>> HELLO, EVERYONE.

WELCOME TO "AMANPOUR & COMPANY. "

HERE'S WHAT'S COMING UP.

FRANCE IN FLAMES AS PROTESTS OVER EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SERVICES ERUPT INTO VIOLENCE.

WE'LL HAVE MORE ON THE UNREST ROCKING FRANCE.

THEN A CEASE FIRE WITH LITTLE RELIEF.

MORE THAN A YEAR ON, HUNGER AND HARDSHIP STILL GRIP GAZA.

THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM RECENTLY VISITED THE STRIP AND TELLS ME WHAT HE SAW.

PLUS, A BITTER BATTLE FOR ISRAEL'S FUTURE.

WITH ELECTIONS LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY, NETANYAHU GETS TRUMP'S BACKING AS SETTLER VIOLENCE ESCALATES IN THE WEST BANK.

TEL AVIV-BASED POLITICAL ANALYST DANIA SHEINDLIN JOINS ME.

ALSO AHEAD -- >> THIS TASK FORCE COMES IN AND BASICALLY MAKES MANY TIMES WORSE WHAT WAS ALREADY A PROBLEM.

>> A CRACKDOWN WITH DEADLY CONSEQUENCES.

FOUR MEN KILLED BY A FEDERAL TASK FORCE IN MEMPHIS.

JOURNALIST LISA ARMSTRONG INVESTIGATES THE ?

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> >> "AMANPOUR & COMPANY" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE ANDERSON FAMILY ENDOWMENT.

JIM ATTWOOD AND LESLIE WILLIAMS.

CANDACE KING WEIR.

CHARLES ROSEN BLUME.

MONIQUE SCHOEN WARSHAW, AND THE SILVIA, AND POITA AND THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND.

KOO AND PATRICIA YUEN, COMMITTED TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

> >> WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM, EVERYONE.

I'M BIANNA GOLODRYGA IN NEW YORK SITTING IN FOR CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR.

WE WILL CONTINUE THE SHOW IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT FIRST WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM CHRISTIANE.

>> HI, EVERYONE.

I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME NEWS ABOUT MYSELF AND ABOUT THIS SHOW.

AFTER THINKING CAREFULLY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND EXPERIENCING A FEW SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I'VE DECIDED TO SEPARATE FROM CNN, MY PARTNER OF 43 FANTASTIC YEARS, LONGER THAN MANY MARRIAGES.

SO THIS DAILY SHOW ON CNN AND PBS WILL COME TO AN END AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, BUT CNN AND I HAVE WORKED OUT A SMOOTH TRANSITION WHILE CONTINUING DOING KWET AMANPOUR" ONCE A WEEK THROUGH TO JUNE.

THERE'S NO I IN TEAM, AND MY WHOLE CAREER HAS BEEN TEAM WORK TO MAKE THE DREAMWORK.

SO I WANT TO THANK ALL THE AMAZINGLY TALENTED PEOPLE I'VE WORKED WITH THROUGHOUT THIS INCREDIBLE JOURNEY ESPECIALLY MY BELOVED SHOW TEAMS AND FIELD CREWS.

FOR MY VERY FIRST, BIG, EXCITING ASSIGNMENT COVERING FIRST GULF WAR, TO THE HORRORS OF THE BOSNIAN WAR, RWANDA, AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, UKRAINE AND ALL THE POINTS IN BETWEEN, IT IS THE TEAMS AND THE CAMARADERIE WE BUILT THAT COUNTED SO MUCH AS WE, TOGETHER, BATTLED TO FIND THE FACT, TO BRING YOU THE EVIDENCE AND THE HUMANITY SO THAT CNN CAN ALWAYS BROADCAST THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WORLD WITHOUT FEAR NOR FAVOR.

NOW, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN FIERCELY INDEPENDENT, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO BE THAT FOR YOU FOR AS LONG AS I AM HERE AND BEYOND.

THAT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TODAY AS WE FACE UNPRECEDENTED PRESSURES FROM ALL SIDES, POLITICAL, FINANCIAL AND ALSO FROM THE RISING DANGERS IN THE FIELD.

I'LL ALWAYS BE ROOTING FOR CNN, MAINTAINING ITS HISTORY OF INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM.

MEANTIME, STAY TUNED.

KEEP WATCHING "AMANPOUR" ON CNN AND ALSO MY PODCAST, THE X FILES WITH GLOBAL AND FINALLY, THANK YOU ALL FOR WATCHING, LISTENING AND ENGAGING WITH ME FOR ALL THESE YEARS, FOR TRUSTING ME AND THIS SHOW.

SEE YOU BACK HERE ON WEDNESDAY.

NOW BACK TO BIANNA AND TODAY'S SHOW.

>> 43.

43 INCREDIBLE YEARS WITH CHRISTIANE AND MANY MORE SHOWS TO GO UNTIL NEXT JUNE.

OUR THANKS TO CHRISTIANE.

WELL, FRANCE IS REELING FROM ITS WORST RIOTING IN YEARS AFTER A WEEKEND OF VIOLENCE, LOOTING AND DESTRUCTION ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

MORE THAN 2,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED WITH AT LEAST TWO DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO THE UNREST.

WHAT BEGAN AS PEACEFUL STUDENT PROTESTS OVER UNDERFUNDED SCHOOLS HAS GROWN INTO A MUCH BROADER MOVEMENT FUELED BY ANGER OVER THE COST OF LIVING AND SOARING FUEL PRICES, BUT THOSE LEGITIMATE GRIEVANCES HAVE BEEN OVERSHADOWED BY SHOCKING SCENES OF VIOLENCE.

HISTORIC BUILDINGS SET ABLAZE, SHOPS LOOTED AND POLICE AT TIMES, WHELMED.

TODAY PROTESTERS CLOSED ACCESS TO THE LOUVRE.

PRESIDENT MANUEL MACRON VOWED TO HOLD THEM TO ACCOUNT.

THEY ARE UNABLE TO SEEK A THIRD CONSECUTIVE TERM, THE UNREST COULD HAVE MAJOR IMPLICATIONS FOR FRANCE'S POLITICAL FUTURE.

KATHERINE PORTER IS A REPORTER FOR "THE NEW YORK TIMES" BASED IN PARIS.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

FIRST, LET ME ASK YOU, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN PROTESTS QUITE LIKE THIS COVERING PARIS AND FRANCE THERE AS A JOURNALIST?

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY PROTESTS OVER THE YEARS.

MANY OF THEM LED BY STUDENT MOVEMENT, BUT WHAT I CONTINUE TO HEAR IS THAT THEY HAVEN'T SEEN SOMETHING QUITE LIKE THIS IN A WHILE.

>> YEAH.

I'VE BEEN HERE FOR FOUR YEARS NOW.

I HAVE SEEN THE RETIREMENT PROTESTS.

I'VE SEEN OTHER STUDENT PROTESTS, AND I ALSO SAW RIOTS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE DEATH OF A TEENAGER A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THIS IS --THOSE WERE THE MOST VIOLENT THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN TODAY, BUT TO BE HONEST, THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE SAW, AND I WOULDN'T SAY THE PROTEST WAS DIFFERENT.

IT WAS THE RIOTS THAT --THAT SPRUNG OUT FROM THEM.

IT WAS ALMOST LIKE FRANCE WAS A SPLIT SCREEN.

ON ONE SIDE YOU SAW THE PEACEFUL PROTESTS THAT RESEMBLED THE PROTESTS I COVERED FOR YEARS.

HUGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN THE STREET CHANTING AND HOLDING UP SIGNS, OFTEN SINGING PROTEST SONGS AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCREEN WAS RIOTS THAT WERE HAPPENING.

THERE WERE BLACK CLAD PROTESTERS ATTACKING THE POLICE EVEN BEFORE THE OFFICIAL PROTESTS BEGAN TO THE POINT THAT PARTS OF PARIS RESEMBLED A WAR ZONE.

