*

Chris: THIS WEEK ON

"JERUSALEM DATELINE," U.S.

PRESIDENT TRUMP LAUNCHES A

MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST

SYRIA BECAUSE OF ITS USE

OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS.

President Trump: IT

IS IN THIS VITAL NATIONAL

SECURITY INTEREST OF THE

UNITED STATES TO PREVENT

AND DETER THE SPREAD AND

USE OF DEADLY CHEMICAL

WEAPONS.

Chris: AND THE STRIKE

SHIFTS THE MIDDLE EAST.

YOU SEE THAT AMERICA IS

BACK.

Chris: PLUS, A LOOK

AT HOW ARAB AND JEWS CAN

STUDY SIDE BY SIDE IN THIS

SCHOOL.

ALL OF THIS AND MORE THIS

WEEK ON "JERUSALEM

DATELINE."

HELLO, AND WELCOME TO THIS

EDITION OF "JERUSALEM

DATELINE."

I'M CHRIS MITCHELL.

U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD

TRUMP ORDERED A MILITARY

STRIKE AGAINST SYRIA

FOLLOWING A HORRIFIC

CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACK BY

BASHAR al-ASSAD.

THE ACTION PROMISES TO

DRAMATICALLY SHIFT THE

MIDDLE EAST, AND EVEN THE

WORLD.

59 TOMAHAWK MISSILES TOOK

OFF FROM U.S. WARSHIPS IN

THE MEDITERRANEAN, HIT A

SYRIAN AIR BASE, AND

CHANGED THE DYNAMIC IN THE

MIDDLE EAST.

PRESIDENT TRUMP EXPLAINED

HIS REASON FOR THE ATTACK.

President Trump:

TONIGHT I ORDERED A

TARGETED MILITARY STRIKE

ON THE AIR FIELD IN SYRIA,

FROM WHERE THE CHEMICAL

ATTACK WAS LAUNCHED.

IT IS IN THIS VITAL

NATIONAL SECURITY INTEREST

OF THE UNITED STATES TO

PREVENT AND DETER THE

SPREAD AND USE OF DEADLY

CHEMICAL WEAPONS.

Chris: PRESIDENT

TRUMP SAID HORRIFIC IMAGES

OF THE CHEMICAL ATTACK

CHANGED HIS MIND.

President Trump: IT

WAS A SLOW AND BRUTAL

DEATH FOR SO MANY.

EVEN BEAUTIFUL BABIES WERE

CRUELLY MURDERED IN THIS

VERY BARBARIC ATTACK.

NO CHILD OF GOD SHOULD

EVER SUFFER SUCH HORROR.

Chris: HERE IN

ISRAEL, PRIME MINISTER

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU

APPLAUDED PRESIDENT TRUMP

AND SAID IN A STATEMENT,

IN BOTH WORD AND ACTION

PRESIDENT TRUMP SENT A

CLEAR MESSAGE TODAY THAT

THE USE AND SPREAD OF

CHEMICAL WEAPONS WILL NOT

BE TOLERATED.

ISRAEL FULLY SUPPORTS

PRESIDENT TRUMP'S DECISION

AND HOPES THAT THIS

MESSAGE OF RESOLVE IN THE

FACE OF THE ASSAD REGIME'S

HORRIFIC ACTIONS WILL

RESONATE ONLY IN DAMASCUS,

BUT IN PYEONGCHANG AND

ELSEWHERE.

WE THINK THAT AMERICA

IS BACK.

Chris: THIS FORMER

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE

U.S. SAYS THE STRIKE SENT

A STRONG MESSAGE TO U.S.

ALLIES IN THE REGION.

I THINK THEY'RE VERY

HAPPY.

BECAUSE EGYPT, SAUDI

ARABIA, JORDAN -- ALL GULF

COUNTRIES -- WERE UNDER

THE THREAT OF IRAN.

Chris: SECRETARY OF

STATE REX TILLERSON SAYS

THE REMOVAL OF ASSAD IS ON

THE TABLE.

