>> I AM GAUTAM MUKUNDA.

I WILL SPEND THE WHOLE SHOW YOU ISRAELI REPRESENTATIVE TALKING ABOUT THE WAR ISRAEL, THE RISING DEATH TOLL AND HOW THE CONFLICT IS LAYING OUT ON THE WORLD STAGE.

IT’S BEEN MORE THAN SIX MONTHS SINCE TERRORISTS KILLED MORE THAN 1400 ISRAELIS AND TOOK HUNDREDS MORE HOSTAGE.

ISRAEL ORDERED A COMPLETE SEIZURE OF GAZA AND THE COUNTRY’S DEFENSE FORCE HAS KILLED MORE THAN 30,000 PALESTINIANS.

ACCORDING TO THE GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY.

SINCE OCTOBER 7, FEAR AND GRIEF HAVE REVERBERATED THROUGH JEWISH COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING NEW ENGLAND.

I SAT DOWN WITH ISRAEL’S GENERAL TO THIS REGION WHO SERVED AS THE COUNTRY’S AMBASSADOR TO MULTIPLE NATIONS.

AND AS ISRAEL’S REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS.

HERE IS A CONDENSED VERSION OF THAT CONVERSATION.

FIRST, WE SPOKE AFTER HARAM -- IRAN LAUNCHED MISSILES WHICH WERE THWARTED, BUT BEFORE ISRAEL LAUNCHED A SMALLER RETALIATORY STRIKE.

AMBASSADOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THE ATTACKS ARE CALLED ISRAEL’S 9/11.

IN MY EXPERIENCE THAT IS NOT ACCURATE.

I DON’T KNOW A SINGLE PERSON WHO WAS KILLED IN 9/11, I HAVE MANY ISRAELI STUDENTS AND FRIENDS AND I DO NOT KNOW ONE WHO WAS NOT AFFECTED BY OCTOBER 7.

I WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU WERE PERSONALLY AFFECTED.

MERON REUBEN: 9/11 HAPPENED IN A COUNTRY OF 300 MILLION PEOPLE WHERE OCTOBER 7 HAPPENED IN A COUNTRY OF UNDER 10 MILLION.

SO IF YOU TAKE THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS AND COMPARE THE NUMBERS, IT WOULD BE LIKE 1000 800 PEOPLE BEING MASSACRED IN MASSACHUSETTS.

SO ON THAT HORRIFIC SCALE, YOU WILL FIND PEOPLE THAT YOU KNEW.

YESTERDAY I WAS TALKING TO AN ISRAELI STUDENT AT A UNIVERSITY WHOSE SISTER WAS IN THE NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL AND MANAGED TO ESCAPE UNHARMED I WOULD SAY, PHYSICALLY.

BUT I THINK THE PHYSICAL SCAR WILL REMAIN WITH HER SISTER FOR MANY A YEAR.

I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH ON WHAT YOU SAID AT THE BEGINNING.

THE NUMBERS OF HAMAS PALESTINIAN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOT CREDIBLE.

I DON’T THINK ANYBODY HAS A FIRM GRIP ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND WHEN YOU MENTIONED A BIG NUMBER, YOU DON’T MENTION ANY COMBATANTS.

AND WE THINK THAT WE HAVE MANAGED TO KILL ANYWHERE BETWEEN 12 AND 13,000 HAMAS FIGHTERS AND WE ALSO THINK THAT THE NUMBERS ARE INFLATED, BUT WE CANNOT ANSWER AT THIS MOMENT.

GAUTAM: IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WAR IT IS DIFFICULT TO HAVE CREDIBLE CASUALTY ESTIMATES.

MR. RUBIN: AFTERWARDS WE WILL FIND THAT PRONOUNCEMENTS OF PEOPLE WHO SEEM TO BE EXPERTS MAYBE WERE WRONG AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR SOME OF THEM IN THE FUTURE APOLOGIZE.

GAUTAM: IF AN EXPERT IS WRONG, THEY SHOULD APOLOGIZE.

THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT USED STATE INTELLIGENCE FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AS ESTIMATES.

INTELLIGENCE STUDIES HAVE STUDIED THE FIGURES AND IT IS RUN BY HAMAS.

THEY CONCLUDED THE FIGURES WERE ACCURATE DESPITE EARLIER CLAIMS THAT THEY WERE NOT.

SO IN THE ABSENCE OF OTHER CLAIMS IS IT VALID?

MR. REUBEN: WE WILL USE WHAT THE TERRORISTS SAY.

BUT EVEN THEN WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE CASUALTIES, THEY LUMPED TOGETHER TERRORISTS WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED ALONG WITH CIVILIANS AND MAY I REMIND YOUR VIEWERS WE ARE IN A WAR SITUATION.

I THINK PEOPLE HAVE A TENDENCY TO FORGET.

GAUTAM: WE HAD AN ATTACK FROM IRAN ON ISRAEL AND ONE PERSON WAS SEVERELY INJURED.

BUT REMARKABLY OTHER THAN THAT IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN NEUTRALIZED BY ISRAELI DEFENSES AND ALLIED COUNTRIES.

SO WHAT I WAS STRUCK BY IS WHAT IT IS SURELY THE TIME IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL, NOT JUST AMERICAN FORCES TO PROTECT ISRAEL WHICH HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, BUT ARAB COUNTRIES RALLIED.

MR. REUBEN: WE HAVE SEEN A VERY INTERESTING COALITION THAT SORT OF HAS BEEN FORMED IN A VERY INTERESTING WAY.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY EVENING, THE 13TH OF THIS MONTH IS A GAME CHANGER WITHOUT ANY DOUBTS.

IT IS NOT THAT IRAN HAS NOT BEEN TRYING TO DO ITS UTMOST TO DO AWAY WITH THE STATE OF ISRAEL.

BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN 76 YEAR HISTORY THAT IRAN HAS LAUNCHED MORE THAN 320 BALLISTIC MISSILES, CRUISE MISSILES, DRONES FROM ITS TERRITORY AND SENT THEM TOWARD ISRAEL.

SOME GOT THROUGH, BUT VAST MAJORITY DID NOT AND THANKS TO A VERY INTERESTING COALITION, WHEREBY THE UNITED, UNITED KINGDOM AND FRANCE AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST WERE TO A CERTAIN EXTENT JOINED TOGETHER IN A COALITION THAT HELPED OR ALLOWED ISRAEL TO LOOK AFTER ITSELF.

GAUTAM: SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A STRIKING MOMENT, LARGE COALITION OF COUNTRIES INCLUDING COUNTRIES YOU WOULD THINK OF AS ENEMIES WERE NOT WILLING -- ACTUALLY TOOK ACTIVE STEPS TO DEFEND ISRAEL FROM THE ATTACK MR. REUBEN: I AM NOT PRIVY TO THAT INFORMATION.

BUT I PRESUME THAT WE HAVE SEEN A VERY INTERESTING COALITION COALESCE.

BUT IT IS SORT OF PART OF A CHANGE THAT WE’VE SEEN IN THE REGION THAT STARTED I WOULD SAY A FEW YEARS AGO WITH THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS WHERE WE SAW AGREEMENTS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, MOROCCO AND SUDAN AND IT WAS A CHANGE, WHEREBY WE FELT WE WERE STEPPING TOWARD SOME KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WITH SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER MUSLIM STATES.

I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE IRANIANS AND PROXIES WERE TRYING ALSO TO DEAL A BLOW TO.

HOST: IRANIANS HAVE ARGUED THEIR ATTACK WAS A RESPONSE TO THE STRIKE ON THE CONSULATE.

GUEST: IT WAS NOT, IT WAS A BUILDING NEXT TO THE EMBASSY WEDGED BETWEEN THE EMBASSY AND THE CANADIAN EMBASSY IN DAMASCUS AND I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT THE GENERALS WHO WERE THERE WHERE NOT THERE FOR SIGHTSEEING.

