you cannot drill on the top of these mounds and not affect water in the basins. water should be the most protected thing protected thing that we have and the way water is treated throughout this nation is insane. we allow all these industries to treat water like it's nothing and people are fighting in other places in the world over water and we're contaminating our water at an incredible pace. hypolet's have melissa harrison jump in. guest: i couldn't agree more. water and one of our most vital sources. right now we have the clean power act pending with the

agency. we have a right to ensure our future generations a cleaner planet and i do think that we have that opportunity and that anytime america has been challenged with a problem like this we've risen to the occasion. host: mike in pennsylvania, independent caller. go ahead, mike. caller: yeah, one of my main concerns with g.m.o.'s is the fact they allow pesticides, weed killer, to build up in the soil and i was wondering and then flow into the water system. and i was wondering why this build-up of pesticides from no-kill and all that type of farming doesn't act to control the growth of algae, which is also a plant. guest: that's a great question, mike. i appreciate that. ufl i'm not an expert on g.m.o.'s

but i can say that one of the things we're most concerned about is the runoff going into these lakes and streams in hove alone nearly 5.2 million rely upon the streams and rivers that would be protected under the clean water protection rule. they rely upon those actual streams right now for drinking sources. we are hoping the clean water protection rule will be completed soon. host: what is the state of u.s. water infrastructure? guest: in what regard? host: in a city like toledo. is the cleaning water supply adequate across america? guest: from my time in the e.p.a. when we went through an infrastructure review, there is definitely a need for local communities to

receive more funding to help grow as their communities are growing, both their water treatment plants for drinking water and for sewer issues. a lot of the issues we're seeing now -- one of the things i didn't mention sewer was combined water flows. when there are heavy rains, we have instances where raw siege is being spilled out into the water supplies. host: denis, democratic caller. good morning. >> thank god for c-span. i've been fighting agriculture for so many years. president clinton on his last day in office signed the legislation to take care of agriculture because it's overfertilizing by farmers. since 1987, a farmer moved

in here and that's what's ruined the whole country. the chesapeake bay, the gulf of mexico. it's high cancer-causing nitrates and overfertilizing by our farmers. host: how have you seen your water change over the years? >> in 1987 our business was closed down here and president clinton sent some in here and blamed it on our new septemberic system. that was 198 . it's still going on. host: did you get the e.p.a. to visit your area recently? >> they came to by miss in 1999 and they tested the water and they lied about it. host: ok. hounch is the federal government, the e.p.a. going to these sites along with the state regulators to test? guest: when i was in ohio and we were visiting farmland in the northwest part of ohio, we were standing on some farmland

with a farmer with the agriculture cultural extension agent, people from the department of natural resources and we did some soil testing for him and we were reviewing the results and showing the farmer that there were enough nutrients on his farmland that he he wouldn't needs to lay any more down for about 17 years. when we were talking with him, the hard part to overcome is that is not how his father farmed the land, not how his grandfather farmed the land. there are traditions that are really respected within the community. i appreciate the call and understand the agriculture cultural community is part of the problem but they can also be part of the solution. there were three that were trying to implement

practices that would help potential runoff problems. host: magnolia, texas. david, independent caller. caller: how y'all doing? do you remember the olympics in china? they had to stop the olympians because the algae was so thick, a foot thick in the rivers in china. this is all over the world. i bought me a small farm 10 years ago and i spend more money keeping my pond clean from the algae. as soon as that heat of the sun hits, i can actually see that stuff out there growing. and it's not just -- it's all these people want their yards perfect. they fertilize their yards, they fertilize the golf courses and all this runs and you know what i tell people here all the time, i say you better get ready and learn how to drink adnan:. thank you. host: is there something to

be done on this side of it rather than trying to lower carbon emissions? some regulations that need to be done on the federal and state level, how people treat their lawns, how farmers farm their land? is there something that needs to be done there that would be more economical, cheaper than lowering carbon emissions? guest: absolutely. there a or -- are tools in the tool belt that we can lose. what i mentioned earlier about urban and suburban runoff. what david said was exactly right. there's fertilizers from lawn treatments and from suburban runoff. the golf courses. we're we're all part of the problem but we can all be part of the solution as well. host: senator brown said the drinking water ban may be

lifted in toledo but our work to ensure safe drinking water to continue. then you have rob portman saying now that the ban is lifted we must pinpoint how this occurred and work to enscheyer this does not happen again. and the governor there saying lake erie is a crown jew well. we -- jewel. we must remain vigilant in protecting it and we will. and u.s. region five should make public what it knows about toledo water. those were republicans and democrats saying let's make sure it doesn't happen again, we're going to protect it. do you see consensus here that laws could be passed? guest: it's very exciting to see these tweets and to see a bipartisan consensus on something. i think our viewers are pretty familiar about

capital and what's been happening. bipartisan is not a word we use a lot. truly toledo was a wake-up call. 500,000 people without drinking water and just yesterday, the toledo mayor actually came out and asked for voluntarily conservation measures. they're concerned they haven't seen the worst yet. it continues to be warm. they could see an algae bloom even larger because they've seen this in the past. they're asking people to take shorter showers, don't wash their cars at home. these are things they have asked the local residents. i think it's terrific that we're seeing our members of congress. the congresswoman was on the front line of this wull -- all weekend, demanding answers. it's exciting to see bipartisan support but now we have to take that action and put that into play and support the clean water protection bill.

host: why are they not letting the report out for people to see? guest: i'm not totally up to speed on everything she mentioned. i know there was a delay on getting test results over the weekend and i'm not sure when she posted that tweet if that's what she was referencing. but during a time of crisis people really want information, especially when you can't drink the water so i know there was a slight delay in getting the test results back. host: you say the toledo mayor thinks it could be worse. nasa's aqua satellite captured some images. i want to show the viewers. the top image is the view of the algae view on the west end of lake erie. images of the coastal waters of southwestern ontario. taken on august 3 and the second image below that is a closer view of the same area

as observed on august 1 from a satellite. it could get worse, how much worse could it get look at these images? guest: when i was in ohio and we were looking at similar images, there was an algae view when stretched almost from cleveland to toledo. which is almost the full length of lake erie across the top of the state. it could get worse and i think the mayor of toledo is preparing his constituents for that. nasa is sending out another plane to do more satellite monitoring. what's interesting is that one of the lead scientists in ohio, he on friday morning got up, looked at the satellite images and thought oh, wow it doesn't look as bad as i've seen. but what they didn't realize at the time was that it was severely concentrated right

around the water intake for their drinking water system. host: and as you said at the top, this could happen in other cities, other areas around the country. guest: absolutely. they focused on lakes and streams in florida, north carolina, kansas and new york. host: john from illinois, a democratic caller. morning, john. caller: morning. i have a couple of questions. i've heard her talk about farmers and livestock. i'd like to know if she has any idea how many of the livestock are in southeast michigan and ohio there versus all the people and all the practices that the golf courses, that the yards, that they contribute to this problem and does the water flow from lake ontario into lake erie or does it flow the opposite direction? guest: thanks, john. that's a great question. i'll start with the fact

they don't know which direction the water flows from lake erie or lake ontario. that's not my area of expertise but this is a problem that we're all contributing to, it's a solution we can all contribute to and while i don't know the number of livestock versus people, i can say that these are all issues. it's not just the livestock operations that are also urban and suburban runoff. failing sms in the area, combined sewer overflows. so definitely this is a human problem and that we can all work together to fix it. one of the main tools we have is the clean water protection rule and that would help us significantly improve protection around the steams and wetlands that are the best buffers for these types of problems. host: next, louisiana, new orleans. democratic call early. you're on the air, caller.