ASSAD'S ROLE IN THE

FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN,

CLEARLY.

WITH THE ACTS HE HAS

TAKEN, IT WOULD SEEM THAT

THERE WOULD BE NO REALM

FOR HIM TO GOVERN THE

SYRIAN PEOPLE.

WILL YOU AND PRESIDENT

TRUMP ORGANIZE AN

INTERNATIONAL COALITION TO

REMOVE ASSAD?

THOSE STEPS ARE UNDER

WAY.

WHATEVER ANGLE YOU LOOK

AT WHAT HAPPENED LAST

NIGHT, IT IS VERY, VERY

IMPORTANT, VERY, VERY

SIGNIFICANT TO THE MIDDLE

EAST, AND ALSO TO RUSSIA

AND CHINA.

BECAUSE IT IS PART OF THE

AMERICAN ARENA.

THE AMERICAN ARENA IS ALL

OVER.

Chris: PRESIDENT

TRUMP ENDED THIS STATEMENT

WITH A PLEA FOR GOD'S

HELP.

President Trump: WE

ASK FOR GOD'S WISDOM AS WE

FACE THE CHALLENGE OF OUR

VERY TROUBLED WORLD.

WE PRAY FOR THE LIVES OF

THE WOUNDED AND FOR THE

SOULS OF THOSE WHO HAVE

PASSED.

AND WE HOPE THAT AS LONG

AS AMERICA STANDS FOR

JUSTICE, THEN PEACE AND

HARMONY WILL, IN THE END,

PREVAIL.

Chris: AT LEAST 80

PEOPLE DIED IN THE ATTACK,

AND THE BRITISH-BASED

OBSERVATORY FOR HUMAN

RIGHTS SAYS 20 CHILDREN

AND 17 WOMEN ARE AMONG THE

DEAD.

HERE IS A LOOK AT THE

AFTERMATH OF THE ATTACK.

WE CAUTION YOU THAT THIS

VIDEO CONTAINS DISTURBING

IMAGES.

[SPEAKING A FOREIGN

LANGUAGE]

[SPEAKING A FOREIGN

LANGUAGE]

IT IS AN ATTACK ON

SILVERCIVILIANS AND CHILDREN,

ESPECIALLY WITH CHEMICAL

WEAPONS.

HE IS A WAR CRIMINAL.

WHAT HE HAS DONE TO HIS

PEOPLE IS NOTHING MORE

THAN DISGUSTING.

[SPEAKING A FOREIGN

LANGUAGE]

Chris: COMING UP, A

LOOK AT THE PLIGHT OF

MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIANS.

THERE IS A GREAT DANGER

THAT THERE WILL BE NO

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IN THE

MIDDLE EAST IN THE NEXT

100 YEARS, MAYBE LESS.

*

Chris: WELCOME BACK.

ONE OF THE TRAGEDY IN THE

MIDDLE EAST IS THE

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A

CHILLING SLOGAN THAT IS

FOUND THROUGHOUT THE

MIDDLE EAST: "I SATURDAY

WE KILL THE JEWS, ON

SUNDAY WE KILL THE

CHRISTIANS."

IT IS GRAFFITI WRITTEN BY

RADICAL ISLAMISTS.

SCOTT ROSS SAT DOWN TO

TALK ABOUT THE LINK

BETWEEN THE PERSECUTION OF

JEWS AND THE PERSECUTION

OF CHRISTIANS.

IT IS A TOPIC STILL

RELEVANT TODAY.

Reporter: LEILA

GILBERT IS A CALIFORNIA

AUTHOR WHO SPENDS MUCH OF

HER TIME IN JERUSALEM.

I SPOKE WITH HER

OVERLOOKING JERUSALEM'S

OLD CITY, AND HEARD WHAT

SHE DISCOVERED BOY RADICAL ABOUT

RADICAL ISLAMIC PLANS TO

FIRST RID THE MIDDLE EAST

OF JEWS AND THEN OF

CHRISTIANS.