THERE WAS TONS OF TEAR GAS, PEOPLE THROWING ROCKS, MOLOTOV COCKTAILS AND THE POLICE RESPONDING WITH WATER CANNONS.

FROM THERE, SMALL GROUPS THAT THE POLICE SAY WERE UP TO A THOUSAND SPREAD OUT AND STARTED ATTACKING BOTH INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS LIKE, AS YOU MENTIONED, CITY HALL AND A SMALL TOWN WHICH WAS COMPLETELY BURNED TO THE GROUND, BUT ALSO MARSEILLE'S CITY HALL WAS ATTACKED AND LYON IN THE NORTH WAS ATTACKED AND ALSO GOING AFTER STORES, AND AT SOME POINT IT WENT WITH WHAT THE AUTHORITIES SAID WERE EXTREME FAR LEFT AGITATORS TO BASICALLY DELINQUENTS THAT JUST SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOT, AND THE VIDEOS, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE SEEN THEM, BUT THERE ARE WHOLE STREETS.

NOT JUST IN PAIR I BUT NAH MANY, MANY OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN WHICH PEOPLE JUST DESCENDED AND BROKE INTO STORES, SMASHED THE WINDOWS AND THEN TOOK OFF WITH ANYTHING FROM BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF WINE BEING TAKEN, ELECTRONICS.

IT WAS JUST A FREE FOR ALL.

>> WELL, EMANUEL MACRON WHO WE NOTE SIDE A LAME DUCK AND JUST A FEW MONTHS AWAY FROM ELECTIONS IS URGING THOSE TO GO TO THE STREETS TO PROTEST PEACEFULLY AND SAYING THAT THERE WANT TO DAMAGE THE PUBLIC AND HIJACK THE DEBATE.

HE'S SPECIFICING ABOUT THOSE RIOTERS AND POLICE ARE OVERWHELMED, IS HE OFFERING A CREDIBLE RESPONSE.

WHAT OPTIONS DOES HE HAVE?

>> WELL HE, AS YOU SAID, SPOKE TO THE COUNTRY AND OFFERED VERY FEW SOLUTIONS.

HE SAID THAT HIS GOVERNMENT LED BY HIS PRIME MINISTER WOULD BE MEETING WITH MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS, ALMOST LIKE FOCUS GROUPS OR TO TRY TO REDUCE THE TENSION.

THAT'S A VERY MACRONIAN, I WILL TELL YOU.

WE DID SEE HIS GOVERNMENT COME OUT TODAY.

THE PRIME MINISTER WARNED THAT THERE WOULD BE TARGETED CURFEWS AND SOME HAD ALREADY GONE INTO PLACE.

FIVE CITIES WE KNOW OF AND MAYBE EVEN MORE AT THIS POINT THAT ARE PUTTING CURFEWS TONIGHT INCLUDING MARSEILLE AND LYON IN THE NORTH.

HE ALSO SAID THAT THEY ARE --THEY HAD A HUGE NUMBER OF INVESTIGATORS AND THEY'RE WORKING TO TRACK DOWN THE LOOTERS IN PARTICULAR AND TO OFFER WHAT THEY THINK IS ABOUT --3 THOUSAND STORES OR THE OWNERS OF THE TORS AND SOME KIND OF REPRIEVE, WHETHER IT BE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, BUT ALSO HELP THEM SPEED UP THE INSURANCE CLAIMS.

HE'S CLAIMING TO OFFER SOME SUPPORT, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT IT'S ENOUGH.

THERE ARE DEMANDS FOR EVERYTHING FROM A STATE OF EMERGENCY FROM SOME POLITICIANS HERE TO AN INQUEST INTO WHAT WENT WRONG.

THIS MORNING WE HAD TWO MINISTERS ADMIT THAT THERE WERE REAL PROBLEMS AND THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH POLICE ON THE STREET AND THERE WAS ALSO A FAILURE OF INTELLIGENCE LEADING UP TO THIS, AND I THINK AT THERE POINT THERE'S STILL A SENSE THAT THE STATE IS NOT IN CONTROL AND PEOPLE ARE QUITE WORRIED, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THIS HAS BECOME A POLITICAL TRAIN.

YOU MENTIONED THAT SIX MONTHS FROM NOW THERE'S AN ELECTION AND THIS IS ALL FODDER FOR THAT ELECTION.

MACRON AND HIS GOVERNMENT HAD BLAMED THE FAR LEFT FOR INSTIGATING AT LEAST THE FIRST ATTACKS ON POLICE AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS.

THEY SAID THAT MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEN LATER DELINQUENTS GOT INVOLVED AND THEY SAY THAT THAT PARTY IN PARTICULAR IS TRYING TO DESTABILIZE THE TATE AND IMPACT THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS AND THE FAR LEFT PARTY HAS USED THIS AS A MOMENT TO CAMPAIGN.

THESE ARE THE ONES WE SHOULD GIVE POWER TO, AND THIS IS A CLEAR INDICATION OF HOW BAD THINGS ARE IN OUR COUNTRY AND WE NEED A GOVERNMENT THAT HAS AUTHORITY.

>> JORDAN BARDELLA SAID FRANCE IS PAYING FOR DECADES OF BEING SOFT ON CRIME, AND HE PROMISES TO RESTORE ORDER IF HIS PARTY DOES WIN.

THESE PROTESTERS WANT MORE SPENDING, MORE PUBLIC FUNDING.

THE COUNTRY ITSELF HAS BEEN UNDER FISCAL CONSTRAINT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, PRESSURE TO CUT ITS DEFICIT.

SO NO CLEAR SOLUTION IN SIGHT, BUT I KNOW YOU'LL CONTINUE TO COVER SOME OF THE SCENES WE HAVE WITNESSED ON THE STREETS OF FRANCE FOR US.

REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME.

NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT CATHERINE PORTER.

> >> WE TURN NOW TO GAZA WHERE DESPITE ONE YEAR INTO A CEASEFIRE MORE THAN FEN 1500 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED BY ISRAELI FORCES AND THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE U. N. AND THOSE WHO MANAGED TO FIND SAFETY FROM BOMBS AND BULLETS, PEOPLE ATTEMPT TO PICK UP THEIR LIVES AMONG THE RUBBLE OF THE WAR.

THE U. N. REPORTSES THAT 08% OF STRUCTURES IN THE ENCLAVE HAVE BEEN DAMAGED SINCE THE CONFLICT BEGAN LEAVING DISPLACED PALESTINIANS TO SHELTER FROM THE ONGOING HOSTILITIES OR PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE ELEMENTS.

AND ON TOP OF THAT, MORE THAN 1.

4 MILLION PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING ACUTE FOOD SHORTAGES.

CARL SCOW IS THE ACTING DIRECT OSH OF THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM AND HAS JUST RETURNED FROM GAZA.

HE JOINS ME.

WELCOME BACK TO THE PROGRAM.

SO WHAT DID YOU SEE IN YOUR MOST RECENT --IN YOUR MOST RECENT VISIT TO GAZA SINCE YOU LAST SPOKE WITH US IN JULY THAT CAN GIVE US A CLEARER PICTURE OF WHAT LIFE IS LIKE NOW IN THE ENCLAVE?

>> WELL, THERE ISN'T A LOT THAT HASN'T CHANGED.

LIFE IS ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL IN GAZA.

PEOPLE LIVE IN THESE FLIMSY, MAKESHIFT TENTS AMONG THE RUBBLE, GARBAGE, A LOT OF SEWAGE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THERE ARE NO OPPORTUNITIES IN TERMS OF JOBS.

OF COURSE, THERE ARE NO BASIC SERVICES, REALLY IN TERMS OF SANITATION.

LIFE OVERALL IS BRUTAL AND IT IS STILL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

WHEN I WAS THERE OVER THE WEEKEND OUR TEAM REPORTS THAT ON A DAILY BASIS THERE ARE AROUND 40 TO 50 SECURITY INCIDENTS AND LIKE YOU REFERRED TO, THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE KILLED EVERY DAY SINCE THE CEASEFIRE.

WHAT HAS CHANGE SIDE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUSH BACK ON FAMINE.