caller: morning. we have a similar problem down here in new orleans. downriver, the furthest you go downriver, when the river does flow, we have a couple of cities down that that the saltwater comes up the river and they have to shut them down because of the salt water. lking about -- >> please be seated. as i think everyone knows by now, this first u.s.-africa leaders summit has been the largest gathering we've hosted with african heads of state and government. i want to begin by thinking the people in washington, d.c. for helping us host this historic event and especially for their patience with the traffic. as i've said, this summit reflects the reality that

even as africa continues to face great challenges, we're also seeing the emergence of a new, more prosperous africa. africa's progress is being led by africans, including leaders here today. i want to take this opportunity again to thank my fellow leaders for being here raef than prepared speeches, our sessions today were genuine discussions. a chance to truly listen and try to come together around some pragmatic steps that we can take together and that's what we've done this week. first, we made important progress in standing our trailed. the $33 billion in new trade and investigates -- investments i announced yesterday will help spur african development and support tens of thousands of american jobs. we tripled our goal and now aim to bring electricity to 60 million african homes and businesses and today i reit

rated that we'll continue to work with congress to assure a seamless and long-term renewal of the growth and opportunity act. we agreed that africa's growth depends first and foremost on continued growth in africa by africans. the leaders here plan to pursue efforts that reduce barriers that stifle trailed and promote regional integration 2. united states will in crease our support to help build africa's capacity to trade with itself and with the world. ultimately africa's prosperity depends on its greatest resource, its people. i've been encouraged by the leadest to partner with us to support entrepreneurs. i think there's an increasing recognition that if countries are going to reap their -- reach their full economic potential then they have to invest in women, their education and

skills and protect them from gender-based violence. that was the topic this afternoon. in week the united states announced a range of initiatives to empower womens' across africa. we aim to lift 50 million africans from poverty and our fight against a. -- h.i. vimplet aids will work with 10 countries to help double he number of people on viral drugs. as we're glowing people to west african to help control the ebola your, we're pursuing the african centers for disease control. the american people are renewing their commitment to africa. today, interaction, the leading alliance of american n.g.o.'s is announcing its members will invest $4

billion over the next four years to promote maternal health, children's health and the delivery of vaccine and drugs. this is an effort that's spurred on by the private sector. combined with the announcements we -- investment he announced yesterday, this summit has helped to mobilize some $37 billion for africa's progress on top of the substantial efforts that have been made in the past. second, we addressed good governance, which is a foundation of economic growth in free societies. some african nations are making impressive progress but we see troubling restrictions on universal rights. today was an opportunity to highlight the importance of rule of law, strong civil societies and protection of human rights for all citizens and all communities and i made the point during our discussion that nations

that uphold these rights and principles will ultimately be more prosperous and economically successful. we agreed to step up our collective efforts against the corruption that cost africa's economies 10s of billions every year, money that ought to be invested in the people of africa. several leaders raised the idea of a new partnership and we decided to convene our experts to develop an action plan to promote the transparency essential to economic growth. third, we're deepening our human to meet trafficking. we're initiating a new initiative to help african countries to provide for their own security. we're starting with kenya, nigeria, ghana and tunisia. during our discussions our

west african partners made it clear they want to increase their capacity to respond to cry says to the u.s. will promote an early warning and response network and increase their ability to share information about emerging crisis cease. we agreed to make nfmentsdz in african peace keeping. the united states will provide additional equipment and we will support the african union's efforts to strengthen its peace-keeping institutions and we're launching a new peace keeping rapid response projects with the goal of keeping them in support of a.u. missions. we'll join with countries that have demonstrated a track record as peacekeepers. ghana, tanzania, ethiopia and you donald -- uganda. we're going to invite countries beyond africa to

join us in this effort because the entire world has a stake in peace keeping in africa. in closing, i want to say this has been an extraordinary event, an extraordinary summit. given the success we've had this week, we greed that summits like this can be a critical part of our work together going forward. so we agreed that the u.s.-africa leaders summit will be a recurring event, to hold ourselves accountable for our commitments and to sustain our momentum. i strongly urge my successor to carry on this work so africa will know it will always have a strong partner in the united states. with that, i'll take questions. >> there have been a lot of discussions surrounding this summit about the ebola your and west amp away -- outbreak in west africa.

there is a new drug available. is your administration interesting considering sending the drug if it becomes available and can you discuss the ethics of providing an untested drug to another country and not to americans if it could possibly save lives. >> i think we have to let the science guys and i don't think all the information is in on whether this drug is helpful. what we do know is that the ebola virus, both currently and in the past, is controllable if you have a strong public health infrastructure in place, and the countries that have been affected are the first to admit that what's happened here is that their public health systems have been overwhelmed. they weren't able to identify and then isolate cases quickly enough. you did not have a strong

trust relationship between some of the communities that were affected and public health workers. as a cons consequence -- consequence, it spread more rapidly than has been typical with the periodic ebola outbreaks that occurred previously. but despite, obviously, the extraordinary pain and hardship of the families and persons who have been affected, and despite the fact that we have to take this very seriously, it is important to remind ourselves this is not an airborne disease. this is one that can be controlled and contained very effectively if we use the right protocols. so what we've done is make sure we're surging, not just u.s. resources but we've reached outs to european countries and partners from other countries -- once again all the health workers we need on the ground to help to bolster the systems

already in place. let's nip as early as possible any additional outbreaks of the disease and then, during the course of that process, i think it's entirely appropriate for us to see if there are additional drugs or medical treatments that can improve the surviveability of what is a very deadly and obviously brutal disease. so we're going to -- we're focusing on the public health approach right now because we know how to do that but i will continue to seek information about what we're learning with respect to these drugs going forward. >> would you support fast tracking of approval in the united states? >> i think it's premature for me to say that because i don't have enough data right now to offer an opinion on

that. john, abc news. >> thank you, perspective. -- mr. president. when you were running for president you said "the biggest challenges were facing is george bush trying to bring more and more power through the executive branch and not go through congress." has congress tried to do anything to give you a green light to push the limits of executive power or to put it another way, does it bother you more to be accused of being an imperial president or a do-nothing president who couldn't get anything done because he faced a dysfunctional congress? >> well, i think that i never have a green light. i'm bound by the constitution and by separation of powers. there are some things we can't do. i would love to fund a large

infrastructure proposal right now that would put millions of people to work and boost our g.d.p. we know we've got roads and idges and airports and electrical grids that need to be rebuilt but without the cooperation of congress, what i can do is speed up permitting process, for example. i can make sure we're working with the private sector to see if we can channel investment into much-needed projects but ultimately congress has to pass a blunt and authorize spending. so -- budget and authorize spending. so i don't have a green light. what i am consistently going to do is, wherever i have the legal authorities to make progress on behalf of middle have-class americans and folks working to get into the middle class, whether it's by making sure that contractors are paying

