalism Protection Initiative, Craig Newmark School of Journalism:
I think the first thing to think about when you think about hostage taking and kidnapping, the groups that engage in this practice, are obviously in a kind of deeply adversarial relationship with whoever the negotiating partner is. So it's always complicated to find some interlocutor who can bridge that gap. But the reality is that hostage crises are resolved through negotiation. So if you're going to reach a resolution, you need that kind of interlocutor. And in this instance, Qatar was able to play that play that role because it has a long term relationship with Hamas. It's actually hosted Hamas his political office. in Doha, and has provided over a billion dollars of aid to Gaza, which is was done in coordination with the Israelis. So it also has a relationship with the Israelis, with the Israeli government, including hosting a trade office and it's played this role this historic role of sort of finding the common ground, particularly in hostage negotiations, but in other kinds of crises. And so it was well positioned to kind of mediate in this in this particular instance.
JESSICA JERREAT:
Thinking about sort of what drives hostage taking. You said Israel and Hamas both had things that they wanted from this situation. What are some of like, the common elements that groups are after? Is it the sort of the propaganda element that they can get or is it the ransom or sort of being able to negotiate with prisoners? What drives it?
Joel Simon, Director, Journalism Protection Initiative, Craig Newmark School of Journalism:
So usually, one side is much more powerful than the other side and the other side feels that it can use hostage taking to secure a variety of different outcomes. Sometimes there are political objectives. Sometimes they're sort of propaganda objectives, sometimes their objectives in terms of financing, and remember that hostage taking this is a tactic and a strategy used by all sorts of groups.
Look, the one thing about hostage crises that I've learned and writing about them and reporting on them over many years is that each one is different, and that the lessons from the last conflict don't always apply to the current one. I mean, this is a unique situation in which, you know, in terms of the Israeli objectives, you know, they make clear that you know freeing the hostage hostages was an objective. Hamas also had taken hostages, so many hostages that they probably didn't need all of them just to secure the strategic objectives that they were trying to achieve. And many of them were women and minors and so I think they felt that they had some wiggle room to negotiate and there was this and they wanted certain things and things were always were able to offer. The Israelis wanted certain things, you know, they were able to find even in the midst of conflict, and what is intense and frankly horrific. Is this one, some some common grounds and they had an effective interlocutor in the in the Qatari. So there was a kind of unique set of circumstances I can’ think of any other conflict where you know, in an active conflict zone with this number of hostages where you were able to find this kind of resolution .
JESSICA JERREAT:
Switching to Ukraine, the focus is on a U.S. emergency spending bill that would provide additional aid but remains stuck in Congress. From the capital, Kyiv, Anna Chernikova reports for VOA.
ANNA CHERNIKOVA, VOA Correspondent:
It’s Ukraine’s second Christmas season at war, and one filled with uncertainty for many here as aid from the U.S. remains in doubt.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has been almost completely dependent on military and financial support from its partners — especially the U.S.
Vitaly Portnikov, a Ukrainian journalist and political analyst, says that the war has devastated Ukraine’s economy, and that both the economy and the war effort depend on support from the West.
Vitaly Portnikov, Political Analyst:
Ukraine itself cannot stop Russia in its political ambitions. This can only be done together with the West. I am sure that with the support of the civilized world, Ukraine can defend its sovereignty and statehood, restore its economy, and then not take anything from anyone for help or loans. It is only a matter of time. But if Ukraine is left on its own in the struggle against Russia, it can simply collapse as a state. And this is an absolutely objective reality.
ANNA CHERNIKOVA:
As Ukraine’s leadership works to persuade its friends to keep sending the support it needs, on the streets, concern grows.
Niuta, Kyiv Resident:
Of course, I count on some kind of support, because without it, objectively, we will not be able to win this war. I believe that every country should support Ukraine now because we are an impassable barrier for Russia to the European countries at the moment.
Dmytro, Kyiv Resident:
Very difficult times are coming for Ukraine, and it will be very sad if all this turns in a completely different direction than we were already prepared for. We all need to rely on ourselves and always thank the world if it helps us.
ANNA CHERNIKOVA:
As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on the aid package, many Ukrainians brace for what could be an especially uncertain New Year.
Anna Chernikova, Voa News, Kyiv.
JESSICA JERREAT:
Zelensky alongside President Joe Biden, pleaded with U.S. lawmakers to approve $61 billion in aid for his country’s fight back against Russia’s invasion. Without those funds, both say, a cold grim winter looms. Russia will be emboldened. White House Correspondent Anita Powell reports.