THE FOOD SECURITY SITUATION HAS SOMEWHAT STABILIZED, BUT THAT'S ALL THANKS TO THIS MASSIVE EFFORT OF BEING SUPPORTED BY DONORS AND OTHERS AND HAVING PROVIDED SUPPORT TO THE PLANS IN AS IFFA EVERY MONTH, TO THE PAST YEAR.

WE WILL NOT HELP SUSTAIN THAT EFFORT.

PEOPLE, 500,000 OF OUR ASSISTANTS AND THAT'S NOT BECAUSE WE'RE UNABLE TO BRING IN FOOD.

IT'S NOT BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT FOOD NEEDS AND THE FOOD NEEDS ARE GREAT, BUT IT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO CONTINUE.

>> WANT TO GO BACK TO A COUPLE OF POINTS YOU JUST MADE.

ONE IS THAT YOU CONTINUE TO RUN INTO SECURITY ISSUES.

IS THAT WITH ISRAELI FORCES?

IS THAT WITH HAMAS?

IS THAT WITH LOCAL GANGS?

WHO ARE THE SECURITY RUN-INS WITH?

>> I MEAN, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ATTRIBUTE.

THERE IS ONGOING TENSION AND FIGHTING BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTIES, AND SO I THINK THAT'S CLEAR THAT, YES, OVERALL THE CEASE FIRE MAY BE HOLDING, BUT IT'S A LOT OF SECURITY ACTIVITIES THAT ARE CONTINUING.

I MEAN, I WAS AT A DISTRIBUTION POINT YESTERDAY, ONE OF OUR DISTRIBUTIONS WHERE WE'RE HANDING OUT COOKED MEALS AND SOMEONE HAD BEEN SHOT AND KILLED FROM ONE OF THE OUTPOSTS THE DAY BEFORE.

AS I WAS LEAVING YESTERDAY I WAS HELD UP FOR AN HOUR BECAUSE THERE WERE STRIKES HAPPENING AND IT'S CLEAR THAT OVERALL SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IS FAR FROM PERFECT.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE FOOD SECURITY SITUATION PEOPLE ARE NOT EATING ENOUGH STILL.

MOST PEOPLE I MET YESTERDAY ARE EATING ONCE A DAY AND THEY'RE NOT EATING MANY FRESH VEGETABLES OR FRUITS.

MANY, MANY ALSO DON'T HAVE THE GAS THEY NEED TO COOK, SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE COMING TO OUR HOT MEALS DISTRIBUTIONS.

I'M REALLY WORRIED WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW WHEN WE CUT THIS DOWN BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO FACING WINTER.

IT'S THE FOURTH WINTER AND IT'S GOING TO BE EXTREMELY TOUGH WHEN THOSE RAINS HIT AND GIVEN THE SHELTER SITUATION, GIVEN THE SANITATION SITUATION THAT IS ALREADY THERE.

>> RIGHT.

BECAUSE YOU NOTED THAT THIS COMES AT A TIME WHEN IT DOES APPEAR THAT THE FOOD SHORTAGE ISSUE FOR THE TIME BEING HAS STABILIZED AND NOW YOU HAVE THE CUTS COMING.

WHAT IS DRIVING DOWN THE FUNDING HERE?

IS IT FROM DONORS AND WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THEM AS TO WHY?

>> I THINK IT'S A MIX OF A FACTOR AND ACROSS THE BOARD.

IT'S NOT ONE DONOR.

IT'S EVERYONE.

IT'S ALSO FROM PRIVATE DONATIONS THAT WE SAW GENEROUSLY EARLY ON IN THE CONFLICT.

WE ARE ENTERING NOW THE FOURTH YEAR AND THINGS ARE NOT GETTING BETTER.

PEOPLE WANT TO SEE MORE TANGIBLE DIFFERENCES AND CHANGES, BUT YOU KNOW, OUR OPINION IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO LOOK AWAY.

WE NOW NEED THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO STEP UP AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE FUNDING WE NEED TO SUSTAIN THE EFFORT AND HOLD AWAY FAMINE AND ALSO TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT FOR US TO BEGIN THE RECOVERY WORK.

YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GET WHAT IS NEEDED TO START REPAIRING THE WATER AND SANITATION SYSTEMS.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE PROPER SHELTER AND ON THE FOOD SIDE WE JUST WANT THE MARKETS.

IF COMMERCIAL FOODS CAN COME IN SO THAT THERE IS PLENTY OF FOOD IN THE MARKETS, PRICES WILL COME DOWN.

PEOPLE WILL AFFORD TO BUY FRESH FOODS AND FOR THE RESOURCES WE HAVE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO BASICALLY HELP ALL OF THE PEOPLE WE NEED ANYWAY.

>> ISRAEL ARGUES THAT ENOUGH FOOD IS ENTERING GAZA AND THAT DISTRIBUTION IS THE PROBLEM.

WHAT DOES THAT ARNGSES ISMENT AND HOW DOES THAT ASSESSMENT DIFFER FROM WHAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM SEE ON THE GROUND THERE, AT ALL.

WHAT EXPLAINS THE GAP.

WE CONTINUE TO HAVE CONSTRUCT ENGAGEMENT AND THEY SHARE OUR CONCERN AND WHEN WE CONTINUE TO CUT DRAMATICALLY, THAT WE'LL HAVE AN IMPACT.

ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE IT'S --BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRAINTS ALSO ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE THE FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ON THE MARKET THAT YOU WOULD NEED.

YES, THERE ARE SOME OTHER COMMODITIES AND IT'S NOT WHAT IMPROVES THE DIET AND NUTRITION SITUATION ON THE GAZA STRIP, AND I THINK WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRING A LOT OF FOOD IN UP UNTIL NOW.

WE WILL CONTINUE THIS EFFORT, BUT THERE IS GOING TO BE A DRAMATIC DOWNTURN, AND THAT IS GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE OVERALL SITUATION.

>> ISRAEL SAYS THE HALT IN COMMERCIAL SUPPLY STEMS FROM A TAX DISPUTE BETWEEN HAMAS AND LOCAL MERCHANTS.

HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT OR VERIFY THAT INDEPENDENTLY?

>> WE HAVE THE SAME REPORTS.

AS I WAS LEAVING LAST NIGHT I UNDERSTOOD THAT THAT HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT RESOLVED AND SO COMMERCIAL WOULD OPEN UP.

I THINK THE COMMERCIALS I SPOKE TO WERE RETAILERS IN GAZA.

THEY'RE FACING MANY OBSTACLES AND THERE ARE MANY BOTTLENECKS AND THERE ARE LAYERS WITH FEES AND TAXES FROM OUTSIDE FROM DIFFERENT PARTIES.

I THINK ALL PARTIES NEED TO FACILITATE THE GOODS AND MAKE THE MARKETS WORK AND THAT'S GOING TO HAVE A MASSIVE IMPACT AND IT'S ALSO GOING TO IMPROVE THE FOOD SECURITY SITUATION, AND IT WILL REBUILD SOME KIND OF DOMESTIC FOOD SYSTEM AND BRING BACK SOME NORMALSY AND DIGNITY TO PEOPLE.

FRANKLY, THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE FROM BEING BACK NOW IS PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO LOSE HOPE.

IT'S ONE YEAR INTO THIS CEASE FIRE.

NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED FOR THEM, AND REALLY, THERE NEEDS TO BE A MORE TANGIBLE CHANGE AND ALSO FOR THE PEOPLE TO --TO REMAIN WITH THE SPIRIT NEEDED TO RECOVER AND REBUILD GAZA.

>> YOU MENTIONED BRINGING BACK NORMALCY AND DIGNITY FOR THE PEOPLE OF GAZA.

THE WAR, AGAIN, THE CEASE FIRE'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR A YEAR, BUT THE WAR ITSELF HAS BEEN GOING ON AND TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT IT'S HAD ON A FAMILY'S DAILY LIFE IN GAZA.

WHAT DOES LIFE LOOK LIKE ON A DAILY BASIS?