a fair wage to their works, whether it's women getting an opportunity for being paid the same wage as men who do the same job. where i have an opportunity to expand some of the student loan programs we've already put in place so repayments are a little more affordableable for college graduates, i'm going to seize those opportunities and that's what i think the american people expect me to do. purpose in all these -- preference in was these instances is to work with congress because not only can congress do more but it's growing to be longer lasting. when you look at, for example, commercial inaction and in particular on immigration reform, here's an area where, as i've said before, not only the american people want to see

action. not only is there 80% overlap between what republicans and democrats say they want. we actually passed a bill out of the senate that was bipartisan. and in those circumstances, what the american people expect is that despite the difference is between the parties there should at least be the capacity to move forward on things we agree on and that's not what we're seeing right now. so in the face of that kind of dysfunction. what i can do ask -- is scower -- scour all authorities to try to make progress and we're going to make sure that every time we take one of these steps that we are working within the confines of my consecutive power but i promise you the american people don't want me just standing around, twilledling my thumbs and waiting for congress to get something done.

even as we take these actions i'm going to continue to reach out to democrats and republicans, to the speaker to the relationship on -- leadership on both sides and in both chambers to try to come up with formulas where we can make progress. >> do you believe you have the power to grant work permits who are here illegally, as some of your sport spo -- spourmenters have suggested? >> what i certainly recognize with respect to immigration reform, and i've said this in the past, is that we have a broken system. it's underresourced and we have to make choices in terms of how we allocate personnel and resources. if i'm going to send more immigration judges down not border to process some of these uncompanied children that much arrived at the -- unexeand children that have arrived at the border,

that's coming from somewhere else. my preference would be an actual exrens riviera country club -- comprehensive immigration law. we already have a bipartisan law that would solve a whole bunch of these problems. until that happens, i'm going to have to make choices. that's what i have elected to go. margaret. bloomberg. >> thank you, mr. president. -- mr. jack lue has previously said the executive branch of government doesn't have the right to -- but now he is reviewing options to do so an issue that a lot of businesses, inincludes um some of the ones paying attention to this summit are interested. what prompted this apparent reversal, what actions are now under consider? will you consider an executive order that would

limit or ban such companies from getting federal contracts and how soon would you like to see treasure act given congress's schedule? >> just to review why we're concerned here. you have account ants going to some big corporations. multinational corporations that are clearly u.s. based and have the bulk of their operations in the united states, and these accounts are saying you know what, we found a great loophole. if you just flip your citizenship to another country, even though it's just a paper transaction, we think we can get you out of paying a whole bunch of taxes. well, it's not fair, it's not right. the lost revenue to treasury means it's got to be made up somewhere and that typically is going to be a bunch of hard-working americans who either pay through higher

taxes themselves or through reduced services, and in the meantime, the company is still using all the services and all the benefits of effectively being a u.s. cooperation. they just decided that they would go through this paper exercise. so there is legislation working its way through congress that would eliminate some of these tax loopholes entirely and it's true what treasury secretary lew previously said, that we can't solve the entire problem administratively but we are examining are there elements to how existing statutes are interpreted by rule or by regulation or tradition or practice that can at least discourage some of the folks who may be trying to take advantage of this loophole.

and i think it's something that would really bother the aver american, the idea that somebody renounces their citizenship but continues to entirely benefit from operating in the united states of america just to avoid paying a whole bunch of taxes. we're reviewing all of our options, as usual, and related to the answer i gave jonathan about excessive actions, my preference would always be for us to go ahead and get something done in congress and keep in mind it's still a small number of companies that are resorting to this. i think most american companies are proud to be american, recognize the benefits of being american and are responsible actors and willing to pay their fair share of taxes to support all the benefits they receive from being here. but, you know, we don't want to see this trend grow. we don't want companies who

have up until now being -- been playing by the rules suddenly looking over anywhere shoulder and saying what some of our competitors are gaming the system and we need to do it too. that kind of hurt mentality is something we want to avoid. so we want to move as quickly as possible. >> the federal contracting area has worked well for you on issues like promoting gay rights or contraception policy. is it fair to say that's the first thing contractors would think of? >> margaret, i'm not going to announce specifics. we've done a thorough evaluation and when we understand what our authorities >> i'll let you know. chris, nbc news. >> thank you, mr. president. russia said today it is going to ban good and agriculture imports. that was about $1.3 billion

last year. chuck hagel said that the amazing of troops along the border of ukraine increases the likelihood of an invasion. are sanctions not work something >> well, we don't know yet whether sanctions are working. they're working as intended in putting enormous pressure and strain on the russian economy. that's not my estimation. if you look at the markets and you look at 13459s in -- estimates in terms of capital flight. if you look at projections for russian growth, what you're seeing is that the conomy has ground to a halt. somewhere between $200 billion of capital flight is coming in. new businesses

inside of russia and it has presented the choice to president putin as to whether he is going to try to resolve the issues in eastern ukraine to diplomacy and peaceful means, recognizing the ukraine is a sovereign country and that it is up, ultimately, to the ukrainian people to make decisions about their own lives, or alternatively continue on the course he's on in which case he's going to be hurting his economy and hurting his own people over the long term and in that sense we are doing exact hi what we should be doing and we're very pleased that our european allies and partners joined us in this process as well as a number of countries around the world. having said all that, the issue is not resolved yet.

you still have fighting in eastern ukraine. civilians are still dying. we've already seen some of the cons queenses of this con -- consequences of this conflict in the loss of the malaysian airline, or jetliner. and the sooner we can get back on a track in which there are serious discussions taking place to ensure that all ukrainians are heard, that they can work through the political process, that they're represented, that the reforms that have already been offered by the government in kiev are implemented to protect russian speakers to assure decentralization of power. the sooner we move on those and the sooner that president putin recognizing that ukraine is an independent country, it's only at that point where we can say the problem has

truly been solved. >> the troops that are massing on the border are more highly trained and seem to have more sophisticated weaponry, according to intelligence. does that make you reconsider providing lethal aid to ukraine given those troop movements? >> keep in mind that the russian army is a lot bigger than the ukrainian army. so the issue here is not whether the ukrainian army has some additional rep -- weaponry. at least up until this point, they've been fighting a group of separatists who have engaged in some terrible violence but who can't match the ukrainian army. now, if you start seeing an invasion by russia, that's obviously obviously a different set of questions. we're not there yet. what we've been doing is providing a whole host of

assistance packages to the ukrainian government and to their military and we will continue to work with them to evaluate on a day-by-day, week-by-week basis what exactly they need in order to be able to defend their country and to deal with the separatist elements that currently are being armed by russia. but the best thing we can do for ukraine is to try to get back on a political track. david, "the standard. >> thank you, mr. president. you've been hosting african kings, leaders and presidents for the last -- prime ministers and lead liu presidents for the last three days. but life is becoming increasingly difficult.

