[Becky Anderson, Cnn:] Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. We are coming to you with a special show this hour from the Jaffa Gate in the old city of Jerusalem. We've been watching history unfold over the last few hours. A long-awaited day of celebration for Israelis ushered in by U.S. President Donald Trump just a short time ago. The U.S. embassy officially opened in Jerusalem, relocating from Tel Aviv in solidarity with Israel's declaration that Jerusalem is its eternal undivided capital. Here was the moment of the official unveiling. Just a short distance away from the celebrations, a totally different deadly scene. Israeli troops once again using live bullets to control mass Palestinian protests along the Gaza border. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health at least 43 people have been killed in what officials call a terrible massacre. Israel blames the violence on Hamas saying rioters are burning tires, throwing Molotov cocktails and trying to breach the border fence. CNN's Oren Liebermann joining me now live here with more. And Benjamin Netanyahu calling it a glorious day, Oren, that will be engraved in the memory of her Israelis for generations. The Prime Minister lavishing praise on Donald Trump for, quote, having the courage to keep his promises. Let's just listen in.
[Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister:] Remember this moment. This is history. President Trump by recognizing history, you have made history.
[Anderson:] An emotional day then for Israel. There is no doubt that this has been an emotive one across the city and beyond.
[Oren Liebermann, Cnn Correspondent:] From Israel's perspective the last few weeks, today and the next few weeks couldn't have gone better. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was pushing President Trump to leave the Iran nuclear deal, he did. He'd been pushing for a long time for him to move the embassy, he did. Recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he did. And next month to continue essentially what has been this good wave for Israel, there's a royal visit expected from England. So, from Israel's perspective this all could not have gone better. And when Netanyahu spoke, he was genuinely happy at how well this has all gone for him. And he knows that regardless of what happened in Gaza, 43 Palestinians shot and killed, there's likely no serious international consequence. Because he knows the Trump administration will protect Israel at the United Nations.
[Anderson:] Let's have a listen to what U.S. President Donald Trump said at the ceremony. He didn't attend, but he sent his congratulations to Israel in this video message.
[Donald Trump, President Of The United States:] Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital. Yet for many years we failed to acknowledge the obvious the plain reality that Israel's capital is Jerusalem.
[Anderson:] Your thoughts?
[Liebermann:] This is a statement he echoed or a statement he made when he recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital back in December and he tried to frame it as a recognition of reality and history. The Prime Minister sits here, foreign leaders from the U.S., Europe, and around the world, meet Israeli leaders here. The Knesset, Israel's Parliament, is here and the Supreme Court sits here. The government functions from Jerusalem. So, he tried to say, look, I'm just recognizing that this is how diplomacy works with Israel. He tried to add a hedge there in saying, look, I'm not determining Israeli sovereignty in the overall city, boundaries, borders are still open for negotiations. And yet ever since that declaration the Palestinian authority has frozen contacts with the Trump administration. So, even if he tried to hedge it and add some subtlety, it hasn't worked, and it's been Israel's moment from then on with the Trump administration.
[Anderson:] Much of what Donald Trump said echoed by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, it's not often that we hear from Jared Kushner. But he did play a key part in today's ceremony. Saying the United States is tipping the scales in favor of the righteous. Again, let's just have a listen to what he said moments ago.
[Jared Kushner Senior Advisor To Donald Trump:] Today also demonstrates American leadership by moving our embassy to Jerusalem, we have shown the world once again that the United States can be trusted. We stand with our friends and our allies and, above all else, we've shown that the United States of America will do what's right, and so we have.
[Anderson:] The United States of America will do what's right and so we have. There will be people here and around the region saying what is right would be the details of a new peace plan. And this has been touted by the U.S. administration. Did we hear anything about today?
[Liebermann:] Well, Kushner said all of the right things in terms of trying to pursue a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians and yet it doesn't change the fact that only a handful of people in the Trump administration and probably even fewer in the Israeli government have actually seen what it is this peace plan has in store. And then it faces a very difficult political reality on both sides, not just the Israeli, not just the Palestinian. The Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, is trying to hang on to his own power as he becomes increasingly unpopular on the streets. Netanyahu has a coalition not geared for a peace plan, a peace process to make concessions to the Palestinians either for Jerusalem or for any of the other major central issues.
[Anderson:] Donald Trump's advisers say that they are fairly optimistic that this decision will ultimately create greater stability rather than less here and in the region. There are those who say that this move of the embassy makes an already impossible mission more so and, in the process, it has undermined the credibility and effectiveness of the U.S. as a mediator. Has it?
