Transcripts For MSNBCW Morning 20240703 : comparemela.com

Will prevail. For our sake, for your sake, for peace and security in our region and in the world. Mr. President , for the people of israel, theres only one thing better than having a true friend like you standing with us, and that is having you standing in this room. Your visit here is the first visit of an american president in israel at a time of war. It is deeply, deeply moving. It speaks to the depth of your personal commitment to israel. It speaks to the depth of your personal commitment to the future of the jewish people and jewish state. So i know i speak for all the people of israel when i say, thank you, mr. President. Thank you for standing with israel today, tomorrow, and always. That happened in the past hour and a lot has happened in the past 24 hours. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showing appreciation for President Bidens visit amid the countrys war with hamas. That meeting happening just moments ago kicking off an extremely busy day for the president in Israel Navigating a lot of moving parts and questions this morning. Good morning, welcome to morning joe. It is wednesday, october 18th. With us we have the host of Way Too Early Jonathan Lemire and Special Correspondent katty kay. Two week was a Hamas Terror Attacks and israel into a new war, President Biden is in the country today to show support for americas Middle Eastern ally. The president is the meeting with israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu right now after arriving in tel aviv about two hours ago. In brief remarks to reporters before going Behind Closed Doors, Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Biden Profusely for his steadfast support for israel. Biden then reaffirmed his commitment to israels safety while also stressing the need to address the growing humanitarian crisis unfolding in gaza. The situation there worsened last night when a deadly blast of a gaza City Hospital killed more than 200 people. Israel and palestinian officials are both blaming each other for the violence, which spurred pro palestinian protests in parts of the west bank, lebanon and jordan last night. That blast also forced changes to bidens schedule. Just as he was departing for israel yesterday, the king of jordan cancelled a planned summit between himself, biden and the palestinian president and the president of egypt. In a statement, jordans Foreign Minister wrote, a summit would not be able to stop the war now. More now on the explosion out of Gaza Hospital that killed hundreds of people. It happened in gaza city in the northern part of the territory placed under an Evacuation Order by israel last week. Hamas, which launched Terrorist Attacks that set off the war immediately blamed israel for the attack. Israel says the explosion was caused by a misfired Rocket Launched by another tst group known as islamic jiha prior to departing for israel, President Biden directed his Security Team to continue gathering evidence about what exactly happened. Biden then addressed the deadly blast shortly after arriving this morning. Listen. I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in gaza yesterday. Based on what i have seen, it was appeared it was done by the other team, not you. But theres a lot of people out there who are not sure, so we have to cover a lot of things. Navigating a lot of things. Israels Defense Forces shared video on social media claiming it was proof that the explosion was caused by a failed Rocket Launch. Jonathan lemire, lets how the white house responded to Hospital Attack and impacted the trip. Was there a moment where they thought perhaps it wouldnt wheels up . And what do you make of how the president is navigating this right in front of Benjamin Netanyahu, not being completely sure exactly what happened. This explosion is now shadowing this entire trip, changed its trajectory. The president was in the motorcade just a few minutes from Joint Base Andrews about to go wheels up and word came from jordan that this summit was cancelled. The white house Summit The White House wanted to make a key part of this trip to talk about the need to help with the situation in gaza. Perhaps to accept refugees, create that corridor with egypt to let people get out. Suddenly, it was off. And white house aids i speak to say they never waivered ongoing with this trip, but certainly a trip that was fraught from the beginning. The president heading into the war zone, Real Security concerns there. One was already showed such support for israel. There was a sense that maybe he was being pushed into this visit by the Prime Minister, but we heard from him there that the president standing with israel, but cautioning, suggesting that israels response needed to be humanitarian. And they are relaying the latest from intelligence. The idea that they do believe a hospital was destroyed by a rocket fired from within gaza opposed to an israeli strike, but cautioning its still under investigation. We have seen a number of social media posts, video, some prove to not be true. The Israeli Government is proceeding with their investigation, but its complicated. They have no access to this site, which is in gaza itself. They are piecing it together with their team, and at least for now, u. S. President says they do believe this was not an israeli missile that landed on hospital. Were going to go to tel aviv in a moment,s but i want to focus on your contacts at the white house in the National Security community. Talk a little bit, explain to our viewers what exactly was the purpose of the trip beyond showing support for israel, which he could do from home . Secondly, is it to lead by example, as you see oh Arab Countries pulling back . No question here. This was to show support for israel. But it had a wider purpose. Its to prevent this war from escalating. Theres a sense that President Biden in israel would deliver these messages to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the appropriateness of the israeli response. No doubt, Uz Real Needs to strike and will strike hard, but to do so in a way that wouldnt further inflame the region. He alsoed to deliver a message to the arab leaders to get them to step up with the situation in gaza. And there was a real hope here by trying to contain this now that it wouldnt require further american involvement either. We have seen aircraft groups going to the region. The last thing this administration wants as it focuses on china, ukraine, the last thing this administration wants is Foreign Policy be dominated by the middle east again. Thats part of the mission too. And everything is more complicated now because of that Hospital Explosion. Its hot, its dangerous,s its complicated. Morning Joe Joe Biden has tried to achieve the impossible before, but this might be truly ultimate. This is the middle east and this is in the middle of a hot war. His second trip to a war zone in his presidency. Joining us from tel aviv is Foreign Correspondent Josh Letterman and in washington, nbc News White House correspondent monica alba. Monica, just to build on lemires point, the purpose of the trip and has it changed since some countries are pulling away from having an actual summit . Reporter its been so fluid that even as the president was heading to tel aviv, the schedule was constantly changing. That just signals to you how volatile a trip like had this is, but because the situation on the ground is so tense and the events are unfolding in realtime, the white house has been very frank and wanted to be clear to say things could still continue to change. They havent wanted to share very