HOST: I’M SURE THEY WERE ACTIVE TOURISTS.

MOVING FROM THE MOST RECENT EVENTS TO THE BROADER SCOPE OF THE WAR, IT HAS BEEN A LITTLE MORE THAN SIX MONTHS.

WHAT IS ISRAEL’S OBJECTIVE?

WERE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE?

GUEST: WE WANT TO HAVE OUR HOSTAGES BACK.

ON OCTOBER 7, 250 ISRAELI CIVILIANS WERE TAKEN FROM THEIR HOMES AND DRAGGED INTO THE GAZA STRIP.

HOST: AFTER SIX MONTHS, HOW MANY HAVE BEEN RESCUED?

GUEST: VERY FEW.

THE LAST TWO THAT WERE RESCUED, THREE HAVE BEEN RESCUED.

THERE HAVE BEEN 120 OR SO RELEASED OF THEM, 89 ARE ISRAELIS.

AND THE OTHERS ARE FOREIGN CITIZENS.

WE STILL HAVE 133 HOSTAGES LEFT ON THE IRANIAN SIDE.

FOR HAVE BEEN HELD BY TERRORISTS FOR MORE THAN SEVEN TO 10 YEARS.

SO YES, WE DO ALSO THINK AT LEAST 30 OF THOSE HOSTAGES ARE NO LONGER ALIVE, BUT SINCE THE RED CROSS HAS NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO SEE HOSTAGES SINCE THEY WERE TAKEN, IT IS DIFFICULT TO VERIFY NUMBERS AND IT IS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL GAME TERRORISTS ARE PLAYING.

HOST: PRAISE FOR THE RETURN OF THE HOSTAGES -- I DID NOT MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, YOU SAID THE SECOND OBJECTIVE?

GUEST: IT IS TO MAKE SURE HAMAS CAN NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN AND WHEN WE SAY NEVER, WE MEAN IT.

THERE WAS A CEASE-FIRE ON THE SIXTH OF OCTOBER, HAMAS IN A GENOCIDAL ATTACK ON ISRAEL BROKE THE CEASE FIRE AT THE END WE -- OUR OBJECTIVE NOW IS TO MAKE SURE HAMAS WILL NOT GOVERN ON THE OTHERS OF THE FENCE.

THEY WILL BE ELIMINATED AS A FIGHTING FORCE AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO AT LEAST BRING SOME OF OUR INTERNAL REFUGEES BACK TO THEIR HOMES.

WE ALREADY HAVE MORE THAN 130,000 REFUGEES IN ISRAEL BOTH FROM GAZA AND THE BORDER WITH LEBANON.

HOST: SO MASTER, MY UNDERSTANDING IS HAMAS WAS FOUNDED DURING THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF GAZA.

WHAT WOULD A MILITARY CAMPAIGN THAT DESTROYS, OSLO LIKE IF A PREVIOUS MULTI-DECADE OCCUPATION DID NOT SUCCEED?

GUEST: WE DID NOT REALLY GO IN AND TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS.

HAMAS VIOLENTLY TOOK OVER THE GAZA STRIP IN 2006 AND IT HAS BEEN IN POWER THE LAST 16 YEARS, EMBEDDING ITSELF IN RUNNING THE AREA FOR SOME 16 YEARS.

AND BURROWING UNDER THE GAZA STRIP AND WASTING THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN BY A LOT OF DO-GOODERS WHO HAVE TRIED TO HELP THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AND INSTEAD THE MONEY WAS USED FOR STRENGTHENING THE TERRORIST TUNNELS AND NOT REALLY INVESTING IN THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.

HOST: LET’S ASSUME ISRAEL ACHIEVES THEIR OBJECTIVES IN THE CAMPAIGN, WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT’S VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS TRIP WHEN THE WAR IS OVER?

GUEST: WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE WIN THE WAR?

HOST: I’M SURE THERE HAS BEEN DISCUSSION.

GUEST: THERE HAS BEEN.

I DON’T THINK THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT OF TODAY HAS ONE IDEA OR AS TO HOW THEY SEE THE SITUATION.