in egypt -- in ethiopia, doesenings of journalists are in prison. in kenya they have passed very bad laws against the media. what can the international community do to ensure that we have a strong media in africa and to secure the release of the journalists who are behind bars. and two, so many countries in africa are facing threats of terror. you mentioned a few measures you're going to take but what can the international community do to neutralize terror threats in mali, ameroon, nigeria, kenya. thank you. >> i'm sorry, what was the last part of the question? >> could the terror threats be the reason you have -- kenya? >> oh, no, no, no. first of all, with respect to journalists in the media. the last session that we had

on good governance emphasized that good governance means everybody has a voice, that government is transparent and thereby accountable and even though leaders don't always like it, the media plays a crucial role in assuring people that they have the proper information to evaluate the policies that their leaders are pursuing. and so we have been very onsistent in pushing governance, -- golvets go -- governments not just in africa but around the world to respect the right of journalists to practice their trade, as a critical part of society and a critical part of any democratic norm. the specific issue of the

al-jazeera journalists in egypt, we've been clear both publicly and privately that they should be released. and we have been troubled by some of the laws that have been passed around the world that seem to restrict the ability of journalists to pursue stories or write stories. we've also been disturbed by efforts to control the internet. part of what's happened over the last decade or two is hat new media, new technology, allow people to get information that previously would have never been accessible or only to a few specialists and now people can punch some -- something up on the sberlts and pull up information that's relevant to their own lives and their own societies and communities so we're going to continue to push back against these efforts. as is true on a whole range

of issues. and i've said this in the past -- you know, many times we will work with countries even though they're not perfect on every issue. d we find that in some cases engaging a country that generally is a good partner but is not performing optimally when it comes to all the various tegories of human rights that we can be effective by working with them on -- and criticizing them and trying to elicit improvements in other areas. and even among countries that generally have strong human rights records, there are areas where there are problems. that's true of the united states, by the way. andso, the good news -- we heard this in the summit

-- is that more and more countries are recognizing that in the absence of good governance. in the absence of accountability and transparency, that's not only going to have an effect domestically on the legitimacy of a government, it's going to have an effect on economic development and growth. , in an ultimately information age, open societies have the capacity to innovate and educate and move faster and be part of the global marketplace more -- close societies do closed societies do over the long term. i believe that. with respect to terrorism, i think there's uniform concern of terrorist

infiltration in many countries throughout africa. obviously there's a concern that we have globally. a lot of the initiatives we put forward were designed to partner to that countries first and foremost can deal with these problems within their own borders or regionally. and the united states doesn't have a desire to expand and create a big footprint inside of africa. what we do want to make sure we can do is partner with the african union, with individual unions -- countries to build up their capacity and one of the encouraging things in the sessions was a recognition that fighting terrorism also requires security forces that are professional, that are disciplined, that themselves are not engaging in human rights violations, that part of the lesson that we've all learned about terrorism is that, you know,

it is possible in reaction to terrorism to actually accelerate the disease. if the response is one that alienates populations or particular ethnic groups or particular religions. so the work that we're doing, including the security initiatives that i announced today i think can make a big difference in that direction. it's not just a matter of us providing better equipment and better training. that's a part of it but part of it is also making sure that these security forces and the intelligence operations are coordinated and professional and they're not alienating populations. the more we do that the more effective we can be. the last points i'll make is on good governance, one of the best inoculators against infiltration is a society in which everyone everybody feels they have a steak in the existing order and they

feel their grievances can be resolved through political means rather than through violence. that's just another reason why good governance has to be part to the recipe that we use for a strong, stable, and pros effort. last question, jerome. >> thank you, mr. president. sraeli prime minister said the operation was justified and proportionate. do you agree and are you hopeful the cease-fire can be achieved and what exact role can the u.s. play in the current talks going on? >> i've said from the beginning that no country would tolerate rockets being launched into their cities. as a consequence, i have consistently supported

israel's right to defend itself, and that includes doing what it needs to do to prevent rockets from landing on population centers and, more recently, as we learned, preventing tunnels from being dug under their territory that can be used to launch terrorist attacks. i also think it is important acts ember that hamas extraordinarilier ponce bli when it is deliberately firing rocket launchers in population centers. you're putting populations at risk because of that particular military strategy. now, having said all that, i've also expressed my distress as what's happened to innocent civilians, including women and children , during the course of this process and i'm very glad

that we have, at least trailer, achieved a cease-fire -- temporarily, achieved a cease-fire. the question is how do we move forward in a sustainable way. we intend to support the process that's taken place in egypt. i think the short-term goal resident to be to make sure that rocket launches do not resume, that the work that the israeli government did in klausing off these tunnels has been completed, and that we are now in the process of helping to rebuild a gaza that's been really badly damaged as a consequence of this con flick. long term, there has to be a recognition that gaza cannot sustain itself permanently

closed off from the world. and incapable of providing some opportunity, jobs, economic growth for the population that lives there, particularly given thousand -- how dense that poplation is -- population is how young that population is we're going to have to see a shift in opportunity for the people of gaza. i have no sympathy for hamas. i have great sympathy for ordinary people who are struggling within gaza. and the question then becomes can we find a formula in which israel has greater assurance that gaza will not be a launching pad for further attacks, perhaps ore dangerous attacks as technology develops into their country? but at the same time

palestinians have some openings so that they do not feel walled off and incapable of pursuing basic prosperity. i think there are formulas that are available but they're going to require risks on the part of political leaders. they're going to require a slow rebuilding of trust, which is obviously very difficult in the aftermath of the kind of violence that we've seen so i don't think we get there right away. but the u.s. goal right now would be to make sure that a cease-fire holds, that gaza can begin the process of rebuilding and that some asures are taken so that gaza the people of feel some sense of hope.

and the people of israel feel confident that they're not going to have a repeat of the kind of rocket launches that we've seen over the last several weeks. and secretary kerry has been in consistent contact with all the parties involved. we expect we will continue to be trying to work as diligently as we can to move the process forward. it is also going to need to involve the palestinian leadership in the west bank. i have no sympathy for hamas. i have have great sympathy for some of the work that has been done in cooperation with israel and the international community by the palestinian authority and they've shown themselves to be responsible. they have recognized israel. they are prepared to move forward to arrive at a two-state solution.