>> I SAT WITH ONE OF THE MAKESHIFT TENTS.

THEY HAVE BEEN DISPLACED 11 TIMES.

THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE NORTH AND TO KHAN YUNIS AND NOW THEY'RE IN THE MAKESHIFT TENT AND THEY FEAR FOR THE WINTER BECAUSE YOU COULD TELL THE RAIN WAS COMING STRAIGHT THROUGH.

THEY WERE ALSO STRUGGLING TO MAKE THE BASICS.

THE HUSBAND, THE LADY WAS SICK AND THEY COULDN'T GET THE MEDICINE AND THE CHILDREN HAD DREAMS OF GOING BACK TO UNIVERSITY, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WAS THAT THE CONVERSATION WE WERE HAVING.

WHAT THEY TOLD ME IS THEY FEEL LIFE IS AT A STANDSTILL.

IT'S NOT MOVING FORWARD.

THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR DESTROYED HOUSE.

THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO START WORKING.

ALL THEY IS NOT TO START, GET A JOB AND BE ABLE TO GET OFF ASSISTANCE AND BE ABLE TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES.

THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE REALLY WANTS, AND SO I THINK THE EFFORT NOW NEEDS TO BE WHY WE SUSTAIN THE ONGOING OPERATIONS THAT ARE NEEDED TO KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE AND TO MAKE LIFE SOMEWHAT MORE BEARABLE, AND THERE NEEDS TO BE AN EFFORT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE PEACE PLAN, TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE SECURITY FRONT AND ALSO TO REALLY ENTER INTO RECOVERY, HELP PEOPLE GET THE CONDITIONS NEEDED TO BEGIN REBUILDING THEIR LIVES.

>> YOU'RE SEEKING $450 MILLION FOR GAZA AND THE WEST BANK OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.

WHAT WOULD THAT RESTORE IMMEDIATELY, IF YOU HAD THAT FUNDING?

>> WELL, THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO RETURN TO REACH ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF GAZA.

WE ARE PROVIDING HOT MEALS TO THOSE WHO CAN'T COOK FOR THEMSELVES AND PARCELS FOR THOSE WHO CAN COOK FOR THEMSELVES.

WE ARE SUPPORTING 80% OF THE BAKERIES IN GAZA SO THEY CAN SELL THE BREAD SUBSIDIZED SO EVERYONE CAN GET A PIECE OF BREAD.

WE ARE PROVIDING SCHOOL MEALS TO ALL OF THE CHILDREN BACK IN SCHOOL.

THERE ARE MAKESHIFT SCHOOLS AND TEMPORARY SCHOOL SHELTERS WHERE 4,000 KIDS ARE BACK SUPPORTED BY UNICEF AND OTHERS.

WE ARE PROVIDING SOME DATE BARS AND FOOD TO THE CHILDREN THERE.

NONE OF THEM HAD EATEN BREAKFAST.

THIS IS WHAT THEY GET DURING THE DAY.

THEY HAVE THE THE FOOD INSECURITY REMAINS STABLE, AND THE CHILDREN CAN RECOVER ASK WE'LL REINSTATE TO PROVIDE FOR THE ENTIRE POPULATION.

>> THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WORLD PROGRAM, THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE SHOW.

> >> WELL W JUST OVER A WEEK TO GO UNTIL ISRAEL'S ELECTIONS, PRESIDENT TRUMP IS OFFICIALLY THROWING HIS WEIGHT BEHIND PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU CALLING HIM A, QUOTE, GREAT WARRIOR, PRIME MINISTER.

HE FACES'S TOUGH RACE AND ACCUSATIONS BEFORE HIS HANDLING OF WARNINGS BEFORE OCTOBER 27th.

THE U. S. AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL HAS CONDEMNED AN ATTACK ON AN AMERICAN JOURNALIST AS AN ACT OF TERROR.

SO WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN FOR THE ELECTION?

POLITICAL ANALYST DALIA SHEINDLIN JOINS ME FROM TEL AVIV.

DALIA, I'VE SEEN YOU IN SO MANY INTERVIEWS.

IT'S CRUNCH TIME FOR YOU GEARING UP FOR THE ELECTIONS NEXT WEEK AS ONE OF ISRAEL'S MOST PROMINENT POLLSTERS.

SO LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS AND NEWS OF DAY.

PRESIDENT TRUMP MAKING IT OFFICIAL, THROWING HIS HAT BEHIND PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU AND HIS SUPPORT.

HE WAS ONCE THE MIDWEST POPULAR FIGURE, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL IN ISRAEL.

UNTIL RECENTLY AND SINCE THIS WAR WITH IRAN BEGAN, HIS SUPPORT HAS WANED A BIT.

HOW MUCH DOES THIS ENDORSEMENT ACTUALLY IMPACT VOTERS BEFORE THEY GO TO MAKE THEIR CHOICE NEXT WEEK?

>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING PLEA.

IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT SINCE THE TWEET CAME OUT ON TRUTH SOCIAL, AND I HAVE TO SAY IT'S AN OPEN QUESTION BECAUSE IF THERE'S ONE THAT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DRAMATIC IN THIS ELECTION WHERE NOTHING HAS CHANGED THE BASIC BREAKDOWN FOR NETANYAHU AND HIS BLOC VERSUS SUPPORT FOR THE OPPOSITION, YOU WOULD THINK IT COULD BE PRESIDENT TRUMP WEIGHING IN.

THIS IS CONSIDERED UNPRECEDENTED IN ISRAELI HISTORY FOR A PRESIDENT TO SO EXPLICITLY THROW HIS WEIGHT BEHIND NETANYAHU.

HOWEVER, IT'S RELATIVE TO EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO THERE WAS SOME SPECULATION OR TALK THAT TRUMP MIGHT DO SOMETHING FAR MORE DRAMATIC LIKE COME TO ISRAEL OR WELCOME NETANYAHU AND JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, MOST OF THE COUNTRY WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT NETANYAHU COULDN'T EVEN GET A MEETING WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP WHEN HE WENT TO THE U. N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

ISRAELIS ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THAT RELATIONSHIP.

AS A RESULT IT SEEMS TO ME LIKELY THAT PEOPLE'S PRE-EXISTING VIEWS OF NETANYAHU.

IF THEY WANT TO THE SUPPORT THIS AS BLOCK, HE HAS GREAT RELATIONS AS PRESIDENT TRUMP.

THE MAJORITY ARE VOTING FOR PARTIES PLANNING NOT TO GO INTO A COALITION WITH NETANYAHU.

THEY WILL SEE THIS AS A MINOR, NICE THING FOR NETANYAHU, BUT THEY WILL NOT FORGET THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THAT RELATIONSHIP.

THEY WILL NOT FORGET THAT NETANYAHU HAS CREATED A SITUATION WHERE ISRAEL'S FOREIGN RELATIONS WITH THE U. S. ARE DEPENDENT ON ONE PARTY AND ONE PERSON AND THEY'RE NOT SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT EITHER.

I AM DOUBTFUL RIGHT NOW THAT IT WILL FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE CONTOURS OF AN ELECTION WHERE NETANYAHU AND HIS PARTIES ARE FAR BEHIND THE MAJORITY THEY WOULD NEED.

>> I'D LIKE TO PLAY SOUND FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH ISRAEL'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES, AMBASSADOR DER ON FRIDAY AND I REMIND YOU, THIS WAS BEFORE THE ENDORSEMENT.

I DO HAVE TO ASK YOU TO RESPOND TO THE PRESIDENT WHEN ASKED THAT HE DOESN'T TRUST ANYBODY WHEN ASKED IF HE TRUSTS PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU.

DOES PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU TRUST PRESIDENT TRUMP?

>> YOU KNOW, BIANNA, THE PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE ENDORSED PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU IT WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY THAT HE WOULD ENDORSE A CANDIDATE OR VICE VERSA.

WE DON'T GET INVOLVED IN THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

IT WOULD BE POLITICALLY INCORRECT.

DO I THINK THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF TRUST BETWEEN THE TWO MEN?