ANITA POWELL, VOA White House Correspondent:
The two presidents said the consequences are dire if Ukraine doesn’t get the cash it needs to counter Russia’s invasion as winter approaches.
But the U.S. Congress, which signs the checks, is not yet convinced. Earlier Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged lawmakers to pass President Joe Biden’s $61 billion dollar request by the end of the week.
Republicans say they want to see “proper oversight” over the funding, and they also want to see “a clear articulation of strategy.”
Biden vowed his continued support and said he wanted to see Ukraine win – and accused Republicans of playing into Moscow’s hands by failing to pass the aid package.
U.S. President Joe Biden:
The host of a Kremlin-run show said, ‘well done Republicans. That's good for us,’ as a Russian speaking. If you're being celebrated by Russian propagandists, it might be time to rethink what you're doing. History will judge harshly those who turn their back on freedom’s cause.
ANITA POWELL:
Zelenskyy continued to appeal for stronger air defenses, and said his nation would not concede territory.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President:
I have a question to these people if they are ready to give up their children to terrorists. I think no.
ANITA POWELL:
Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused Zelenskyy of “cadging” – slang meaning to beg for something undeserved – and said he is an American puppet.
U.S. taxpayers are showing signs of Ukraine fatigue, and some Republicans question why about a third of U.S. money goes not toward weapons, but government assistance.
John Jameson, a mine-clearing campaigner who recently visited the country, said Ukraine needs every penny.
John Jameson, Halo Trust:
The deminers were working while we heard the sound of artillery going on. And they're doing that because they know it's essential for them to be able to start farming and producing and going back to work now so they can live so they can not only just to fight the war but so they can live but no, we can't wait until the fighting is over.
ANITA POWELL:
But when will it end? Analysts say this may take more than a year – and question whether Ukraine’s supporters are funding it enough, considering how well this small army has done against a much larger foe.
Dalibor Rohac, American Enterprise Institute:
They’ve become, in some ways, victims of their own success. I don't think we should be sort of reasonably asking Ukrainians to do more, especially given the almost homeopathic nature of Western assistance. When you think about the amounts of munitions that are being delivered – the miniscule amounts of long range artillery, precision artillery, air defenses, etc, etc, that are being delivered to Ukraine. I think they are making a really impressive use of very limited resources that are given to them, provided to them, against a much larger adversary.
ANITA POWELL:
It’s now up to Congress to decide if Ukraine gets what they seek before the inevitable arrival of a cruel enemy that strikes without remorse: Winter.
Anita Powell, VOA News, the White House.
JESSICA JERREAT:
Those reporting on the Israel Hamas war —or trying to offer assistance-- have not been spared the violence. In the first two months of the conflict, a record number of journalists and aid workers have been killed. VOA’s Cristina Caicedo Smit has the story.
CRISTINA CAICEDO SMIT, VOA Correspondent:
The October 7 Hamas terror attack in southern Israel claimed the war’s first media casualty.
Yaniv Zohar, known for regularly being first on the scene for breaking news, had a long career with outlets including the Associated Press and an Israeli newspaper.
Hamas killed the video journalist and his family.
A few days later, a strike on the Lebanese border killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdalla and seriously injured several others.
Analysis by Reuters and others says Israeli tank fire killed the video journalist.
Findings show the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, knew the location of the news team.
Two shells were fired in quick succession, an apparent deliberate attack on civilians that could constitute a war crime, analysts say.
IDF’s international spokesman responded to the findings, saying Israel does not target journalists.
Abdallah and Zohar are two of the more than 60 journalists killed in a conflict described by the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, as the deadliest on record.
Their loss has an impact on audiences, say analysts.
Jodie Ginsberg, Committee to Protect Journalists President:
We rely on journalists to be our eyes and ears in a conflict so that we know, as the international community, what is happening.
CRISTINA CAICEDO SMIT:
The conflict has killed thousands of civilians, including more than 130 United Nations relief workers.
Outside the U.N. headquarters in New York, aid group Doctors Without Borders held a vigil to remember colleagues killed in Gaza.
Given the loss of human life, the secretary-general has invoked Article 99 of the U.N. Charter.
Stéphane Dujarric, Secretary-General Spokesperson:
Article 99 states that ‘the secretary-general may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.
CRISTINA CAICEDO SMIT:
With international media largely blocked from reporting inside Gaza, local journalists play a vital role.