many details about the schedule because they are trying to add some things. And again in these moments, they have to be nimble as they are continuing to assess intelligence, but i am told that in the early days after the october 7th massacre, white house officials were already planning to see what could be feasible in terms of a trip to the region, but it wasnt clear until the Prime Minister continued to extend that invitation more formally that the president would have been able to go. According to my reporting, there was a consensus in the white house that would have to be a window if the president s was going to do this before any kind of a fwround invasion by israel was going to take place. And that was important. They are not saying publicly that in any of those conversations they said this is what you should or should not do, but we know thats a critical piece and backdrop to all of this. So the president is going to be spending a couple hours. Right now, hes with the Prime Minister. They will be meeting with the israeli war cabinet to talk about What Happens Next, because thats the other important pieces of this. What happens the day after a potential Ground Invasion or where this goes from here. The u. S. Want wants some answers on that because they want to continue to protect civilian lives. They are also very invested in this group of hundreds of americans who are in gaza, who are trying to get out, who so far have not been successfully able to do so. One of the most important components of this trip would have been bidens chance to meet with the egyptian president in jordan. Thats been cancelled as well. The americans would really like the egyptians to allow aid in or even potentially allow refugees from Gaza Out Into Egypt and house them in egypt. If thats now a part of the trip that cant take place, what would constitute success for biden, given that hes only meeting with one side in this now increasingly broad conflict . Reporter i think success would look like if President Biden can return from this short War Zone Trip with israels conflict with gaza Still Limited to hamas and not additional fronts opening up with hezbollah, which has promised an unprecedented day of rage against israel. And whether hes able to really contain the fire that is raging across the arab world right now. This is creating a real splitscreen moment thats exactly the opposite of what the white house wanted to see. A at the same time that President Biden is hugging Benjamin Netanyahu on the tarmac, meeting with his National Security council, his war cabinet, and publicly siding with israels version of events of what happened at that hospital last night in the gaza strip, you have protests erupting. In jordan they are burning uz really flags. In iran they are chanting death to israel. Even in the west bank, not far from tel aviv where President Biden is today, you have Pal Stipyans Hurling Stones against both the u. S. And srael. One of the key problems for President Biden right now is the fact that within just a couple hours of that strike last night that explosion at that hospital, you had americas regional allies like jordan and egypt and turkey, come out and publicly side with the palestinian version of events. They said this was an israeli strike. In the hours that israel has come out with a military says is evidence indicating that it was not an israeli strike but a failed rocket by Islamic Jihad. And now you have President Biden backing that up saying that what hes seen, which is presumably u. S. Intelligence, the u. S. Currently believes that it was not israel. It was the palestinian side. Its going to be very difficult, maybe impossible for those arab leaders here in the broader region, to walk back what they said about the strike, given the fact the public is enraged by this and are seeing this public elm brace of israel by the president of the United States making the first wartime u. S. President ial visit to israel ever. President biden will continue doing what he can to try to tamp down tensions. He was able to speak by phone with the king of jordan, and he should connect with egypt on the way home. But have no doubt about it, this is a Precarious Mission for President Biden to try to keep this situation from spiraling even further. Letterman and monica alba, thank you both very much. Theres another pressing, intense layer to this escalating situation. Hamas says it is ready to release all civilian hostages, foreign and israeli, immediately if israel stops bombing gaza. Thats according to a senior hamas official who says the release could happen within the hour as long as israel meets its terms. In exchange for the Israeli Soldiers held captive, the hamas official said israel must release all palestinians held in israeli jails. They are believed to hold 199 people in gaza. Joining us now with new rt reporting on the Hostage Situation is justice and intelligence correspondent ken dilanian. I understand theres been some video of some of the hostages. Where are they . What are you learning . Good morning. We did see a Proof Of Life video of one hostage 24 hours or so ago. We were able to speak to a number of people briefed on these tense negotiations that have been happening between israel and hamas. Mediated by the government of qatar, which styles as a switch limit. What that official told Richard Ankle is confirmed by the u. S. And the israeli side. That hamas had come around to the idea that they were going to release at least women and children civilian hostages without getting anything in exchange because israel has been steadfast that they are not going to trade anything for those civilian hostages. But now were told this morning that this Hospital Bombing really has changed everything. Hamas could not release these hostages were told now even if they. Ed to, even if there was a deal for some time while passions are running so high over this Hospital Bombing. And i spoke to a couple veterans of the Hostage Recovery, Including A Retired fbi agent who was running the Hostage Recovery cell. He told me this was the most complicated Hostage Situation in modern history. And that the nature of this really makes a Military Rescue very remote here. These hostages are spread out in the war zone that is gaza, which is filled with tunnels and bunkers. And the other complicating factor is hamas doesnt hold all the hostages. Theres a group of others that were held by one official said was opportunistic citizens who grabbed them for their own reasons. Hamas is trying to get custody of the hostages, but they dont have that yet. Nbc news correspondent ken dilanian, thank you very much. We have a lot of other news to get to, including the fact that theres no speaker of the house. Theres going to be another vote today at 11 00 a. M. But first today is President Bidens second trip into an active war zone this year. In one minute, were going to bring in historian john meacham. Were back in 60 seconds. Meacha. Were back in 60 seconds were just standing by as we have a lot of moving parts this morning. We maybe jumping into a meeting between President Biden and the israeli war cabinet. If that happens, well jump in. But lets bring in the american presidency of Vanderbilt University john meacham. First of all, talk about overall, President Bidens trip into this hot war zone. I mean, truly, so soon after the war has broken out, its still raging and with many questions and mysteries as to who has done what. What do you make of the trip . How does it stand in history, but also what are some of the severe challenges he is facing . The president has done this twice. He went to kyiv. He went to ukra