I'VE BEEN TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE OVAL OFFICE EIGHT OR NINE TIMES.

THEY HAVE A FRIENDSHIP THAT GOES BACK 40 YEARS.

I THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE SAID THAT ARE POLITICALLY CORRECT AND YOU KNOW, WE STAY AWAY FROM MIXING INTO EACH OTHER'S DOMESTIC POLITICS, AND IT'S BEEN PROVEN OVER THE PAST YEAR.

>> SO, DALIA, DO YOU THINK THAT'S AN ACCURATE PORTRAYAL OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE TWO LEADERS?

>> I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HIDE THE FACT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN UPS AND DOWNS AND THE ISRAELI PUBLIC IS AWARE, AND WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP PUT PRESSURE THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE THE REMAINING HOSTAGES IN GAZA.

ISRAELIS WERE WILD ABOUT TRUMP AND AT THE SAME TIME THEY WERE DISAPPOINTED IN THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT AND WITHIN MONTHS THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW IN A WAY THE U. S. IS KIND OF TAKING OVER ISRAELI POLITICS AND THAT ISRAEL MAY BE FORFEITING SOME OF ITS SOVEREIGNTY PARTICULARLY WITH THE WAR IN IRAN WHERE U. S. PRESSURE LED TO A CEASE FIRE IN THAT WAR, AND ALSO PRESSURED -- THE U. S. THEN PRESSURED NETANYAHU TO REACH A CEASE FIRE WITH HEZBOLLAH AND INTERFERING IN ISRAELI SOVEREIGN AFFAIRS AND THAT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT REFLECTS POORLY ON NETANYAHU.

HOW MUCH IS HE REALLY IN CONTROL?

HOW MUCH IS HE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IN EVERY STEP HE BALANCES HIS NEED TO SHOW HOW CLOSE HE IS TO THE U. S. PRESIDENT AND TRIES TO IMPRESS THE ISRAELI PUBLIC.

THE CLIP THAT YOU PLAYED HERE WAS PLAYED ON ISRAELI MEDIA DURING THE MORNING AS THE HEADLINES WERE GOING THROUGH THE MEANING OF THE ENDORSEMENT AND IT LOOKED CHAOTIC BECAUSE OF COURSE, YOU HAVE THE AMBASSADOR SAYING WE SHOULDN'T GET INVOLVED IN DOMESTIC POLITICS IN ONE ANOTHER'S COUNTRIES AND THERE'S THIS BLATANT INTERVENTION.

THIS IS FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE FOR OR AGAINST NETANYAHU, I JUST THINK IT WILL REINFORCE THEIR VIEWS.

LET ME SAY THIS IS BASED ON DOZENS AND HUNDREDS OF POLLS.

NETANYAHU'S CAMP IS WAY BEHIND IN THE SURVEYS IN TERMS OF THE MAJORITY HE WOULD NEED TO BE ABLE TO FORM A COALITION.

HE'S FAR FROM 61 SEATS IN THE POLLS AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THE OPPOSITION IS WINNING BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY DIVIDED AMONG THEMSELVES AND FOR THIS RELATIONSHIP THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE SORT OF GOOD, THE AMBASSADOR SAID IT WAS OKAY OVER THE LAST YEAR AND THERE HAVE BEEN UPS AND DOWNS AND ISRAELIS DON'T FORGET EASILY AND IT'S AN UPHILL BATTLE FOR MR.

NETANYAHU.

>> RIGHT.

YOU TALK ABOUT THE OPPOSITION, AND IT'S GOT THE BLOC THAT IS LEADING AND THOUGH STILL NOT WITH THE MAJORITY IN TERMS OF THE 61 SEATS NEEDED.

HIS BLOC HAS 62 SEATS AND NETANYAHU'S BLOC HAS 51 SEATS AND ISRAELIS WILL CHOOSE THEIR OWN PRIME MINISTER AND REVEALED THAT HE ASK TRUMP TO STAY OUT OF THE ELECTION.

SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU CAN GIVE OUR AUDIENCE WHO OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAS HEARD A LET ABOUT THIS OPPOSITION FIGURE, GAD I EISENKOT, THE FACT THAT HE'S LOST A SON AND TWO NEPHEWS IN THE WAR AND WHAT MAKES HIM A STANDOUT CANDIDATE AND COULD HE BE THE ONE TO ULTIMATELY DEFEAT PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU WHERE OTHERS, FORMER MILITARY HEEDERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO.

>> YEAH.

WELL, THAT WAS CLOSE TO MY ANALYSIS AND AN ARTICLE THAT OTHER GENERALS -- ISRAELIS FUNDAMENTALLY ALWAYS TRUST PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CHIEFS OF STAFF AND THE ARMY IS SEEN ABOVE POLITICS AND FORMER CHIEFS OF STAFF ARE SEEN AS PEOPLE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES TO THE STATE OR SPENT THEIR LIVES.

HE ENJOYS THAT LEVEL OF TRUST TO BEGIN WITH.

THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY TRANSLATE INTO BEING GOOD, POLITICAL LEADERS.

WE'VE SEEN THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE COME AND GO.

WHAT EISENCAT IS HE'S IN SHARP CONTRAST TO NETANYAHU.

HIS SON AND TWO OF HIS NEPHEW, IT OFTEN COMES UP IN THE BACKGROUND THAT THEY FEEL THEY CAN RELATE TO HIM AND THAT HE RELATES TO THEM.

PEOPLE IN ISRAEL ARE ALSO SUFFERING A LOT OF LOSS, AND THEY FEEL THAT HE IS IN THE SAME EMOTIONAL SPACE.

I DON'T WANT TO GET SPIRITUAL, BUT THEY FIND HIM TO BE ECHL THETIC AND THEY BELIEVE THAT HE IS HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY WHICH IS ALWAYS A STRONG QUALITY FOR A POLITICIAN, BUT ALSO SUCH A SHARP CONTRAST WITH THE NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT WHO, AGAIN, PEOPLE OF THE OPPOSITION VIEW THAT GOVERNMENT AS TOTALLY SHUT DOWN TO WHAT THE PEOPLE WERE GOING THROUGH, PARTICULARLY FOR THE TWO YEARS WHEN THE MAJORITY OF ISRAELIS WERE DESPERATE FOR A CEASEFIRE DEAL THAT WOULD HAVE RELEASED THE HOSTAGES WHICH THEY ALWAYS PREFERRED IN SURVEYS BY A MAJORITY OVER CONTINUING A WAR AND THE GOVERNMENT SIMPLY FORGED AHEAD BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT TO END THE WAR.

THAT WAS SEEN AS WE'RE IN A NEW BREACH OF TRUST BETWEEN CITIZENS AND NOT JUST THE GOVERNMENT, BUT THE STATE ITSELF, AND SO I KNOW EISENCOT REPRESENTS FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE BRINGING BACK THE BASIC CONTRACT BETWEEN CITIZENS AND THE STATE, NOT JUST THIS GOVERNMENT, BUT IN GENERAL.

PEOPLE FEEL HE CAN PUT ISRAEL ON THE TRACK WHERE THEY CAN TRUST THE LEADERSHIP TO WORK FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE WHICH CAN SOUND LIKE A GENERALIZATION THAT MANY POLITICIANS AND COUNTRIES MAKE, AND IT COULD BE POIGNANT IN THE EXTREME SITUATION THAT ISRAELIS HAVE BEEN THROUGH AND NOT TO MENTION PALESTINIANS AS YOUR PREVIOUS INTERVIEWER WAS DISCUSSING.

I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THAT ASIDE, BUT ISRAELIS ARE BEING LOOKING VERY MUCH INTERNALLY RIGHT NOW.

>> AND YOU DESCRIBE NETANYAHU'S CORE SUPPORT AS REMARKABLY STABLE, AND IN FACT, HE'S ALSO INDICATED THAT HE WANTS HIS CURRENT KOELDZITION PARTNER'S BACK, AND IT THAT A SELLING POINT FOR WHETHER HE'S APPEALING TO?