I THINK IN CERTAIN WAYS WE ARE TOO EARLY TO FOCUS.

WHAT WE WOULD LIKE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE ON THE OTHERS OF THE FENCE LIVE PEACEFULLY WITH THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND DO NOT TRY AND ONCE AGAIN AS THEY HAVE SAID AGAIN AND AGAIN ATTACK US IN A GENOCIDAL WAY TRYING TO ELIMINATE ISRAEL.

HOST: WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE ON THE OTHERS TO THE FENCE I THINK ABOUT THE WEST BANK WHERE PALESTINE HAS RECOGNIZED ISRAEL.

IN OCTOBER 7 WE’VE SEEN AN UPTICK IN VIOLENCE DIRECTED AT THE PALESTINIANS LIVING IN THE WEST BANK.

SO WE CAN SAY 428 HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE OCTOBER 7 INCLUDING CHILDREN.

MORE THAN 4000 INJURED, 12,000 DISPLACED AND 704 ACCOUNTED FOR SETTLER ATTACKS AGAINST PALESTINIANS.

THERE HAS BEEN AN EXPANSION OF ISRAELI LAW.

FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE IF YOU WERE A PALESTINIAN YOU MIGHT SAY WE HAVE ACTUALLY AGREED ISRAEL HAS A RIGHT TO EXIST, BUT THE VIOLENCE IS DIRECTED AGAINST US.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

GUEST: YOU’VE GIVEN A ONE SIDED -- IT IS NOT.

THE VIOLENCE HAS CONTINUED ON THE PALESTINIAN SIDE, DEFINITELY THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED ON THE WEST BANK OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE DEFINITELY HAD THEIR CONNECTIONS, NOT WITH THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, BUT WITH HAMAS AND ISLAMIC JIHAD AND IRAN AND SO IT IS NOT AS IF ONE IS JUST FOCUSING ON KILLING PEOPLE.

THERE IS A REASON BEHIND THE ACTIVITY OF ISRAELI FORCES IN JUDEO FOR THE WEST BANK AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT ALWAYS COME OUT.

HOST: THE EXPANSIONS OF PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS?

GUEST: THERE HAVE BEEN SETTLEMENTS BUILT OVER THE LAST 60 YEARS AND IN JUDEO AND SAMARIA, THIS IN CERTAIN AREAS OF COURSE CONTINUES.

BUT I DEFINITELY DO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT HAS BEEN SHOWN AS SETTLER VIOLENCE.

I THINK IN MANY WAYS WE HAVE TRIED TO CURB THIS AND FOCUS ON IT.

OVER THE LAST WEEK, A YOUNG JEWISH SHEPHERD WAS MURDERED AND THAT CAUSED A CONFLAGRATION OF VIOLENCE.

BY THOSE WHO WERE CONNECTED.

THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE.

IT SHOULD NOT BE THE WAY THAT THINGS GO FORWARD.

HOST: THERE ARE STEPS THAT WILL BE TAKEN AND WILL BE TAKEN?

GUEST: THERE ARE STEPS TAKEN, NOT ONLY BY US.

HOST: TO SWITCH BACK TO GAZA, WHEN I TEACH ON ETHICS, THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS.

WHY DID YOU FIGHT THE WAR AND HOW DO YOU FIGHT THE WAR.

THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW ISRAEL IS FIGHTING AND THEY WERE BROUGHT TO A BY THE SEVEN INDIVIDUALS DEATHS WORKING WITH THE WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT MEASURES TO PREVENT THOSE THINGS FROM HAPPENING?

GUEST: WHEN LOOKING AT CONFLICT IN THE MODERN AGE, I DON’T THINK THERE HAS EVER BEEN SUCH A COMPLICATED CONFLICT.

FIRST AND FOREMOST BECAUSE OF WHERE IT IS TAKING PLACE AND WHAT HAPPENS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

IT IS NOT ONLY ON THE BATTLEFIELD, IT IS BELOW THE BATTLEFIELD AND AROUND THE BATTLEFIELD.

