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On this special broadcast of India Today Global, the focus is on the India-Arab ministerial summit in New Delhi. Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabikian discusses the 'Board of Peace' document, noting that while it lacks specific mentions of Gaza or a two-state solution, Palestine welcomes it as a path toward statehood under UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
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00:00Hello and welcome to the special broadcast of India Today Global.
00:04We're here covering the India-Arab Ministerial Summit that is taking place in New Delhi.
00:11A lot of Arab ministers are here in New Delhi.
00:14And what is crucial is the future of India and the Arab world,
00:18but also tensions in the region that are going to be discussed,
00:21whether it's Iran or, for that matter, Palestine.
00:25Let's begin with Iran.
00:26There are threats, a massive armada by the United States of America,
00:31and President Donald Trump has threatened that Iran is going to be attacked
00:36unless it strikes a deal with the United States of America.
00:40Countries like Turkey are trying to be peacemakers over here,
00:44and Iran has said that diplomacy is the way forward,
00:48but it's not going to bend down or bow down to U.S. threats and pressure.
00:53The coming days are going to be crucial.
00:56What's going to happen next?
00:58Preksha Jain with this report.
01:02Is Iran really running out of time?
01:06I have had and I am planning on it, yeah.
01:08We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now.
01:13With a huge U.S. armada headed towards the country
01:16and no sign of progress in dialogue,
01:19the indication of a strike couldn't be starker.
01:22Yet again, Donald Trump has warned of big, powerful ships sailing towards Iran
01:28that he would have to use unless Tehran meets his conditions.
01:33The Iranian regime stopping its crackdown on protesters is one of them,
01:38but it's certainly not Trump's only concern.
01:41What the American president really wants and has had his eyes on for a while
01:48is limiting Iran's nuclear program.
01:51Have you had any conversations with Iran in the last few days?
01:57And are you planning on it?
01:59I have had and I am planning on it, yeah.
02:01We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now.
02:06And it would be great if we didn't have to use them.
02:08Can you say what the message was that you shared with Iranians?
02:11Well, I told them two things.
02:12Number one, no nuclear.
02:14And number two, stop killing protesters.
02:18They're killing them by the thousands.
02:20You know, I stopped 837 hangings two weeks ago.
02:24But they're going to have to do something.
02:28But Iran's no Venezuela.
02:31It has already warned of a counter-strike on U.S. bases
02:34in response to any attack
02:35and rejected the scope of negotiation under threats.
02:42I must also state categorically that
02:45Iran's defense and missile capabilities
02:47will never be the subject of any negotiations.
02:51No country is ready to compromise with another
02:53regarding its security and defense.
02:55The security of the people of Iran
02:57does not concern anyone else in any way.
03:00And we will maintain and expand our defense capabilities
03:03to the extent necessary to defend the country.
03:08Iran's military spokesperson has pointed out
03:11that U.S. aircraft carriers have serious vulnerabilities
03:14and that numerous U.S. military assets in the Gulf region
03:18are within the range of Iran's missiles.
03:21But with the European Union listing Iran's revolutionary guards
03:25as a terrorist organization,
03:27the pressure seems to be catching up with the regime.
03:30And it has begun to garner support.
03:33Iranian foreign minister has traveled to Istanbul
03:35to meet with his Turkish counterpart.
03:38Turkey shares a border with Iran
03:40and is also a NATO member.
03:42It is thereby trying to play peacemaker,
03:45urging both parties to come to the negotiating table.
03:47The resumption of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S.
03:54on a constructive basis is vital for reducing regional tensions.
03:58We have conveyed to all our counterparts,
04:00starting with our president,
04:01that we are against a military intervention in Iran.
04:05efforts to resolve tensions are in place.
04:10But neither Washington nor Tehran is known to be one to back down.
04:15And the threat of war looms larger than ever.
04:18Take Shah Jain for India Today.
04:20Joining me now to discuss the situation between Iran and America
04:27is Dr. Vail Awad, a strategic affairs expert, a West Asia expert.
04:33We are seeing a lot of Arab leaders come over here,
04:36ministers, deputy ministers,
04:38at a time when things are getting hot in the Persian Gulf.
