Biden negotiating cease-fire, but not with Netanyahu

AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN IS ON THE MOVE AS WELL, DEFYING AN INTERNATIONAL WARRANT FOR HIS ARREST BY TRAVELING TO MONGOLIA. I WANT TO BRING IN NBC'S CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT RICHARD ENGEL IN UKRAINE, MATT BRADLEY IN TEL AVIV, MONICA ALBA IS COVERING THE WHITE HOUSE FOR US, AND RICK SINGLE SERVED AS UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA, HE IS ALSO AN MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR BEING MATT, HERE. MATT, LOOKING AT THESE LIVE PICTURES FROM ISRAEL, THE CROWDS DON'T SEEM TO BE GETTING ANY SMALLER, BUT NETANYAHU ISN'T BACKING DOWN. SO WHAT NOW? >> Reporter: WELL, I GOT TO TELL YOU, THE CROWDS DO LOOK A LITTLE SMALLER FROM WHEN I WAS THERE TWO NIGHTS AGO WHEN I WAS STANDING ON THE BRIDGE, YOU SAW THE IMAGES, THEY STRETCHED AS FAR AS THE EYE COULD SEE ON EITHER SIDE. BUT AS YOU SAID, THEY ARE STILL SUBSTANTIAL AND THE QUESTION IS, ARE THEY GOING TO BE KEEPING UP THE MOMENTUM BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO BE PLANNING THESE KINDS OF PROTESTS EVERY SINGLE NIGHT THIS WEEK. SO THE QUESTION FOR THE PROTESTERS IS ARE THEIR LOUD ANGRY VOICES BEING HEARD IN THE HALLS OF POWER BY THE LIKES OF BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND HIS RIGHT WING CABINET, THE MOST RIGHT WING IN ISRAELI HISTORY. BUT, THE QUESTION NOW IS BEING ANSWERED BECAUSE LAST NIGHT WE HEARD FROM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND HE GAVE WHAT STARTED OUT AS ALMOST AN ACT OF CONTRITION, HE SAID HE HAD ASKED THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE HOSTAGES WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED FOR FORGIVENESS FOR NOT BRINGING THEM BACK AND THEN TWISTED AND TURNED RIGHT TO ALMOST A LECTURING TONE TO THE ISRAELI PUBLIC, EXPLAINING WHY HE HAD PUT WHAT IS BEING CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST FORMIDABLE ROADBLOCKS AHEAD OF THE HOSTAGE NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH IS INSISTENCE ON KEEPING ISRAELI TROOPS IN THE PHILADELPHIA THAT'S ANOTHER NAME CORRIDOR. THAT'S ANOTHER NAME FOR THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE SOUTHERN GAZA STRIP THAT IS SHARED WITH THE SINAI PENINSULA. HE SAYS HE NEEDS TO KEEP THE TROOPS THERE TO PREVENT HAMAS AND OTHER GROUPS FROM IMPORTING ARMS AND FUNDS FROM EGYPT'S SINAI PENINSULA. HE SAID THAT'S BEEN FUELING ALL THIS VIOLENCE FROM THE GAZA STRIP FOR MANY YEARS, EVEN BEFORE OCTOBER 7th, AND HE SAID HE'S NOT YIELDING. HERE IS NETANYAHU HIMSELF IN THAT SPEECH. >> I WOULD DEFINE THE END OF THE WAR IN GAZA WHEN HAMAS NO LONGER RULES GAZA. WE THROW THEM OUT. WE'RE OUT TO DESTROY THE MILITARY CAPABILITIES OF HAMAS AND THE GOVERNING CAPABILITIES OF HAMAS AND WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO ACHIEVING BOTH. THAT IS TOTAL VICTORY. >> Reporter: NOW, COMPARE THOSE STATEMENTS TO WHAT I WAS HEARING IN THE PROTEST MARCHES JUST TWO NIGHTS AGO WHEN I WAS DOWN THERE, WE HAVE BEEN HEARING EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, AND IT IS CLEAR THERE ARE TWO CAMPS HERE IN ISRAEL RIGHT NOW, THEY FALL ALONG FAMILIAR POLITICAL FAULT ONE LINES. ONE IS BENJAMIN NETANYAHU WHO SAYS THE PRIORITY IS DESTROY THE OTHER ARE HAMAS. THE OTHER ARE ALL OF THESE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS WHO HAVE BEEN OUT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL NIGHTS WHO SAY THE PRIORITY NEEDS TO BE FREEING THE HOSTAGES, INCREASINGLY, REALLY, FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE LAST SUCCESSFUL TREATY IN IT HAS BEEN NOVEMBER. IT HAS BEEN SEEN THAT THOSE TWO GOALS OF THE CONFLICT IN THE GAZA STRIP ARE ENTIRELY AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER, AND BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HAS PITCHED HIS TENT SQUARELY IN THE ONE SAYING WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE DESTROYING HAMAS AND WE NEED TO PUT THAT AHEAD OF ANY NEGOTIATIONED PEACEFUL HOSTAGE DEAL. >> IT IS NOT CLEAR IF THESE PROTESTS WILL CHANGE THE CALCULUS FOR ISRAELI POLITICS, WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN FOR BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, BUT WHAT COULD IT POTENTIALLY MEAN FOR KAMALA HARRIS FOR A WHILE, THIS HAD BEEN LOWER ON THE RADAR IN THIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE DEATHS OF THOSE HOSTAGES HAS BROUGHT IT RIGHT BACK TO THE FORE. >> YES, CHRIS. IN THE