YOU HAVE A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION EMBEDDING ITSELF LITERALLY UNDER HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, MOSQUES, HOMES, THROUGHOUT THE GAZA STRIP, AS FAR AS WE THOUGHT WE KNEW THAT THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF KILOMETERS OF TUNNELS.

WE WERE SURPRISED BY THE EXTRA AMOUNT.

IF WE TAUGHT -- THOUGHT 250 MILES, THERE ARE MORE LIKE FOUR OR 500 MILES.

IMAGINE WHAT COULD BE DONE HAD THE MONEY BEEN PUT INTO THE PALESTINIAN SOCIETY AND WHAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN INSTEAD OF WHAT IT IS TODAY.

SO THE FOCUS AS IT IS SAID, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE END IS A D MILITARIZED PALESTINIAN AREA THAT WILL DEFINITELY BE RUN BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE OTHERS AND NOT BY US.

FOR THE MOMENT, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR.

HOST: JUST TO PUSH YOU, I HAVE BEEN TO ISRAEL.

WHEN YOU ARE FIGHTING A WAR, CIVILIANS -- GUEST: ISRAEL HAS DONE THINGS FOR THE CIVILIAN POPULATION THAT NO OTHER COUNTRY HAS DONE IN THE HISTORY OF MODERN WARFARE.

AND WITH ALL, YOU KNOW, THE FOCUS, I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THE STORY ABOUT HOW THE WAR IS FOUGHT IS DEFINITELY NOT THE ONE THAT IS ON THE GROUND.

WHETHER IT IS PHONING THE PEOPLE, SENDING FLYERS FROM THE AIR ETC., ETC., EVEN ISSUING MAPS OF WHERE WE ARE GOING TO BE MILITARILY ACTIVE.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN.

HOST: I CANNOT TELL YOU FIRSTHAND.

BUT I NOTE THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISRAELI NEWSPAPERS HAS RUN REPORTS ON INCIDENTS IN GAZA.

ONE ON THE WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN BOMBING.

THE ISRAELI DEFENSE SYSTEM SAID WE ARE UTILIZING INTELLIGENCE AND UNITS LAUNCH ATTACKS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR FORCES.

THEN A SECOND REPORT THAT RAN LATER WHERE THEY SAID ISRAEL CREATED KILL ZONES AND ANYONE WHO CROSSES, A TERRORIST IS ANYONE THE IDF HAS KILLED SAYS A RESERVE OFFICER.

SO I’M NOT DISAGREEING WITH YOU, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT HAS MADE EFFORTS, I’M SAYING THAT THE ISRAELI PRESS IS RAISING ISSUES.

GUEST: OF COURSE THE PRESS IS A FREE PRESS, ALLOWED TO WRITE WHATEVER IT LIKES, SOMETHING YOU WILL NOT FIND ON THE OTHERS.

BUT DEFINITELY WHAT YOU SEE IS ONE OR TWO REPORTERS YOU HAVE SAID.

I DO NOT HAVE SPECIFIC ANSWERS FOR THE POINTS YOU HAVE RAISED, BUT I WILL DEFINITELY TRY AND GET THE ANSWERS FOR YOU, SO THAT THEY CAN BE PROJECTED OR SEEN BOTH BY YOU AND YOUR VIEWERS.

BUT DEFINITELY I THINK THAT YOU WILL FIND THAT IN THE MAJORITY OF THE INSTANCES -- THERE ARE CASES WHERE THE ARMY IF SOMETHING IS BROUGHT UP DOES CHECK THE CASE AND I WILL AS I SAID CHECK THOSE CASES.

BUT OF COURSE WHEN IT COMES TO THE WC K, WE HAVE ALREADY HAD A FIRST LEVEL INVESTIGATION.

HOST: WILL THERE BE AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION?

CONDUCTED BY THE IDF?