04:43What's your reading of what's going to happen in the coming days?
04:47Well, you see,
04:47when you are having a President Trump of the United States
04:50in the realm of power,
04:51you can expect anything.
04:53He may be talking there,
04:54he is looking for a diplomatic outcome,
04:56but he is not,
04:56he is more keen of doing something,
04:58sabotaging any kind of tranquility in the region.
05:02Having said that,
05:03I would say that the presence of the Arab ministers in India
05:05and this summit after 10 years,
05:07it also gives you an indication that most of the Arab countries
05:10look at India as a stakeholder,
05:12a major stakeholder in the region.
05:13So India can play a major role in triangulizing the area
05:16without going into a war.
05:18And that is why we do expect an all-out war
05:21because Iran has already said it openly
05:24that you attack us,
05:25even in a small attack,
05:27we will 10,000 times stronger than what you expected.
05:30So I think with all this ship and warship,
05:33he put it at the Strait of Hormuz,
05:35the main objective of the United States
05:36is to destroy Iran totally, disintegrate it,
05:39destroy it as ballistic missile technology
05:42infrastructures,
05:44kill its scientists,
05:46and also close the Strait of Hormuz
05:47where the trade, the global trade,
05:49will be a great impact
05:51and India will be the first one to suffer.
05:54But if U.S. does anything,
05:57it's these Arab leaders who are here today,
05:59their countries are going to be impacted, Dr. Awad.
06:02Absolutely.
06:03I mean, America is thousands of miles away from there.
06:05So immediately when this attack happened,
06:07because what Iran has said to the Arab country
06:11who were hosting the American military bases,
06:14that if any attack happened by the American on Iran,
06:17it will be a legitimate target
06:19if any flight takes place from those military bases.
06:22So the American,
06:23that's why they're bringing the warships,
06:24they're going to Rodrigo Garcia,
06:26they're bringing their sophisticated weapon
06:28they have used in Venezuela operation,
06:30or even they've been threatening the whole of China.
06:33So if they wanted to attack,
06:35of course it is going to be a very huge impact on Iran.
06:38But I think Iran is full of surprises,
06:40and that's why Netanyahu himself,
06:42the Prime Minister of Israel,
06:43who told the American a week ago that they stopped the war.
06:47The reason was because he knew that the retaliation from Iran
06:51will be more stronger than the American forces could afford to stop it.
06:55Dr. Wailawad, thank you so much for joining us here on India Today Club.
06:58Thank you very much.
06:59Thank you for having me.
07:01The issue of Palestine is also going to be a focus area
07:04in the India-Arab Foreign Minister's meeting.
07:08What is going to happen?
07:09To discuss this and more,
07:10I was joined by the Foreign Minister of the State of Palestine,
07:14Varsen Aga Bikyan,
07:15and this is what she had to say.
07:16Listen in.
07:18The chart of the Board of Peace,
07:20which has about 2,026 words,
07:22it's a 2,026 word document,
07:24and not one mention of Gaza,
07:27or even the two-state solution.
07:29Well, we have welcomed the peace agreement
07:35and the Board of Peace
07:37as it was stipulated in UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
07:45And 2803 was clear.
07:47It talks about how we move in Gaza
07:51from where we are today
07:52until a peace path
07:55and the probability of a statehood.
07:58So, in that regard,
08:00we have welcomed the Board of Peace
08:03and we hope that it moves in that direction.
08:07Have things changed for the worse
08:09since President Trump came to office
08:11because he's more than just an ally of Netanyahu?
08:15In this Board of Peace,
08:16can Netanyahu be trusted?
08:19Look, at least the war had stopped,
08:23even partially.
08:24So, we take that as a positive step.
08:28But we need to build up on that positive step
08:31and we need to beef it up
08:32because we need to tie it with international law.
08:35We need to tie it with our rights to self-determination.
08:38We need to tie it with the New York Declaration
08:41and so forth.
08:42When it comes to Netanyahu,
08:43I think Palestinians have a long history with Netanyahu
08:46and we know the trends
08:48when it comes to agreements
08:51or ideas for moving on in the future
08:55because Netanyahu has violated agreements left and right
09:00and we know his vision.
