How to Repair U.S./Russia Relations
WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You see these painful pictures of these Palestinian children and these refugees, thousands of them fleeing their homes. It's a horrendous sight what's going in right now, if you look at the images, heart wrenching. What goes through your mind when you see that?</s>BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I'm very sad. When I see that I'm very sad. We are sad for every civilian casualty. They are not intended.</s>SCIUTTO: We have this just in, at the U.N. security council will be holding an emergency session tonight, starting at 9:30 Eastern Time to discuss the situation in Gaza and the deadliest day so far, the conflict. Eighty seven Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks, at least 60 in one assault alone. Thirteen Israeli soldiers dead. While the conflict has resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths in Gaza, the U.S. is standing by Israel's right to defend itself from terrorists. David Gergen rejoins me now, adviser to four presidents, now CNN analyst. David, I wonder if you're seeing or will soon see a divergence in U.S. and Israeli tolerance for casualties on the ground. The U.S. has been publicly very supportive up to this point, but Israeli leaders starting to talk about demilitarizing Hamas and Gaza. That signals a long ground operation there and I just wonder if you see the U.S. supporting that as these casualties mount.</s>GERGEN: That's a very interesting point, Jim, and I think there's a chance that could happen. The administration deserves support for the way they have stood up for Israel, championing Israel's right to fire back, in effect, both Secretary Kerry and the president have done a good job of that. But there - I think it's also been wise for them to see if they can't tamp this down and bring it to an end in the coming week. It's going to be very important, I think, to have this not stretch on and on. Eventually, America's patience can be tested, especially if you get horrible bodies piling up. I can remember going back again to the Reagan period, how he eventually had to call the Israeli prime minister when they were going into Beirut and call it off and it made a big difference. And I - we may be nearing that point. I hope not. I hope that the Israelis see and Hamas sees that this is leading to an endless number of unnecessary deaths.</s>SCIUTTO: Well, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry heading to Egypt tomorrow for the talks on the crisis. Before I get to a question to you, today he was caught off guard on an open mic while speaking to Fox News saying these comments about Israel, have a listen.</s>JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It's a hell of a pinpoint operation. It's a hell of a pinpoint operation.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right, it's escalating significantly, just underscores the need for a cease-fire.</s>KERRY: We have got to get over there.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Tank you, John. I think, John, we should go tonight, crazy to sit around.</s>SCIUTTO: That is Secretary Kerry speaking to one of his advisers, criticizing what Israel has called a pinpoint operation. As Secretary Kerry goes to the region, does that undermine his ability to be an honest broker in these talks? How will he be perceived by the Israelis?</s>GERGEN: I think it's pretty minor, probably thankful he didn't say something more provocative than he did. He seemed to be scoffing a little bit at the Israeli claim that this was pinpoint. But the other issue this raises is OK, he's going to go to the Middle East. I think he should go to the Middle East but what he's going there to do. This is a continuing question about the administration. It's not quite clear what they're trying to accomplish and whether they have the means to accomplish what they set out to do. You know, they can make good statements but they got to come through with actions that bring about results. They're increasingly, Jim, if go through this question, we can be engaged, but if we are not leading effectively, we lose some of our punch. We lose some of our authority. Let me just make one more point, if I may, Jim, about the president. I again go back to the Reagan period because Reagan was on his ranch when the KAO was shot down by Soviets in 1983. I was in the White House at the time. This was an airliner that got shot down out of the skies and we rushed in to condemn the Russians and the president stayed on his ranch for a couple of days, but you know what he saw very quickly that he needed to be back in the office. He was on a 25-day vacation and he came back to the White House. He went on television to talk to the country about what was happening, help people understand it and grab hold of the situation. That's what I mean by leadership. And it does seem to me that at this time when there's so much turmoil in the world, we not only have the shootdown of this plane and what's going on in Gaza, we do have these children still at our borders. We have, you know, the Middle East in flames. It seems to me that the president would be well advised now to cut back on some of these fund-raisers, the golf, get back in the White House, bring in heavyweights from past administrations to try to figure out what to do - America's role should be in the world and then go on television and again to lead us as a country about how are we going to deal with these crises? How do we lead in this very, very turbulent world?</s>SCIUTTO: David Gergen, thanks very much. And Poppy, just speaking about the president there, I'm sure he did not think he was going to have this many international crises to deal with in this second term when he wanted to focus on his domestic agenda. Who would have predicted?</s>POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, absolutely not. I mean, this has frankly taken the border crisis completely off the table in terms of the main headlines right now, something that just days ago was at the forefront, that the president was dealing with. David Gergen, fascinating conversation between the two of you. Thank you very much for coming in. Meantime, of course, we are covering the tragic disaster with Malaysia flight 17. The country, Malaysia, reeling from a second disaster in just a matter of months. Just ahead, how people in that country are trying to seek solace in this time of absolute tragedy.