-- is sincere in his desire nor peace but they have also been weakened, i think, during this process. the populations in the west bank may have also lost confidence or lost a sense of hope in terms of how to move forward. we have to rebuild that as well. and they are -- the delegation that's leading negotiators an and my hope is that we'll be engaging in with them to try to move what has been a very distressing situation over the last few weeks. thank you very much and thank you to all who participated in the african summit. it was an outstanding piece of work and i want to remind folks in case they've forgotten of the incredible

young people who participate -- participated in our fellows prom. we're very proud of you and we're looking to see all the great things you do when you go back home. all right? thank you. >> we heard reporters ask questions on a variety of issues but the first few minutes of this press conference, the president closed out a three-day summit on africa and all day on our facebook page we've been asking is private u.s. investment in africa better than government aid? hundreds have weighed in, including mitchell who says it's better because it doesn't put the country more in dealt. big companies need to give more away if they can. and michelle posts, i don't think aid should ever be on the table. i think economic and political partnerships, both public and private, are the answer. we want to hear from you. spanon to facebook.com/c to join the conversation.

the annual nations conference took place in detroit last month. we heard from eli kaplan on our the super pac ready for hillary tries to support her nomination. here's a look. >> what's really unique about this organization is that we're not so, uh -- it would be presumptuous to think that "ready for hillary" could dictate what hillary clinton's message is going to be. this is not a campaign that's focused on building grassroots army and infrastructure. for every time that hillary goes out and gives a speech about recent things that have happened in voter suppression, we're really echoing that make sure our email list knows the key points that she's hit off and giving people opportunities to really join

in the efforts that she's promoting and then also really just using her as a force of personality. so a lot of the imagery that you see on the facebook page and on the email list and other social network channels are things we've done a lot of testing on and seen that people really respond to because she is an inspiring figure. >> that was part of the annual netroots nation conference held in detroit. you can see the entire event at 8:00 eastern here on c-span. all this month while congress is in recess, we're showing you book tv on primary time. first, doug fine of his book "hemp bound." then angulo how kin on her book -- "marijuana legalization." and "the last pirate: a father, his son, and the

golden age of marijuana." that's tonight on c-span 2. and on c-span 3, american history tv. it's been 40 years since the watergate -- watergate investigation. and tonight, part of the debate over article two, which charged president nixon of abusive power. the session ended with the kennedy vote. you'll see that tonight at 8:00 eastern on c-span 3. >> american history tv on c-span 3 this weekend. friday night at 8:00 earnings water gate, 40 years later, with a cbs special report and president nixon's address to the nation. saturday at noon eastern, a live call-in program with john farrell on nicks's life, legacy and the water gate scandal. and sunday night, gerald ford becomes the 38th

president of the united states. this weekend on c-span 3's american history tv. >> on tomorrow's washington journal, congressman chris smith on the ebola virus and the public health danger it could pose. then james zog bsks y looks as the conflict between the israelis and palestinians d after that, rob garver discusses the competition among states to character businesses and jobs. then your comments and tweets. you can see "washington journal" live every morning starting at 7:00 eastern here on c-span. the united nations general assembly met today to discuss the ongoing situation in gaza and the cease-fire. this is an hour.

>> as we collectively consider the crisis in baseline arising from this - palestine arising from this latest uprising against the palestinians in the gaza strip. the international response to this calamity based on international law, the u.n.'s political, legal, and moral responsibilities over the question of palestine and our shared humanity. it is only fitting that the gentlemen -- general assembly mobilizes and makes its contribution. i thank the president for to peace tion including his efforts to promote a cease-fire. i also think the high commissioner for human rights.

envoy missioner, the for the middle east peace process and the assistant general for humanitarian concerns and assistant reef coordinator for their comprehensive and compelling on behalf of the palestinian people and their leadership, our deepestconvey gratitude for their tireless possibleo the extent under the catastrophic conditions in gaza the extreme hardships being borne by our aid,e, including emergency including food, water, shelter, awarenessl care, and

of the massive human rights violations being committed by israel. by lacingdone so their own lives in danger, and for this italians -- palestinian people will never forget their sacrifices. we have lost 11 staff members and we express our deepest condolences to the human family for the lives of the u.n. personnel so tragically taken in this aggression. although nothing can sues the and angerin, sorrow, of thousands of palestinian families and indeed the entire

palestinian nation, grieving the loss of loved ones including so many innocent children and the 1.8 million people in gaza, trying to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives under unbearable and inhumane conditions inflicted by this barbaric military campaign. it continues to serve as a lifeline for our people. helping them to cope and survive and reminding them that they are not alone in their despair. moreover, the briefings today on the grim realities of the current situation, including the deaths and human suffering, physical devastation, must be added to the compendium of

testimony regarding the crimes and injustice inc. perpetrated for decades by israel against the palestinian people with impunity and without remedy. mr. president, it is precisely ensure accountability that has continuously brought us repeatedlyd that has brought shame to the families, damage the credibility of the u.n., undermined international law and allow the suffering of so many innocent people to go on for far too long. in reality, while much is said , the the rule of law constant appeasement of israel has fostered the belief that it is above the law, immune from permits warit

crimes and threatens international peace and security. but despite our collective relief at the humanitarian cease-fire at the moment, we remain deeply aggrieved by the death, and destruction deliberately and systematically against the israel fence lists palestinian civilian population in gaza in broad daylight and in brief of international humanitarian law and human rights law. nothing can justify the killing including massacres and maiming of children, women, and men. the wonton justify destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure the massive social, economic, psychological and development of consequences. nothing can justify inflicting terror and on an entire people.

we are not actively seeking an witho the violence comprehensive cease-fire and a large palestinian delegation is participating in the ongoing talks in cairo to secure a cease-fire on the basis of the egyptian initiative. we will continue to call for full respect of international law and appeal to the international community not to relent in this demand on israel's occupying power. we are simultaneously seeking justice and sustainable solutions for the underlying issues that have brought so much misery to our people, occluding an end to the illegal israeli blockade which is suffocated and disfigured lives in gaza for the past eight years. and we will not relent in exposing the crimes of the

occupying power and from seeking , fully awarey there can be no peace in the absence of justice. the figurest, will are staggering. the tragic stories and images of ,he dead and broken lives weighing heavily on our hearts and conscience. the death toll stands at more byn 1860 palestinians killed occupying forces. indicate that at least 85% of those killed have been civilians, including the childrenf at least 429 , 243 women, and 79 elderly persons.

deplorable disregard for civilian life is the fact that at least 122 families as we heard this morning lost three or more family members in the same violent incident number totaling more than 420 fatalities. most in bombings and airstrikes that flattened homes on top of entire families and strikes on our schools, sheltering the displaced would children sleeping next to their parents were slaughtered in grave breach of human rights law. than 9560 palestinians have been injured, including 2877 women, and 374 the excessive and

indiscriminate force. many of the injured will suffer permanent disability including thousands of children who will struggle for the rest of their lives with the physical and psychological scars of the israeli brutality against them. caused a massive wave of displacement suffered yet again by her refugees who comprise the majority of gaza's population. it is estimated over half-million people, more than a quarter of the palestinian civilian population in gaza have been displaced, with more than 270,000 who have sought shelter in schools. of the displaced, at least 65,000 people will not be able to return to their homes, which have either been completely destroyed or damaged beyond repair.