09:01His vision is that of a greater Israel
09:03and not only infringing on the rights of the Palestinians
09:08but also on neighboring countries.
09:11Zionist, as a word,
09:12is going to be considered hate speech now
09:14in the United States of America
09:16if used in a derogatory manner.
09:19Your response to that?
09:22My response to any wrongdoing is wrongdoing
09:25because if Israel,
09:28if any other country was doing what Israel is doing,
09:32you would tell that country
09:33that what you're doing is wrongdoing
09:35and that wouldn't be against Zionism or anti-Semitic.
09:41So, what is right is right.
09:43If you follow international law,
09:45then you're following just that.
09:47Speaking of the rights of people
09:50and the fight that you've been fighting,
09:53how do you see the role of the Arab world?
09:55We've seen how Iran stood by this cause
09:59and fought on the side of the Palestinians.
10:04But what is your take on the role of the Arab world?
10:09Were they as forthcoming?
10:10Should they have done more?
10:13Look, the Arab world is the backbone of the Palestinians.
10:16We might disagree on certain things,
10:18but in the final analysis,
10:21the issue of Palestine is of interest to all.
10:24And as such, we always ask for more
10:27from the Arabs, from all our allies,
10:29because we think we need to garner
10:31all the support we can.
10:33Today, I think the Arabs have stood tall
10:37when it comes to the ceasefire.
10:38There was a consensus on the displacement of Palestinians.
10:42If you remember when the talk was on the Riviera
10:47and the displacing of the Gazans,
10:49all the Arab countries, collectively and individually,
10:53said it very loudly,
10:54no on the displacement.
10:56Today, they are all on the two-state solution.
11:00Saudi Arabia has spearheaded the New York Declaration,
11:03and it has put all of its weight behind it.
11:07I believe there is a consensus in the Arab world
11:10on the resolution of this conflict,
11:13of this occupation,
11:15and the materialization of the two states.
11:17I was just going to ask you about the Riviera.
11:19Do you think the border of peace or the plan for Gaza
11:22is not just to do with peace,
11:25but more to do with land?
11:26And the land would not be Israeli or Netanyahu's,
11:30but more so America and America taking a call
11:33on what they want to do with that land.
11:35Is that a concern?
11:37Is that a real concern for Palestine?
11:38Well, people are speculating.
11:40Yes, it would be a concern,
11:41because that land is a Palestinian land,
11:43and any Riviera should be for its people,
11:47the Palestinian people.
11:49So that's a concern that this land
11:51could very well not be Palestinian.
11:54Well, hopefully it wouldn't,
11:55because it is Palestinian land.
11:58Is there any way of being on an engagement
12:00or a negotiating table with America,
12:03or is it always going to be a U.S.-Israel decision
12:07that would be thrust upon Palestine?
12:09We need to push.
12:10We need to be around the table.
12:12We're not a menu.
12:13We have to be around the table
12:15on the decision-making level,
12:18because today for Palestinians,
12:21it's enough that people are continuing to talk about us.
12:25They need to speak with us.
12:27We are the side that needs to be spoken to,
12:30just like the world speaks to the Israelis.
12:33We are the other side.
12:35And it's high time that we come to that table,
12:39and we need to continue raising our voices
12:41on the necessity to be engaged.
12:44And finally, in terms of India and India's position,
12:46in the recent past,
12:47you must have noticed and seen a little shift
12:50in India's voting pattern at the United Nations.
12:54What are your expectations?
12:56What are your expectations?
12:57What are you taking to the table when you speak with your Indian counterpart
13:01on what India's historic position has been, the change, and where should India stand?
13:07India should stand with international law.
13:10India is a two-stater.
13:12India is the largest democracy.
13:16India believes in international law,
13:19and they should go by what international law says,
13:22as it pertains to Israel-Palestine.
13:25It's very clear the materialization of the state has to move on,
13:30and we would expect that India moves in that direction.
13:33India has been a very good friend for decades,
13:38and it has helped with humanitarian assistance.