>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS, SPECIFICALLY OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, NETANYAHU HAS BEEN MAKING STRATEGIC DECISIONS THAT SEEM TO ME VERY MUCH TARGETED AT THE BASE.

BY BASE, I MEAN PRECISELY THAT CORE THAT KEEPS VOTING FOR HIM.

IF YOU ADD UP THE PERCENTAGES OF ANY VOTING IN THE COALITION AND NETANYAHU'S GOVERNMENT, YOU HAVE BETWEEN 40 AND 43 OR SO PERCENT WHO ARE ALWAYS VOTING FOR HIM AND IT IS ALSO ABOUT HIS UPPER RANGE WHEN YOU ASK QUESTIONS IN SURVEYS ABOUT WHO IS BEST SUITED TO BE PRIME MINISTER OR ANY POSITION NETANYAHU TAKES.

YOU WILL ONLY HAVE 40, WHO ARE ON HIS SIDE AND SOME ARE VERY EXTREME RIGHT AND MAYBE THEY'RE NOT QUITE AS EXTREME, BUT TRADITIONAL SUPPORTERS OF LIKUD.

HE WOULD HAVE TO SPEAK OR ACT OR MAKE APPEALS TO THE MODERATE RIGHT WING IN ISRAEL, BUT THE KINDS OF RESPONSES THAT HE GAVE, FOR EXAMPLE TO ISRAELI TERROR IN THE WEST BANK, F THE ATTACK ON WASHINGTON POST PHOTOJOURNALIST HEIDI LEVINE OR DIPLOMATS THAT VISIT SAID THE NEXT DAY.

HE SAID THIS IS A BAD THING AND DELINQUENT TROUBLED YOUTH.

THIS TIME HE ISSUED STATEMENTS PRACTICALLY CALLING INTO QUESTION WHETHER THEY HAPPENED AT ALL AND SAYING THESE WERE ALLEGED ATTACKS AND OR IN A WAY VICTIM BLAMING.

HE'S PUT PEOPLE ON THE LIST OF THE LIST OF CANDIDATES IN HIS PARTY WHO REPRESENT KIND OF A RED FLAG FOR ANYBODY WHO WAS MORE MODERATE LIKE THE POLITICAL COMMENTATOR.

THESE ARE THE THINGS DESIGNED TO RALLY THE FUNDAMENTALIST POLITICAL COMMUNITY AT THIS POINT, AND SO I'M GUESSING IT'S SPECULATION BECAUSE NOBODY'S REALLY INSIDE HIS HEAD THAT HE SEES, LIKE I DO, HOW THE POLLS HAVE BEEN SO STUBBORNLY STABLE AND NOT MOVING FOR HIS TOTAL NUMBERS.

IN FACT, IN SOME OF HIS MOST SUPPORTIVE POLLING, THERE IS MORE RIGHT-WING POLLING HIS FORTUNES ARE GETTING WORSE, AND HE MATE HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT HE'S NOT GOING TO WIN ANYONE WHO HAS DEFECTED TO HIS CAMP OVER TIME AND HE CAN FOCUS ON TURNING OUT ANYBODY WHO MIGHT POSSIBLY SUPPORT HIM IN HIS BASE AND HE MIGHT BE COUNTING ON AFTER THE ELECTIONS.

WHAT HE'S VERY GOOD AT IS COALITION BARGAINING, WHERE ME IS THE SAVVY AND NO RUTHLESS COMPETITION FOR THE KIND OF COALITION BARGAINING NEEDED.

HE MAY THINK I'LL CROSS THAT BIG, AND I'LL TRY TO BREAK UP THE OPPOSITION AND THEY'RE ALL POSSIBILITIES.

>> WHICH IS WHY MANY SHARE -- AND TAKING THE PULSE OF THE COUNTRY BECAUSE WE MIGHT HAVE ELECTIONS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER NEXT WEEK.

DALIA, THANK YOU.

SO INSIGHTFUL, AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME.

> >> NOW TO MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, WHERE FOUR MEN HAVE BEEN KILLED BY AGENTS.

PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID IT WOULD END STREET AND VIOLENT CRIME TO THE GREATEST POSSIBLE ATTEMPT.

THIS YEAR THE FORCE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE VIOLENT INCIDENTS.

PROFESSOR LISA ARMSTRONG JOINS US TO DISCUSS THE TRAGIC CASES.

>> BIANNA, THAT.

LISA ARMSTRONG, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU WROTE A PIECE CALLED "TRUMP'S DEADLY INVASION OF MEMPHIS. "

THIS WAS A TASK FORCE THAT WAS SET UP.

THROUGH YOUR INVESTIGATION WHAT DID YOU FIND HAPPENED AND IS HAPPENING IN MEMPHIS?

>> SO THIS TASK FORCE WAS CREATED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP LAST SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 15th AND IT'S 31 DIFFERENT AGENCIES INCLUDING THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, THE TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL AND THE IDEA BEHIND IT, TRUMP SAID THAT WAS THEY WERE GOING INTO MEMPHIS TO KEEP MEMPHIS SAFE.

THIS WAS SEPTEMBER 15th THAT HE CREATED THE TASK FORCE AND THEN THEY WENT IN SEPTEMBER 29th.

A FEW DAYS BEFORE THIS THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD SAID THAT CRIME WAS AT A 25-YEAR LOW, AND SO WHAT I FOUND THAT WAS IN SPEAKING WITH RESIDENTS AND ORGANIZERS THEY REFER TO THIS AS AN OCCUPATION AND THEY FEEL THAT BASICALLY THE TASK FORCE HAS NOT BEEN SENT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH CRIME REDUCTION, BUT THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND ALSO JUST TERRORIZING PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MEMPHIS.

>> THERE WAS A MEMO FROM THE PRESIDENT AND HE SAID THIS WAS HYPERVIGILANT POLICING, AGGRESSIVE PROSECUTION AND LARGE-SCALE SATURATION OF BESIEGED NEIGHBORHOOD WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL.

TELL ME, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE?

>> SO I ACTUALLY DROVE THROUGH SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHICH THE TASK FORCE IS PATROLLING AND THESE ARE PREDOMINANTLY BLACK AND BROWN NEIGHBORHOODS.

I SAW THEM FOR MYSELF AND THEY'RE DOING TRAFFIC STOPS AND PATROLLING NEIGHBORHOODS.

AGAIN, PEOPLE DESCRIBED HAVING THEM KNOCK ON THEIR DOORS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND WAKING THEM UP.

PEOPLE DESCRIBE BEING STOPPED, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES IN A DAY BY THE TASK FORCE AND THE STOPS ARE FOR THINGS LIKE A BROKEN TAILLIGHT OR EXPIRED REGISTRATION AND IN SOME CASES SOME OF THE PEOPLE SAID THAT THEIR TAILLIGHTS WEREN'T ACTUALLY BROKEN AND THEY WERE JUST STOPPED AND AGAIN, THE STOPS ARE THEN TO CHECK ARE YOU AN AMERICAN CITIZEN OR TO CHECK WERE YOU INVOLVED IN SOME SORT OF CRIME?

SO IT'S MAINLY THESE TRAFFIC STOPS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN AN ISSUE IN MEMPHIS BEFOREHAND, AND THE TASK FORCE IS NOW REINFORCING IN THEIR WORK.

SO IF THERE ARE THESE TRAFFIC STOPS AND ON --ARE THEY CRIMINALS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN CAUGHT BY THE SYSTEM OFF THE STREETS.

AS THEY GO THROUGH THE JUDE EARN CRISIS.