[Liebermann:] Well, we've that echoed. The Palestinians have said that all along. We heard Turkish leaders say it today. The fact of the matter is that even if the Palestinians don't trust the U.S. as a mediator, the U.S. has truly been the only mediator, the main mediator over past decades. And even European leaders who are much more sympathetic to the Palestinians have said, look, you can't count the U.S. they've always been the leaders of the peace talks. The Palestinians would like to see somebody else take over. The Russians, the UN, the EU, somebody and yet nobody is willing to say that you can just count out the U.S. The U.S. still has to have a role according to what we're hearing from everyone who wants to play a part in this. There simply too important to both the Israelis and the Palestinians in the bigger picture to suddenly be cut out of whatever a peace process at this point looks like. If it were to start.
[Anderson:] It has been a historic day for Israelis, the opening of the U.S. embassy here in Jerusalem. Oren, for the time being, thank you. Just a short drive away from here and, well, you enter another world. While Israelis celebrate in Jerusalem, Palestinians mourning the biggest death toll in Gaza in years. At least 43 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces during mass protests near the border fence. More than 1,600 others are injured according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Israel calls the demonstrators violent rioters and says, several tried to plant an explosive device near the border fence. Let's bring in Ian Lee who is on the Gaza side of the border. What have you witnessed and heard today?
[Ian Lee Cnn Correspondent:] Quite a bit, Becky. I'll give you a rundown of kind of what we've seen and what we've heard. What's been taking place is behind me. Now it's a bit quieter. People have gone home. But earlier in the day tens of thousands of people were here. You would see thick, black smoke from tires that were being burnt to obscure the site of Israeli snipers. Well, here we have an ambulance, looks like it's actually heading down towards that fence. But also, we've been hearing heavy gunfire all up and down this border, in the north of me heavy machine gun fire earlier in the day. And that's because protesters have been trying to breach that border fence and Israel says that's just not going to happen. They say they're going to use nonlethal means. But if they get too close, then they will start shooting at the people who are trying to cross over. But the people say that they are going to cross over. Also, we've heard is heavy artillery in the southern part of Gaza. And then in the northern part the Israeli Air Force says it struck five Hamas targets today as well. So, you can see that there's just been this chaotic atmosphere even with the tear gas drones they've been flying over us dropping it into the camp as well as Palestinians lighting kites on fire, flying them into the air and trying to fly them over the border to light fields on fire. We've seen a number of wildfires on the other side. And so, you know, when you have this many people trying to do one single objective, cross that border, you are going to get a day like today where you have the highest death toll since the 2014 war in Gaza. But they tell us that they're going to keep trying. Tomorrow we're expecting the same thing Becky.
[Anderson:] For Palestinians the timing of what has been this embassy move here to Jerusalem shows, and I quote, administration officials great disrespect coming as it does, they say, just a day ahead of the day of al- Nakbah day, which in Arabic of course means, stay of disaster or catastrophe. And just ahead of what will be the start of Ramadan. You just set out what you believe the goals of those protesting where you are. What does happen tomorrow?
[Lee:] Well, we're expecting the same thing because the people keep telling us that they're not going to stop. And you see these high death tolls and yet still people try to cross that border. You know, this just shows, though, how angry Palestinians are at the current situation. Whether that be the political process, the peace process as well as the United States moving their embassy to Jerusalem. And as we heard from Oren just a while ago, he was talking about the difficulties of trying to kick start this peace process. Where you have the Palestinians saying essentially, they don't want to be a part of it. Well, let's just entertain the idea the Palestinian leadership does want to be a part of the peace process. When you have the death toll that you're seeing here in Gaza, and the anger that your seeing on the Palestinian street, even if the leaders wanted to negotiate, even if the U.S. comes out with the peace process, it's just going to be very difficult to appease the street after they believe that this is a huge slight against them. You know, yesterday we were out at this camp as well talking to people and they were chanting, no, no, Trump. So, that sums up kind of the current situation. And tomorrow we're expecting to see more of it Becky.
[Anderson:] Ian Lee there in Gaza. Well, my next guest has a message to critics of this embassy opening. He says if you don't think the U.S. embassy belongs in Jerusalem, get over it. Naftali Bennett is Israel's education minister and leader of the Jewish Home Party joining me now live. And you were at the inauguration event today. Just describe the atmosphere, if you will.
[Naftali Bennett, Israeli Education Minister:] It was a sense of an historic day, making history. We've been here for 70 years as a state and almost 4,000 years as a people and being recognized and having the world's greatest power inaugurate the embassy in Jerusalem means a lot. I'm confident that within months or a few years we're going to see many, many other countries follow suit. And Jerusalem will be recognized universally as our capital as it should have been long ago.