5500 havemore than been destroyed, more than 4600 homes partially damaged and more than 30,000 other homes have sustained damage. this does not include the destruction brought by the occupying forces from other civilian properties and infrastructure including hospitals, schools, mosques, sanitation,d water, and electricity workers including gaza's only power plant, all of which were already struggling under the crippling impact. this as we regrettably know by is describedo what disaster of widespread proportions. the critical shortage of medical equipment and medicine has left

many of the injured struggling to survive and hospitals are near collapse. with vital supplies almost depleted and lack of electricity leaving them dependent on unreliable generators, placing many more civilian lives at risk. diseasess and other are also on the rise due to lack of access to state workers, raw sewage in the streets, and unhygienic conditions, including overcrowded school sheltering thousands, yet only having a capacity for hundreds. this terrific situation has compelled president mahmoud abbas to declare it a disaster area. desperate need for

military and assistance of all kinds, requiring the mobilization of you military and relief capacities at the disposal of the u.n.. we appeal to all member states to support this effort in any way possible, including by contributing generously to the gaza crisis appeal which presents the joint strategy of the humanitarian community, including response to the current crisis in the gaza strip. this is imperative for saving thes, for reconstructing gaza strip and forgiving our people hope, especially our younger generation who have lived all their lives under have nown and in gaza endured another deadly war in their short lives. as the president, the right to

self-defense according to the charter does not permit such savagery and cannot preclude the wrongfulness of such actions. this right cannot be invoked by israel to justify this premeditated military aggression against the palestinian people that have been subjugated to unending oppression and under thepunishment 47 year military occupation of the palestinian territory since 1967. this belligerent occupation of palestine is the source of all the ills and evils we are confronting today, and any effort to address the crisis and to find lasting solutions must be undertaken in this context. repeatedly, there

is no symmetry in this conflict. there is an occupying power with clear legal obligations including the obligation to ensure the safety, well-being, and protection of the civilian population and their occupation, dachshund title to the protections of international humanitarian law including under the geneva convention and entitled to their human rights, including their inalienable right to self-determination and freedom. are being grossly violated by israel's occupying power, with disastrous havequences as the minute borne witness today. the war has proven once again that israel's occupying power is totally unwilling to uphold its directions and is the

source of the suffering and insecurity of our people. requestfore iterate the made by president abbas to the secretary-general for the provision of international protections for the palestinian people. mustnternational community uphold its responsibility and rise to this challenge and give meaning to the pledge an obligation to protect civilians which has been thrown into such grave doubt by this war on our people. we have begun the discussion with the u.n. at all levels and are ready to discuss with all interested member states so that we may collectively determine how to provide this desperately needed protection until this ,ccupation is brought to an end to an effective end.

this will also be the focus of our efforts with the high contracting parties to the fourth geneva convention where switzerlandd that convened to consider enforcement measures. it is our hope that our combined aforts will bring about substantial transformation of the situation necessary to bring calm and salvage the greatly diminished raw specs for peace. we have asked the security council to uphold its duties and adopt the draft resolution that is now before it in order to cease-fire ande address underlying issues that continue to be the cause of so much suffering and instability, including ending the israeli blockade of gaza.

we will persist in all of these efforts and remain unrelenting the rights,it of justice, freedom, and dignity that the palestinian people have been so wrongfully denied, but which are rightfully theirs to claim. and i thank you very much, mr. president. >> i now give the floor to the permanent representative of israel. >> mr. president, winston churchill and one of the great architects of this institution, is remembered for his remarkable ability to perceive danger long before the rest of the world had woken up to the threat. in 1930 5, 4 years before world war ii, churchill criticized the international community for standing by as germany rapidly

rearmed itself. in his words, the family of a want offfered from foresight, and unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, and a lack of clear thinking and confusion of counsel until the emergency comes come until self-preservation strikes jarring goal. the international community is once again facing a severe lack of foresight and unwillingness to see. every day we are confronted by stories of radical islamic terrorism. isis is purging iraq of christians. boko haram has kidnapped schoolgirls in nigeria. al-shabaab gunmen are raiding fishing villages on the somalian coast. and yet this assembly doesn't utter a word. outragenly muster its

when israel asked to defend its citizens. aredouble standards absolutely appalling. in iraq, over 1600 people were killed in july. risinga, lashes between militias killed 200 people last month. hasigeria, boko haram slaughtered nearly 3000 people this year. it may just be me, but i did not hear the air groups rallying to condemn these atrocities. it ganged up against the only nation in the middle east that is defending its citizens from the totalitarian forces threatening every enlightened country in this assembly. heard a speaker today in the briefings of high u.n. officials this morning. they talked about addressing the

causes and consequences of this conflict. so let's begin by reminding this assembly about some things. when i headed israel's foreign service in 2005, israel turned every inch of gaza to the palestinians. we hope is would serve as a model for two societies to live side-by-side in peace. but instead, hamas built at terrorist strongholds. we went completely out of gaza. we gave them greenhouses. gaza could have turned into an amazing place. does israel have an interest in gaza? we left gaza, never to look back into gaza. but look at what hamas created in gaza. i have heard a clear and unequivocal statement by the

officials of the united nations saying squarely and unequivocally that all attempts to achieve a cease-fire were broken by hamas. israel said yes to each and every one of them. thomas said no. it's possible to utter that statement. hasyou say that israel legitimate security needs that must be addressed. very nice words. but how do you address, how do you defend your citizens when hamas uses the money that comes from good people in this , to buildo build gaza terror tunnels? hundreds of millions, cement, steel, instead of building kindergartens and schools and hospitals. pad for a launching

nearly 10,000 missiles. you ask yourself, in that small place, howthat small can they mass so many rockets in one place? those of the consequences. we went out of gaza because we wanted that to be a model for the next stage. that some in the international community have lost their way. this institution was founded to stand for truth, for justice, and for moral clarity. this is no longer the case. seeead of moral clarity, we moral ambiguity. instead of justice, we see travesties of justice. and instead of truth, we see falsehoods and fabrications. youight be too much to ask to stand on our side in this battle between civilization and

barbarism, but at least have the decency to swallow your selective outrage as israel wages war against the extremist groups seeking to eradicate the values that we all hold very dear. mr. president, israel is on the frontline of the war against radical extremism. the battle we fight today is the same battle that you all will fight tomorrow. and al qaeda,es shares a disdain for democracy, a contempt for modernity, and a willingness to target innocent civilians. and yet some of you have abandoned the only democracy in the middle east, standing against the side of terrorism. what does it say about your values? what does this mean for the next generation? this institution is being held hostage by some in this assembly

on the worst human rights abuses. the arab nations backed by some members of the nonaligned movement may have the numbers, but they don't have the morals. they use the majority to convene special sessions, issue condemnations, and pushed through resolutions demonizing israel. in fact, i wouldn't be surprised if the arab state passed a resolution saying that the terror tunnels were actually simply an irrigation system and that the rockets were nothing more than shooting stars. mr. president, israel did everything in his power to avoid this conflict. cease-fire,every even as the people of israel came under attack. witness hamas's understanding of cease-fires. what are those understandings? israel ceases and hamas fires. we were left with no choice. we sent our sons and daughters

into gaza for one reason, and one reason only. sustained -- to disrupt the hamas infrastructure that has produced terror and violence for well over a decade. israel deeply regrets the loss of innocent life. we are heartbroken as each and everyone in this room by the stories and images of loss and grief that have emerged from gaza. to us, the death of any civilian , israeli or palestinian, is a tragedy. faces an enemy that does not abide by any rule or loss. hamas sees no problem with abusing international humanitarian senses and religious institutions for terrorist purposes. it stores weapons in u.n. facilities, transports terrorists in ambulances, and fires rockets indiscriminately