IT'S PUBLIC REQUESTING REQUESTS AND SOME OF THE RECORDS I GOT FROM THE DA'S OFFICE SHOW THEY WERE FOR DIFFERENT PERIODS AND SO WITH ONE PERIOD ABOUT 55% OF THE ARRESTS, THEY NEVER WENT THROUGH PROSECUTION AND THERE WERE REASONS WHY THEY WERE NOT PROSECUTED AND THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DEEMED UNLAWFUL, AN UNLAWFUL ARREST AND IN SPEAKING WITH THE D. A. HE SAID ABOUT 20% OF WHAT HE SEES, THESE ARE IMMIGRATION- RELATED CRIMES, MEANING PEOPLE WHO WERE JUST HERE UNDOCUMENTED AND NOT THAT THEY HAD COMMITTED A CRIME AND IT'S NOT GETTING THE WORSE OF THE WORST OFF OF THE STREET AND IT'S PEOPLE GETTING CAUGHT UP IN THE IMMIGRATION NET.

AGAIN, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SEEMS TO BE ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME.

THAT SAID, THE U. S. MARSHAL SERVICE OVERSEES THE TASK FORCE AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RELEASES NUMBERS AND THE LATEST NUMBERS IS THERE HAVE BEEN 13,000 ARRESTS.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING IS WE'RE ARRESTING THE QUOTE, UNQUOTE DANGEROUS CRIMINALS AND GETTING THEM OFF THE STREET AND THE REALITY FROM THE D. A. AND THE DATA THAT CAME FROM THE D. A.

'S OFFICE IS THAT THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IS HAPPENING.

I.

>> I WANT TO TAKE OUR AUDIENCE FURTHER BACK BEFORE THIS TASK FORCE STARTED.

THERE WAS A VERY PAINFUL AND TRAGIC INCIDENT.

A YOUNG BLACK MAN NAMED TYREEK NICHOLS WAS SEVERELY BEATEN BY FIVE MEMPHIS POLICE OFFICERS AT A TRAFFIC STOP AND DIED THREE DAYS LATER.

AFTER THE INCIDENT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INVESTIGATED THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY IN THEIR 2024 REPORT SAID THAT MEMPHIS POLICE OFFICERS REGULARLY VIOLATE THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE THEY ARE SWORN TO SERVE.

NOW, A JURY ACQUITTED THE OFFICERS OF THE MOST SERIOUS CRIME THAT THEY VIOLATED HIS CIVIL RIGHTS.

PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE.

THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INVESTIGATES AND REALIZES THERE IS A PATTERN HERE AND THERE SHOULD BE STEPS TO ADDRESS IT.

WHEN THE PRESIDENT COMES WITH THAT TASK FORCE, WHAT HAPPENS?

>> SO, BASICALLY, THAT WAS WHAT MY WHOLE STORY WAS ABOUT, WAS THE FACT THAT AS YOU MENTIONED IN 2023 TYREE NICHOLS IS BEATEN AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIES.

THE DOJ COMES IN AND THEY WRITE THIS REPORT.

THEY SAY MEMPHIS IS OVERPOLICED AND THEY POINT TO RACE BEING AN ISSUE AND THEY POINT TO ALL THESE ISSUES AND AT THE SAME TIME THERE ARE ORGANIZERS AND I INTERVIEWED SOME OF THE SAME ORGANIZERS THAT WERE WORKING AGAINST THE TASK FORCE NOW AND THEY WERE GETTING ORDINANCES PAST.

THERE'S BEEN A PROBLEM IDENTIFIED WITH OVERPOLICING AND THERE'S A NEED FOR REFORM AND THE DSHLGS OJ REPORT CAME OUT IN DECEMBER 2024, AND THE REPORT WAS KIND OF THROWN OUT AND THEN THE TASK FORCE WAS SENT IN.

SO WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT IS HERE'S A CITY WHERE THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.

IT LOOKS LIKE BASED ON THE WORK, AGAIN, OF SOME OF THE ORGANIZERS THAT THERE WAS SOME MOVE TOWARDS CHANGE AND THEN THIS TASK FORCE COMES AND BASICALLY MAKES MANY TIMES WORSE WHAT WAS ALREADY A PRSH LEMM PROBLEM.

THESE PRETEXTALL STOPS AND STOPPED FOR SOMETHING MINOR TO INVESTIGATE A MORE SERIOUS CRIME, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BECOME MORE OF OF A PROBLEM.

THE D. A. SAID THAT IT'S LED TO SEVERE OVERCROWDING IN THE JAIL AND HAS LED TO THE DEATHS OF FOUR BLACK MEN IN THE SPACE OF 56 DAYS, AND THAT'S SORT OF WHEN A LOT OF MY STORY CENTERS ON.

>> LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT - -FIRST, I GUESS, THE ARRESTS.

IF THAT'S THE POINT AND THE MARSHALLS SAY WE MEASURE THE ARRESTS FOR OUR PERFORMANCE BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE TASK FORCE WAS CREATED TO DO.

THE GOAL WAS TO LOWER CRIME IN MEMPHIS.

WE WILL CONTINUE THAT MISSION UNTIL WE ARE TOLD BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO REDUCE OR END.

SO IF THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS IS THE ARRESTS AND YOU'RE SAYING THESE ARRESTS, A LOT OF THEM ARE THROWN OUT OR NOT EVEN PROSECUTED THEN I DON'T -- IT'S NOT THAT SUCCESSFUL.

>> I ACTUALLY DID ASK THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE U. S. MARSHALS SERVICE, I SHARED THE SAME DATA THAT I GOT FROM THE D. A.

'S OFFICE, AND I ALSO ASKED IF THESE ARRESTS AREN'T LEADING TO PROSECUTIONS AND IF THEY ARE FOR, AGAIN, PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE UNDOCUMENTED OR THEY ARE FOR MINOR THINGS AND HOW IS THAT HELPING?

AND THE SPOKESPERSON DIDN'T RESPOND TO THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION, AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT THE ARRESTS COULD BE USED AS A MEASURE OF SUCCESS.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THE SPECIFIC CASES THAT HAVE ANGERED A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN MEMPHIS.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TYRONE JOHNSON.

WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?

>> SO TYRONE JOHNSON WAS KILLED ON JULY 5th EARLY IN THE MORNING AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT SAID THAT HE HAD A GUN AND THAT HE HAD TURN ARE TURNED TO FACE SOME NATIONAL GUARD OFFICERS WHO WERE FACING HIM AND THEN THEY SUBSEQUENTLY SHOT HIM.

WHAT I FOUND DURING REPORTING AND I SPOKE TO BRITTANY JOHNSON AT THE TIME I INTERVIEWED HER, SHE DID NOT HAVE AUTOPSY INFORMATION OR ANY INFORMATION ABOUT HOW HER SON DIED.

WHAT SHE DID HAVE WAS VIDEO SHOT BY TEENAGERS WHO HAPPENED TO BE THERE AND THE VIDEO SHOWS TYRONE RUNNING AND IT DOESN'T SHOW WHO HE'S RUNNING FROM.

A CAR CUTS HIM OFF AND HE DARTS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND THEN YOU HEAR GUNSHOTS AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE FILMING DROP THE PHONE AND YOU DON'T SEE WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE HE'S BEHIND THE CAR AT THE TIME YOU HEAR GUNSHOTS.

THE MOTHER WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED.

SHE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT HE HAD TURNED AND HAD A GUN.

HE HAS A 1-YEAR- OLD, AND WHAT SHE TOLD ME WAS HE WANTED TO LIVE.

THERE WAS NO WAY HE WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING LIKE THAT KNOWING THAT IT WOULD HAVE ABLY LED TO HIS DEATH.

IN AUGUST SHE GOT THE AUTOPSY RESULTS AND IT SHOWED THAT HE HAD BEEN SHOT IN THE BACK WHICH WOULD SUGGEST THAT HE HAD NOT TURNED TO FACE THEM WITH THE GUN, AND SO SHE DOES HAVE AN ATTORNEY.

THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING AND SO THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE IS LIMITED TO WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN RELEASED AND WHAT I KNOW FROM HIS MOTHER AND ALSO WHAT'S IN THE AUTOPSY RESULT.

>> THERE WAS A CASE A MATTER OF JONAH NEIL, AND HE WAS IN THE MIDST OF A MENTAL HEALTH CRIES THIS THIS PAST MAY.

WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?