GUEST: THE IDF HAS A VERY CAPABLE WAY OF CHECKING ITS FORCES IN IT NOMINATES PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THE ARMY WHO KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT MILITARY -- HOST: IF YOU WERE JOSE ANDRES, YOU MIGHT SAY I WANT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION.

WILL THERE BE AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION?

GUEST: THE INVESTIGATION THAT WAS CARRIED OUT WAS VERY QUICK, VERY FOCUSED AND I THINK IT WAS WELL CONDUCTED INVESTIGATION THAT DID COME OUT AS YOU SAW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OTHER ARMIES RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEMS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY HAPPEN.

AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE ARE ZONES THAT PEOPLE ARE TOLD NOT TO GO INTO SO IT’S NOT AS IF THEY ARE -- THEY ARE SECRET ZONES AND’S IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.

PEOPLE FIGHT, PEOPLE DIE.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE WAR, 300 ISRAELI SOLDIERS HAVE ALREADY DIED EVER SINCE OR SINCE ISRAEL WENT INTO THE GAZA STRIP AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS A SMALL STEP.

THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS ISRAEL HESITATED A LONG TIME AND WAITED FOR SO MANY YELLOWS BEFORE THEY TRIED TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS.

GUEST: I CANNOT LET YOU GO UNTIL WE TALK ABOUT RELATIONS.

GUEST: WE HAVE THANKED THE UNITED STATES AGAIN AND AGAIN.

HOST: HIGHLIGHTED BY CHUCK SCHUMER, THE MOST SENIOR ELECTED JEWISH OFFICIAL, MAKING A STATEMENT HE WANTED PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU TO STEP DOWN.

I WONDER IF YOU CAN COMMENT ON THAT?

GUEST: CHUCK SCHUMER AND I DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER AND I DON’T THINK I SHOULD COMMENT ON WHAT HE SAID, BUT I DEFINITELY THINK EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO HIS OR HER OPINION.

AT THE SAME TIME, WHAT GOES ON INTERNALLY AND HOW IT GOES ON SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE ISRAELI PEOPLE AND NOT TO OTHERS TO TELL US HOW TO RUN OUR AFFAIRS.

HOST: IT IS STRIKING, ONE DOES NOT INTERFERE IN ANOTHER COUNTRIES POLITICS, BUT I THINK I HAVE A PICTURE HERE OF NETANYAHU TESTIFYING AT THIS POINT AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN IN FAVOR OF THE IRAQ WAR WHEN THE UNITED STATES WAS DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO INVADE.

THIS IS HIM SPEAKING AT THE INVITATION OF REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE, NOT THE PRESIDENT.

THIS IS QUITE REMARKABLE FOR A HEAD OF GOVERNMENT AND WE HAVE AN INTERVIEW DISCUSSING HIS VIEW OF AMERICAN POLITICS.

SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IT SEEMS THAT THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT IS PERFECTLY HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT AMERICAN POLITICS, SO IT IS NOT SURPRISING IT IS GOING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.

GUEST: HE WAS SURROUNDED BY THE FAMILY WITH CHILDREN.

THAT’S THE FIRST TIME I’VE SEEN THAT VIDEO, SO I DON’T KNOW.

AND I DEFINITELY AM NOT GOING TO COMMENT ON THAT.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL HAS BEEN INVITED THREE TIMES TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF CONGRESS, PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU I’M TALKING ABOUT.

THIS WAS AN OFFICIAL INVITATION SOME NINE YEARS AGO.

IN THE CONGRESS.

AND I -- I WILL LEAVE IT TO PROFESSORS LIKE YOU TO TALK ABOUT IT AND READ THINGS INTO IT.

HOST: ON THAT NOTE, AMBASSADOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

GUEST: IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

HOST: YOU CAN CATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ON THE GBH NEWS YOUTUBE PAGE.

THAT IS IT FOR TONIGHT, BUT COME BACK TOMORROW TO FIND OUT THE FASTEST WAY TO GET TO BOSTON.

TWO REPORTERS RACED AND WE WILL BRING YOU THE WINNER TOMORROW AT 7:00.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND NIGHT.