to mosques, schools, and hospitals, deep in the heart of civilian centers. , ourtories below gaza minds of dense terror tunnels crisscrossing like a giant web, reinforced with thousands of tons of concrete and supported by massive beams. these terror tunnels extend like tentacles into israel, ending at the doorsteps of our communities. for years, the international community criticized israel for restricting the entry of construction material into gaza. for years, the international role has believed it was sending money to develop gaza. in truth, i tested, the construction materials were only aiding hamas to build terrorist strongholds. it proves once again that there

is no concern for the welfare of the palestinian people. hasme remind you that hamas a seat in the palestinian unity government. this idea is absolutely absurd. it's like inviting ices to participate in the iraqi government, and yet when it comes to israel, this absurdity is somehow acceptable. few nations have the courage to admit that hamas is committing a double warfront, targeting israeli civilians by fighting palestinian civilians. fewer still have the kurds to admit that hamas is willing to to its own children killed event sympathy for its cause. but unequivocally condemning hamas, you're condemning another generation of israelis and palestinians to further suffering. there's only one way to achieve sustained quite in israel and

build a peaceful and rosters gaza. hamas must be disarmed. gaza must be demilitarized, and the international community must divorce itself from the romantic notion of hamas freedom fighters. hamas has been clear about its intentions. it is a genocidal organization committed to the destruction of israel and the murder of the jewish people. a few days ago, a hamas spokesman called on palestinians to murder israelis by any means, ,aying, anyone with a knife weapon, or car, who does not run down a jew, who does not kill dozens of scientists with these means, he does not belong to palestine. zionis not kill dozens of sts. this is a dangerous delusion. holes a renowned israeli

novelist. he said, i have been a man of compromise all my life, but even a man of compromise cannot approach hamas and say maybe we meet halfway. and israel only exist on monday, wednesday, and friday. mr. president, yesterday the jewish people had a national day of mourning commemorating jewish tragedies that occurred on this day and stretching back thousands of years. i look around the world and i see no in to the grief. , tyrannypersian gulf and terrorism rain. , men,ess innocent women and children are being oppressed and murdered by extremist groups. no nation and know people are immune to this threat. the jewish people know the dangers of intolerance and indifference all too well. in every generation, our enemies

have risen up against us, and this generation is no different. for thousands of years, we faced this threat alone, but it does not have to be this way. aloneion should stand while its sons are kidnapped and brutally murdered by terrorists. no nation should stand alone when thousands of rockets rain upon our cities and towns, and no nation said standalone as its enemy builds a vast network of terror tunnels to ambush and kill it civilians. every member of this assembly has a choice. you can take a firm stand against terrorism, or stand on the sidelines as the threat go stronger throughout the world. you can support israel's right to defend its citizens, or support some of the worst human rights abuses. you can stand up for peace and

freedom, or sacrifice the ideals of this institution on the altar of petty politics and personal agendas. seven years ago, winston churchill bemoaned what he saw as the inability of mankind to act until the emergency comes. stand with israel before it is too late. before the danger lands on your doorstep and since preservation gone. thank you. let me thank the briefers who were with us who are about to leave. next speaker is lebanon.

[speaking lebanese] briefings by the inspector general and the higher officials of united nations, regarding the impact of the israeli aggression on the gaza strip, the threats and challenges at the humanitarian level. i would like to thank the asretary general, as well [indiscernible] their exhaustive briefings. figures theyful

have shared with us. i would like to extend our most heartfelt condolences to the theed nations, regarding victims of the israeli aggression against gaza. is taking place during a truce. a 72 hour truce. we welcome the egyptian leadership. as thank them for their efforts. we welcome the palestinian delegations participation in negotiations in cairo to achieve a permanent cease-fire which would lead to a lifting of the blockade on gaza to restore dignified access.

over a month has passed. population has suffered from israel he aggression, which is ongoing and unprecedented aggression. seized gaza is being punished continuously. 1850 victims. 9000 wounded and injured. -- a majority, women, children, and the elderly. a few more figures. 1100 homes destroyed, completely or partially. over 450,000 displaced.

universities, places of worship. they were all targeted. the delegate of israel tells us they are not fighting, not waging war against the people of gaza. gazahe has omitted is that is under a blockade and has been since 2005. this is not war waged against the inhabitants of gaza alone. this is war waged against mankind's conscience, against all principles which unite us. the israeli war mission has spoken. defied the institutions and wishes of the international community and. [indiscernible]

the most recent events for the kedack on the school, attacje on august 3. against aassault school run by the agency, a sanctuary for civilians. nothing but rubble. a claimed many lives. referred to as a criminal act. aggression that was condemned on many capitals around the world. isregards the un charter. it disregards international humanitarian law.

we haven't gathered here today to count martyrs. for thosee to who remain alive, for every boy he and girl. for every palestinian. putting their hopes on the international community, that the world, that their fundamental rights are upheld. and itsed nations working to drop development plans for the pop ulation covering decades. setting up framework for

growth.ble all of these have been set up at a timew when palestinians live under occupation, and bear the repression. daily these palestinians should be included in the international purpose aiming at right to life. they need actions. they don't need words. they require the support of the international community. the international community is standing behind its commitments to provide protection and assistance. need the international to work tirelessly for the reconstruction of gaza to ensure they finally have their

fundamental rights. a life of dignity, security, peace. of 1967, whenders jerusalem was their capitol. what is it possible it security without peace. community mustal act and assume its responsibilities. israel, toesh or on have it put it into violence in shedding of palestinian blood. blockade.t the gaza of course, to relaunch the peace process with the madrid agreements and the arab peace proposal. thank you. >> next speaker.

the representative of the u.n. speaking on behalf of [indiscernible] thank you. i have the honor to speak. condemns the lethal and excessive use of force by israel, the occupying power, against palestinians, civilians, and pays tribute to the heroic steadfastness and unity of the palestinian people in the face of this brutal aggression. the movement demands the immediate and unconditional ,uccession of this aggression and the punishment of the palestinian civilian population in gaza and throughout the rest of the occupied palestinian

.erritory, including jerusalem it calls for exemption of serious collective efforts to ensure an immediate cease-fire based on the egyptian initiative on the basis of november 2012 cease-fire in close coordination with the state of palestine. the movement endorses the unified legitimate demand of the delegation of palestine, and in this context, demands the immediate and lifting of the israeli blockade imposed on the gaza strip, which constitutes the massive collective punishment of its inhabitants and has lead to acute shortages of basic necessities and dire inan health care situations gaza. gaza,izing the role in

recourses the international community to help provide victims of the israeli aggression in the gaza strip with assistance on an urgent basis. president, the movement calls upon security council to andld its charter duties live up to its expectations, and the expectations of the international community to act to address this crisis situation in occupied palestine. it calls on the security council to adopt measures, a resolution, to compel israel, the occupying power, to seize its military aggression against the palestinian people, and to comply with the obligations on under international law.

investigate violations by israel, the occupying power, on international human rights law, in the occupied palestinian territories, including its jerusalem. a launch of an international independent all such violations resulting from the recent israeli militarization of the seized gaza strip. the movement supports the recourse by the state of palestine for the convening of a conference of contracted parties to the geneva convention to law to common article ensure respect and enforce the convention in the occupied territory including east jerusalem. i thank you. representatives.