13:41It has helped a lot with development assistance,
13:45and we already have several projects in Palestine going on,
13:51and we expect that to continue.
13:53And we expect it to continue being friends with Israel.
13:57We have absolutely no problem with that.
13:59We don't want to delegitimize Israel,
14:01but we want to legitimize Palestine.
14:04And when you are a friend, you can be a bridge
14:06if you wish to take that role.
14:10Melania, the documentary featuring
14:12United States of America's First Lady Melania Trump
14:15and her journey from oath-taking ceremony
14:18to their time in the White House
14:21is going to be released worldwide on the 30th of January.
14:25In some countries, it was released and had a very slow response.
14:31But director Brett Ratner says
14:33that this is one of the most expensive documentaries ever to have been made.
14:37Maashweta Lala with this report.
14:45As the world awaits President Trump's next move,
14:49there's something else which the political world and moviegoers
14:51are also looking forward to.
14:54Here we go again.
14:55The documentary showcasing First Lady Melania Trump's days in the run-up
15:05to U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House.
15:08Peace to enter.
15:09Peace to enter.
15:10The First Lady, who's mostly known to be a private person,
15:14appears in this documentary called Melania,
15:16released on January 30th.
15:18The screening of the documentary was organized
15:22at the Trump-Kennedy Center.
15:25Days before, Melania Trump rang the opening bell
15:28at the New York Stock Exchange to promote her documentary.
15:32What's your favorite part of the film for this man and First Lady?
15:35It's very hard to choose.
15:37There are many scenes and people will connect.
15:41You will see humor, you will see grief, you will see fashion.
15:46So, I'm very proud of the film.
15:51And it's not easy to produce.
15:56It's not easy to ask.
15:58I think it's going to be, I think it's a very important movie.
16:01I think it's really going to be very important.
16:03It shows life in the White House.
16:05It's a big deal, actually.
16:06Beautiful.
16:06Melania was financed for $75 million by Amazon MGM Studios.
16:13Amazon's chairman, Jeff Bezos,
16:15also contributed to President Donald Trump's inaugural fund earlier this year.
16:20Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million to license the film
16:24and a related docuseries,
16:26which will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video
16:28after its theatrical run in approximately 1,600 screens worldwide,
16:34including about 1,500 in the United States.
16:37This movie is one of the most, you know, expensive movies, documentaries in the genre ever made.
16:43So, the movie's on the screen.
16:45It wasn't about getting rich.
16:46I mean, I think the Trumps are wealthy and successful enough.
16:49This is about giving me the ability to hire the best crew in the world
16:53to do the, you know, to not only score the film with the best composer,
16:58but actually license.
16:58I mean, when you see the movie, you're going to see the songs in this.
17:01You go, oh, we see where the money went now.
17:03So, this wasn't about what you're saying.
17:05There's no corruption here.
17:06There's just, you know, we wanted to make the...
17:09Melania only cared about one thing,
17:11making a great movie for audiences.
17:13The 44-minute film is slated to screen in more than 100 cinemas across the United Kingdom as well,
17:22but initial bookings have been slow.
17:24Ahead of its London premiere on Friday,
17:26just one ticket was sold for a mid-afternoon screening at a cinema in Ellington,
17:31while only two tickets were snapped up for an evening show at the same venue
17:35in spite of the film being cleared for release by the British Board of Film Classification.
17:44And while the film has opened to barely any bookings,
17:50Trump has referred to it as a massive hit
17:52and has said that it's gone across screens, house full.
17:58The documentary releases alongside Jason Statham's action film Shelter,
18:03horror title Primate,
18:05Bradley Cooper's Is This Thing On?
18:08and Richard Linklater's Novel Waig at the UK box office.
18:13Controversy comes ahead of its worldwide release
18:15as the documentary has been withdrawn from South African theatres,
18:18a decision made by the local distributor.
18:21Mahashweta Lala for India Today.
18:23Hi Mr. President.
18:25Congratulations.
18:26Did you watch it?
18:27I did not.
18:28Yeah, I will see it on the news.
18:36That's all in this special broadcast of India Today Global.
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