CASE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ISRAEL, I MEAN, THE CONFLICT IN A WAY IS BETWEEN NETANYAHU, WHO CLAIMS TO WANT TO END THE WAR, AND, IN FACT, THE ENDING OF THE WAR WOULD PROBABLY MEAN THE END OF HIS RULE, THERE WAS A POLL JUST THE OTHER DAY SAYING 69% OF ISRAELIS DON'T WANT HIM TO RUN FOR PRIME MINISTER AGAIN. YES, THIS DOES SPILL OVER INTO THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN. AND VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS HAS ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. I WOULD SAY SHE'S BEEN TOED THE SAME LINE AS PRESIDENT BIDEN, EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AND ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO RESPOND, BUT ALSO EXPRESSED SYMPATHY FOR THE PALESTINIANS, THERE HAVE BEEN 40,000 PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED IN GAZA, MOST OF THEM WOMEN AND CHILDREN. YOU KNOW, THE BEST OUTCOME FOR MISS HARRIS WOULD BE A PEACE DEAL, SHE HAS TALKED EMPHATICALLY ABOUT THE NEED FOR A PEACE DEAL. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE PEACE DEAL IS GOOD FOR EVERYBODY, AND THAT IS THE THING THAT WOULD PRESERVE SOME ESTEEM FOR ISRAEL AROUND THE WORLD, YOU KNOW, THE VIEWS OF ISRAEL NOW ACROSS THE GLOBE HAVE BEEN ALMOST UNIFORMLY A PEACE NEGATIVE. A PEACE DEAL WOULD BE GOOD FOR >> NO DOUBT EVERYBODY. >> NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT, MONICA. BUT THE PRESIDENT WAS ABSOLUTELY BLUNT WHEN HE SAID NETANYAHU HADN'T DONE ENOUGH TO REACH A HE ALSO DEAL. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE IS IN NEGOTIATIONS NOT WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, ONLY WITH HIS COUNTERPARTS IN QATAR AND EGYPT. SO WHAT ARE THE PRACTICAL AND POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS GOING INTO THE ADMINISTRATION'S NEXT MOVE HERE? >> Reporter: WELL, LOOK, CHRIS, IF THIS FEELS FAMILIAR, IT IS BECAUSE IT IS. WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS PLACE BEFORE TIME AND TIME AGAIN, WHERE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID WE'RE SO CLOSE, THIS IS SO CLOSE TO THE END, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OUTSTANDING ISSUES THAT CAN BE RESOLVED, THE PARTIES CAN COME CLOSE TOGETHER AND WE CAN HAVE A DEAL. BUT THIS TAKES ON COMPLETELY NEW URGENCY GIVEN WHAT YOU WERE JUST DISCUSSING, WITH THE EVENTS OF THIS WEEKEND AND THE MURDER OF THOSE SIX HOSTAGES. BUT, PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU SEEMS TO HAVE DUG IN AS EVER, SO THAT LEAVES THE U.S. IN THIS POSITION WHERE THEY NEED TO MAKE A DETERMINATION ABOUT IF NOTHING ELSE HAS WORKED TO THIS POINT, IF THIS HAS BEEN SO ELUSIVE, WHAT CAN BE DONE NOW? I'M TOLD THAT THERE IS THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT A POSSIBILITY OF A TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT TYPE DEAL, THAT THE U.S. WOULD PUT FORWARD TO THE NEGOTIATING PARTIES AND SAY IF YOU BOTH REJECT THIS, THEN THE U.S. WILL WALK AWAY FROM ITS NEGOTIATING ROLE POTENTIALLY, AGAIN, NO FINAL DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ON THAT APPROACH, BUT THAT THAT COULD BE MAYBE THE ONLY PRESSURE TACTIC THAT IS LEFT TO TRY TO GET BOTH OF THESE PARTIES TO A THERE IS DEAL. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THAT WILL WORK EITHER AND THERE ARE STILL AMERICAN HOSTAGES THAT ARE BEING HELD IN GAZA BY HAMAS. SO THERE IS THE CONSIDERATION OF WELL WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM AS WELL. SO ALL OF THAT IS BEING DISCUSSED BEHIND THE SCENES. YESTERDAY THERE WAS A BIG SITUATION ROOM MEETING LED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS WAS IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL, AND ALL OF THOSE TOP OFFICIALS DISCUSSED THESE POTENTIAL NEXT STEPS AND THE MENU OF OPTIONS, BUT, REMEMBER THEY HAD ALREADY HAD THIS PROPOSAL THAT WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT THEY THOUGHT IF ANYTHING WAS GOING TO BE REALIZED, WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT NOW THEY NEED TO UPDATE IT BECAUSE IN PHASE ONE, THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT ABOUT WHAT KINDS OF HOSTAGES WOULD BE RELEASED AND IN THAT WE EXPECTED THAT AMERICAN HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN WOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED BEFORE HE WAS TRAGICALLY KILLED. SO, THEY NEED TO GO BACK AND MAKE SOME TWEAKS TO A FRAMEWORK, AGAIN, THAT COULD MAYBE COME TO SOME KIND. A CONCLUSION, BUT THE U.S. IS SAYING WE WANT THAT TO HAPPEN AS SOON AS THIS WEEK,