the islamic republic of iran. >> thank you. i would like to thank the president of the generalissimo for convening this session and think the secretary-general, commissioner general, high commissioner, and assistant secretary-general for their statements. i am honored to speak on behalf of the european union. the country of --as well as ukraine align themselves. the european union welcomes yesterday's announcement of a 72

hour cease-fire in the gaza strip and calls on all parties to respect it. there must be immediate into the loss of civilian lives. stopped, andired all is really actions must come to an end. we commend the efforts of the united states to broker this and other deals, and hope this can be extended into a lasting cease-fire. not to on other parties miss this opportunity. mr. president. in the past few weeks we have witnessed things we hope never to witness again. we condemn the terrible loss of 2000 lives, including 400 innocent children. many have been injured. entire livelihoods have been destroyed, as well as public infrastructure. gaza faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. addressing this will take

coordinated effort. mr. president, allow me to -- these are criminal acts. the european union calls on hamas to renounce violence. all terrorist groups in gaza must disarm. while recognizing israel's legitimate right to defend itself against attacks, the european union union is appalled by the human cost of the israeli operations. the terrifying ordeal being suffered by the children and families in the gaza strip and in israel must stop once and for all. the israeli military operation must be proportionate and in line with military and law. civilians must be protected at all times. opportunity ins

the presence of the commissioner partner forhank our its indispensable work on the ground. ofreiterate our condemnation the shelling of our schools on more than one occasion. it is unacceptable that display civilians taking shelter in clearly identified and designated u.n. areas after being called on by the israeli military to evacuate their homes were killed. for all these incidents should be investigated, and the results published. there must be justice for the victims and the international community has a responsibility. we extend our condolences to the families who lost their lives in these attacks. we reiterate our condemnation of the placing of rockets and materials by militant groups in u.n. areas.

all andbe respected by at all times. this tragic escalation of hostility and this death toll which exceeds previous outbreaks of violence should strengthen resolve to ensure this never recurs. in order for the cease-fire to be durable we must acknowledge situation in gaza is not sustainable. the status quo is not an option. a solution to the current conflict will need to tackle the root causes, comprehensively, to avoid a renewal of violence in the future. it is unacceptable for millions of israeli citizens to live under threat of rocket fire from the gaza strip. it is also intolerable for 2 million people to be confined to a small strip of land without being able to trade or move, and live under the control of a military group that has not denounced violence.

in order to reach a long-term solution, 2 elements are key. improving living conditions for palestinian people, and ending the threat to israel posed by militant groups. for this to happen, palestinian authority under the leadership return to the strip. union recalls the provisions of un security council resolution 1860 which calls for arrangements both to prevent illicit trafficking and arms and ammunition to gaza. what can ensure the sustained reopening of gaza's crossing points. to contribute to a comprehensive and sustainable the needs ofing israelis and palestinians alike. any such contribution will depend on the requests of our partners following talks which

are currently ongoing. even at this difficult moment, let me make the position of the european union clear. an gaza strip constitutes integral part of the territory occupied in 1967 and will be a part of the palestinian state. a comprehensive peace with too timid radical states -- two democratic states with recognized borders must remain our objective. gaza should be given the opportunity to become the future palestinian state so window on the mediterranean sea. the deaths of 2000 people of the past month do not lead us to question this but to reaffirm it. even if development on the ground, including israel's settlement activities, appeared to make the prospect of a solution increasingly difficult to achieve. the european union has demonstrated its commitment to working with the government of palestinian netanyahu and the

leadership of president abbas. we reiterate that commitment today. european union will do all it can to support the achievement of a just and lasting solution. i think the distinct representative of the european union and now have the pleasure to give the floor to saudi arabia who will speak on behalf of the organization of islamic corporation. [speaking foreign language] thank you. thank you for convening this emergency meeting.

i would like to thank the variousy-general and high officials for a comprehensive briefing, and it is my pleasure to speak to you today on behalf of the member states of the oic. more are we waiting for? whiche heard testimony showed the extent of the destruction of the killing. and the suffering of palestinian people in gaza. what more we waiting for? doing know what israel is . actions described at the highest possible level as being crimes of war.

i'm referring to the premeditated, direct shelling of united nations shelters, despite the fact that israel is fully aware of the coordinates and the status, and the status of individuals sheltered there. what more we waiting for? follow the efforts aimed at ,chieving unitarian cease-fires what more we waiting for? conscience, your community, your international laws, do they allow for the killing and bombing and punishment? does this train of logic allow for a return to the starting point?

this suffocation of life in gaza? can peace prevail in the region? theisraeli occupation, andlement policy, deprivation of palestinian people's rights to life, freedom , to create an independent soil withintional 1967,rders of july for, continues. it is high time for you, the conscience of the world, the voice of the world, to say what you have to say. for the to speak cease-fire to be consolidated, but also to call for an end to

the occupation and dismantling of settlements. the lifting of the embargo. the release of prisoners. and, provide protection for in conformityople of u.n. resolutions and human rights. knows the international system of justice is a unique one. israel steps up its actions when it feels the voice of justice is failing. the oic calls upon the international community to respect its responsibility, promote justice, insure perpetrators of crimes against

the palestinians are brought to justice. people areestinian facing a humanitarian disaster. a disaster that requires a rapid , to provide rapid , all types of assistance, knees to reach those who have been displaced, and the blockade needs to be lifted. against gazassion [inaudible] blot on theeful world as a whole. if we fail to express our rejection and condemnation of this assault and aggression.

>> on the next washington journal, chris smith on fighting the spread of the ebola virus. and the israeli-palestinian conflict. and it look at the competition between states to attract investment and jobs. rob garver. >> c-span 2 book tv this weekend. books on marriage equality, the obama some verses the clintons, and the biography of marion barry junior. marx of the new york public library sheds light past, present,s

and future. >> american history tv on c-span 3 this weekend. friday, watergate 40 years later. a cbs special report and president nixon's address to the nation. saturday, a live call-in program with author and journalist john farrell on nixon's life and the watergate scandal. on the presidency, gerald ford becomes the 30th president of the united states. this weekend, on c-span 3. >> this month, c-span presents debates on what makes america great. evolution, and genetically modified foods. ssues spotlight." on issues, ands

our history tour showing sights and sounds from america's places. let us know what you think about the programs you are watching. e-mail.or join the conversation. like us on twitter or facebook. year's conference, a discussion about the ready for hillary pac. liberal activist talk about presenting the political messages. then first lady's at the u.s. african leaders summit. >> the super pac ready for

race $2.5 million. this is part of the annual net roots nation conference held in detroit. it is a half-hour. >> me do some quick introductions. we are running short on time. we are going to get started. if folks have questions, we will try to take a few. afterward, feel free to come up. and hopefully we can get questions answered and get through everything as quickly as possible. first, to my left, we have nikkie t titus.

then we have -- what is your title? >> politics advocacy and nonclient partner. a lot going on. >> who used to work with me. down at thehave eli end. causes trouble, but is one of the founders of rising tide interactive and has been working with the ready for hillary campaign. i'm going to turn it over to you guys. walk throughg to the first slides. we will go from there. to echo mike, thanks to everyone for sticking around and coming down today. we are excited to share the work ready for hillary has been doing and paint a picture for you so you can see why it is a different kind of supe