Tim Dawson, International Federation of Journalists:
It's clear that combatants on both sides will try and twist stories to their advantage. And having, the more people we have reporting, the better we are likely to be able to get a balanced view in the fullness of time of exactly what's happening.
CRISTINA CAICEDO SMIT:
The number of journalists killed in the first two months of this war surpasses that of wars in Iraq, where CPJ data shows 32 killed in all of 2006, and Syria, where 31 cases were documented in 2012.
Watchdogs are calling for accountability.
Jodie Ginsberg, Committee to Protect Journalists President:
It's really important for us to document every single case of a journalist killed because we want to ensure that those killings and those deaths are investigated and those who are responsible are held accountable.
CRISTINA CAICEDO SMIT:
As the temporary ceasefire to release hostages and prisoners ends and Israel resumes fighting Hamas inside Gaza, analysts predict the toll for civilians, aid workers—and the journalists trying to tell their stories—will rise.
Cristina Caicedo Smit, VOA News.
JESSICA JERREAT:
Here in the US, some of our top tier universities and their presidents have drawn criticism, including from Congress, after accusations they failed to stop anti Semitism and Islamaphobia on campus. Our Robin Guess reports.
Elise Stefanik, R-NY:
At Penn does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Penn’s rules or code of conduct? Yes or No?
ROBIN GUESS, VOA Correspondent:
A contentious congressional hearing about reports of antisemitism at Harvard University, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania ended with Republican Congresswoman from New York, Elise Stefanik, calling for resignations of the schools’ presidents, accusing them of not protecting students.
Here is Harvard President, Claudine Gay:
Claudine Gay, Harvard University President:
In response, I have sought to confront hate, while preserving free expression. This is difficult work and I know I have not always gotten it right.
Elise Stefanik, R-NY. Female:
And this is why you should resign - unacceptable answers across the board.
ROBIN GUESS:
Penn’s, Liz Magill, Harvard’s, Claudine Gay and MIT’s, Sally Kornbluth all defended decisions that allowed protests on campus, but critics said they equivocated over whether protests calling for the genocide of Jews would violate school policies. Magill resigned December 9 amid the firestorm.
Here’s Harley Lippman of the American Israel Affairs Committee.
Harley Lippman, American Isreal Affairs Committee:
They are incredible qualified in the academic world they are not qualified to lead universities there is an absence of leadership of good leadership and she’s absolutely spot on one down two to go.
ROBIN GUESS:
But others defended their leadership, and said congress is not the place for picking university leaders.
Irene Mulvey, President, American Association of University Professors:
That is completely outrageous the idea that a sitting congresswoman feels it is her responsibility or that she’s entitled to determine who runs a university is outrageous. This is completely counterproductive. American higher education is the envy of the world and we are preeminent because of our robust protection of academic freedom.
ROBIN GUESS:
Days after the hearing, Harvard’s and MIT’s governing boards backed their leaders, although some donors to the schools continue to criticize their decision.
On college campuses, many professors consider the protests teachable moments.
Ingrid Anderson, Boston University, Assoc. Director Jewish Studies:
I think one of the things that we are really missing out on here is how to teach students civil discourse. How do we sit down and talk to each other when we don’t agree with each other when we might not even like each other.
ROBIN GUESS:
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating at least a dozen schools for antisemitism violations.
Some professors say the spotlight on campuses is an opportunity for vigorous debate about antisemitism, Islamophobia, and the First Amendment protections for free speech and protests.
Kenneth Stern, Director, Bard Center for the Study of Hate:
I would much rather college presidents and boards actually focus on these issues rather than how we are going to beat up on a college president for a bad sound bite in a congressional hearing that’s not important. I see why some people think it is symbolically important but it is not as important as how we are going to use our college resources to turn out the next generation of critical thinkers on difficult issues like this.
ROBIN GUESS:
The U.S. has more than 4000 college and university campuses. Not all or even most are accused of antisemitism or Islamophobia. Some academics say the current climate is creating a chilling effect on free speech and academic freedom.
Robin Guess VOA News.
JESSICA JERREAT:
That’s all for now. I’m Jessica Jerreat. Thank you for being with us. Stay up to date with all the news at VOANews.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at VOA News. Follow me on Twitter at @JessicaJerreat. Catch up on past episodes at our free streaming service, VOA Plus. For all of those behind the scenes who brought you today’s show, I’m Jessica Jerreat. We’ll see you next week for The Inside Story. We’ll see you next week on The Inside Story
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