[Anderson:] An undivided capital or a capital that can be shared with the Palestinians?
[Bennett:] Well, Jerusalem has always been the Jewish capital, it's never the capital of any Palestinian state.
[Anderson:] The Palestinians let's just be absolutely clear. The Palestinians would like to see this as their capital, too. Is that a possibility?
[Bennett:] No, it isn't. Because it never was their capital. And just as, you know, the United States would not consider dividing up Washington DC or British, London. Even if someone desires it to be divided we're not going to divide Jerusalem again.
[Anderson:] So, you say Jerusalem is off the table, any future negotiations to your mind, Jerusalem is now off the table. I want to get some clarity on that.
[Bennett:] Absolutely. I mean, if you look it at the city right behind us, it's very peaceful and it's peaceful because it's undivided. If you, God forbid, divide it, we'll going to have this square mile will become the deadliest place on earth.
[Anderson:] But, sir, again, with the greatest respect, that means effectively any future negotiations are going nowhere, and the United States, Jared Kushner and Donald Trump, today suggesting that they have a plan. They will release this plan and they expect everybody to get engaged and onboard. So, are you saying today that you're not interested in what that peace plan is going for?
[Bennett:] No, I'm not. I'm saying we won't divide Jerusalem. I've not heard anyone suggest dividing Jerusalem. That would be a ridiculous move -
[Anderson:] Well, the U. S. says it's for final status negotiations.
[Bennett:] Mark my words, Jerusalem will not be divided again. We will not give up our holiest location on earth and our national center for thousands of years. Even if some Arabs feel they want it. We will always allow all Muslims, all Christians to exercise their faith. We've kept it open for all religions and we always will, not like the Arabs did that forbid Jews to go up and pray. So today it's a free city for all three religions and we will keep it that under Israel's sovereignty.
[Anderson:] So, Donald Trump and his son-in-law are aware of your position? Because it seems to me that they both kept it doesn't just seem to me they both kept Jerusalem on the table today.
[Bennett:] Have you ever heard them talk about dividing Jerusalem?
[Anderson:] They have both alluded to the fact this will be a city which will be part of final status negotiations. You know that, sir, with the greatest of respect.
[Bennett:] What I know is that my great-great-great grandparents and their thousands of years back always prayed to this city and were not about to divide it. And I don't think President Trump wants to do it nor Jared Kushner. Because they know that's the only way to create a massive war is to divide this great city.
[Anderson:] Earlier I spoke to the head of the Palestinian Authority's delegation to the United States, a man that you all know, Husam Zomlot. This is what he told me.
[Husam Zomlot, Head Of The Palestinian Authority's Delegation To The U. S:] This act by the President Trump's administration is an act that recognizes illegality and it's an act that really gives up on the prospects of peace and gives in to the fanatics and the extreme religious leaders.
[Anderson:] What happens tomorrow and going forward?
[Bennett:] Going forward I think the long-term prospects for peace have improved dramatically. Because
[Anderson:] How, sir? How, sir? Explain.
[Bennett:] Because any peace that was predicated on divided Jerusalem was never going to succeed. Have you ever asked yourself, why is it always failing? Because Jerusalem was going to be divided. And it's not going to work. It's just not going to work. By taking Jerusalem off the table effectively all sides face reality. And now we can talk peace. We want peace. We don't want to fight them. I've lost my best friends in battle. I don't want to do that. I've got four kids. I want them to be secure as do the Arabs. But only by mutual respect and not by carving out our capital will we achieve peace.
[Anderson:] You've just talked about your own kids, and I talked to a 17 12-year-old Palestinian while we were here who's just got into Georgetown University.
[Bennett:] Sure.
[Anderson:] And I know that you will absolutely applaud that success from her. One thing that struck me when we spoke was a term she used to me. She said, being stateless is just grueling. Do you recognize that as an emotion from a young Palestinian Jerusalemite?
[Bennett:] Well, you know, the Palestinians already have one state in Gaza, a full-blown state.
[Anderson:] She grew up here in Jerusalem.
[Bennett:] That's fine. That's fine. We pulled out of Gaza back to the '67 lines. Gave them the keys, Mahmoud Abbas. They have a state. They want a second state. The first state has become a terror state that's undisputed. They've been shooting rockets. We're not about to make that mistake again. We can make one mistake. We're not going to make it a second time.
[Anderson:] Naftali Bennett is the Israeli Education Minister and leader of the Jewish Home Party. Sir, thank you for joining us.
[Bennett:] Thank you very much.
[Anderson:] Live from Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem this is CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, today is not a day of celebration for all. For many it has become a day of anguish. More on that after this.