>> HIS MOTHER CAME HOME AND OPENED THE DOOR TO HIS APARTMENT AND SAW HIM WITH A GUN THAT SHE OWNED AND HE WAS BASICALLY HAVING THIS MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, AND SHE WAS AFRAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO KILL HIMSELF.

SHE CALLED 911.

HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATORS SHOWED UP AND ONE OF THE THINGS I LOOK AT IN MY STORY IS MEMPHIS WAS THE FIRST STATE WHO HAD THE MODEL THAT OFFICERS WOULD BE THE FIRST TO RESPOND IN MENTAL HEALTH CALLS AND WHY IS IT THAT THE FOOD SECURITY INVESTIGATOR SHOWS UP, SO THEY WITH MOTHER AND THEN AT A CERTAIN POINT SHE HEARD A GUN SHOT AND SHE WAS TOLD HE WAS DEAD.

AGAIN, THE OFFICIAL REPORT WAS THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHEN HIS DEATH WAS DUE TO A SELF-INFLICTED WOUND OR A GUN SHOT FROM ONE OF THE AGENTS -- AND IT SHOWED IT WAS A HOMICIDE AND HE WAS SHOT BY ONE OF THE AGENTS AND WHAT HIS MOTHER AND ATTORNEYS SAY IN LOOKING AT BODY CAM FOOTAGE, IT SHOWS THAT ONE OF THE AGENT SAYS JONAH, NO, DROP THE GUN.

ANOTHER AGENT SAID HE DOESN'T HAVE A GUN.

HIS MOTHER SAID HE WAS DOING WHATEVER THEY ASKED HIM TO DO, AND HE WAS NOT HOLDING A GUN AND THE AGENTS STILL SHOT HIM.

>> SO WHEN YOU'RE INVESTIGATING JONAH NEIL'S CASE, WHAT DO THE AGENCIES SAY TO YOU?

>> THE AGENCIES ACTUALLY DID NOT RESPOND TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT JONAH NEIL.

A LOT OF THE AGENCIES DIDN'T RESPOND TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE CASES AND THE U. S. MARSHALL'S SERVICE DID RESPOND TO ME AND THEY DID NOT ANSWER TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN KILLED BECAUSE THE SPOKESPERSON SAID IT WAS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION.

>> SO IN ONE CASE THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET ACCURATE INFORMATION IF YOU'VE A LOVED ONE OF THE VICTIM.

AND THEN IN ANOTHER CASE, PERHAPS NOT THE MOST TRAINED PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING TO THIS.

IF THERE ARE 31 DIFFERENT AGENCIES, WHAT'S THE AGENCY THAT INVESTIGATES THE AGENCIES.

>> THE TENNESSEE ENTITY IS INVESTIGATING THE CASES.

THEY HAD AGENTS EMBEDDED WITH THE TASK FORCE.

WHAT I HAD WAS THE INDEPENDENCE BETWEEN THE AGENTS WHO WERE EMBEDDED WITH THE TASK FORCE VERSUS THE PEOPLE WHO WERE INVESTIGATING.

I IMAGINE THAT THERE MUST BE SOME SORT OF INDEPENDENCE AND YES, THE TENNESSEE UREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS IS IN CHARGE OF INVESTIGATING THESE CASES.

>> THESE CASES HAVE ANGERED MEMPHIS RESIDENTS.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING ABOUT IT?

>> SO PART OF MY STORY CENTERS ON THE WORK BEING DONE BY ORGANIZERS AND THEY'RE DOING MULTIPLE THINGS.

ONE IS DOCUMENTING WHERE THE TASK FORCE GOES AND THEY WERE DOING THIS BEFORE WHEN IT WAS JUST I. C. E. THEY HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE RESIDENTS CAN CALL AND SAY AGENTS ARE HERE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY'LL TAKE DISPATCHERS AND OFTEN PEOPLE WILL GO OUT AND INVESTIGATE WHAT THE AGENTS ARE DOING AND THEY WILL ALSO GO AND RECORD WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HAVE SAID THAT THEY FACE RETALIATION AS A RESULT AND THERE'S AN ACLU LAWSUIT THAT'S BEEN FILED BY SOME -- SOME ORGANIZERS WHO SAY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TARGETED AS A RESULT OF TRYING TO DOCUMENT WHAT WAS TASK FORCE IS DOING.

THEY ALSO HAVE A BOYCOTT BUYOUT LIST, AND SO THEY WENT TO DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AND SAID WOULD YOU PUT THIS IN YOUR WINDOW BASICALLY SAYING YOU WILL NOT SERVE I. C. E. OR MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE.

THEY ARE ALSO RAISING AWARENESS.

IT'S REALLY, THE ORGANIZERS ARE DOING THE WORK OF GETTING WHAT'S HAPPENING ESPECIALLY WITH THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED OUT INTO SO THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S HAPPENING.

>> THE ADMINISTRATION SAID THEY WENT OUT WITH THIS IDEA THAT EVEN SHOW CRIME WAS AT A 25- YEAR HISTORIC LOW, BEFORE THE TASK FORCE WON'T INTO --AND IT'S FALLEN 38% SINCE THE TASK FORCE DEPLOYMENT.

SO THERE MUST BE SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE SUPPORTERS OF THE TASK FORCE.

WHAT DID YOU HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE IN SUPPORT OF THIS TASK FORCE?

>> YEAH.

SO I MEAN, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPORTERS, AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS JUST A CULTURE OF POLICING WHERE YOU THINK OF POLICING AS BEING THE WAY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS VERSUS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS OR WORK PROGRAMS OR EDUCATION PROGRAMS OR PROGRAMS THAT SORT OF SUPPORT AND DEAL AT THE ROOT CAUSE OF --OF CRIME AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, THE ARREST AND PROSECUTION AND INCARCERATION PART OF THINGS, AND SO THERE DEFINITELY WERE PEOPLE WHO FELT LIKE, MY NEIGHBORHOOD ISN'T SAFE AND THESE PEOPLE ARE HERE AND THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE IT SAFER.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS ANY PROOF THAT IT'S A TASK FORCE THAT HAS CAUSED THIS GREAT CHANGE.

>> SO THIS IS HAPPENING IN A CITY THAT HAS A LONG HISTORY AND PEOPLE MIGHT REMEMBER THE SANITATION WORKERS STRIKE THAT WAS INSTRUMENTAL AND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

, WHERE HE WAS ASSASSINATED.

IS THERE A CONNECTION HERE IN THE GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS THAT ARE BUILDING TODAY ST THIS AND THIS LONG HISTORY THAT EXISTS IN A MAJORITY BLACK CITY?

>> I THANK THERE IS AND THAT'S ANOTHER LINK THAT I MADE THAT THIS IS A CITY THAT HAS A HISTORY OF ORDINARY CITIZENS ORGANIZING IN THE FACE OF OPPRESSION AND SO YES, THE SANITATION WORKER STRIKE IS SOMETHING THAT IS CARRIED FORWARD TODAY IN THE WORK THAT THE ORGANIZERS ARE DOING.

ONE THING THAT THEY DID SAY TO ME, THOUGH S THAT THEY SAW THE DANGER IN ORGANIZING IN THIS VERY MOMENT AND ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS, MARIA WAS SAYING TO ME THAT SHE FELT THAT SHE HAD BEEN COURAGEOUS BEFORE, BUT IN THIS MOMENT SHE FELT SHE HAD TO BE.

SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, IF I'M KILLED WE'VE TRAINED THESE OTHER PEOPLE, AND IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THEM WE TRAIN THESE OTHER PEOPLE.

SO THERE'S THE FEELING THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT THE VERY REAL DANGER THAT THEY FEEL THAT THEY FACE BY GOING UP AGAINST THIS TASK FORCE AND GOING AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT THEY FEEL THEY DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE.

>> LISA ARMSTRONG, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> AND THAT'S IT FOR OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT.

IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT'S COMING UP ON THE SHOW EACH NIGHT SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AT PBS.

ORG/AMANPOUR.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND GOOD-BYE FROM NEW YORK.