SHE ARRIVED DURING THE

2006 WAR WITH HEZBOLLAH

AND DECIDED TO STAY.

AND NOW, OUT OF ALL OF

THIS, A BOOK.

I WAS FASCINATED BY THE

TITLE: "SATURDAY PEOPLE,

SUNDAY PEOPLE."

DEFINE THAT SIGNIFICANCE.

IT IS GRAFFITI FROM

RADICAL ISLAMISTS THAT

APPEARS THROUGHOUT THE

MIDDLE EAST.

AND IN THE BEST TERMS IT

SAYS FIRST COMES SATURDAY

AND THEN COMES SUNDAY.

BUT THERE IS A FLAG IN THE

BOOK THAT SAYS, "ON

SATURDAY WE KILL THE JEWS,

ON SUNDAY WE KILL THE

CHRISTIANS."

Reporter: SHE SAYS

ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE

WORLD'S ISLAMS ARE NOT

VIOLENT, THEY ARE BEING

DROWNED OUT.

I THINK THE INFLUENCES

THEY'RE UNDER NOW, BOTH

GOVERNMENTALLY, AND IN

TERMS OF VARIOUS MOSQUES,

THERE IS AN INFLUENCE THAT

IS INESCAPEABLE.

Reporter: AND UNDER

THE INFLUENCE, PERSECUTION

OF CHRISTIANS HAS

EXPLODED, SO MUCH SO THAT

CHRISTIANS ARE LEAVING IN

DROVES.

THERE IS A REAL DANGER

THERE WILL BE NO

CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE

EAST IN THE NEXT 100

YEARS, MAYBE LESS.

Reporter: WHERE IN

THE MIDDLE EAST ARE WE

TALKING?

THE COUNTRIES THAT

KICKED THE JEWS OUT

BETWEEN 1948 AND 1970 --

THERE ARE HARDLY ANY JEWS

LEFT IN THOSE COUNTRIES.

THERE ARE ABOUT 10

COUNTRIES.

AND NOW THE CHRISTIANS ARE

GOING THROUGH THE SAME

KIND OF ABUSE.

Reporter: YOU USED

THE TERM IN THE BOOK

"CULTURAL INTIFADA."

AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN ABOUT

THAT?

I WAS REFERRING TO THE

TEMPLE MOUNT, WHERE THIS

IS MOST EVIDENT, BUT IT

HAS SPREAD TO GREATER

ISRAEL.

BECAUSE CERTAIN LEADERS IN

THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY DENY

THAT THERE WAS EVER A

TEMPLE ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT

OR THERE WAS EVER A JEWISH

ROOT IN THIS LAND.

Reporter: ISN'T THAT

WHY IT IS CALLED THE

TEMPLE MOUNT?

THAT'S CORRECT.

IN FACT, EVEN IN SOME OF

THE MUSLIM LITERATURE FROM

THE TURN OF THE CENTURY,

IT SPEAKS OF THE TEMPLE ON

THE TEMPLE MOUNT.

BUT THIS STARTED WITH

ARAFAT, AT LEAST THE MOST

PUBLIC STATEMENT OF IT.

HE SAID THERE WAS NEVER A

TEMPLE THERE.

Reporter:

ARCHEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

THROWN OUT BY MUSLIM

BUILDERS FROM UNDER THE

TEMPLE MOUNT SHOWS THAT

NOT ONLY WERE THERE FIRST

AND SECOND JEWISH TEMPLES

AT THE SITE, BUT AT ONE

TIME THERE WAS A CHRISTIAN

BASILICA.

TODAY NEITHER JEWS NOR

CHRISTIANS ARE ALLOWED TO

PRAY, SING, OR OPENLY

WORSHIP AT THE HOLY SITE.

DOESN'T ISLAM BELIEVE THAT

THIS IS WHERE MUHAMMAD

ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN ON A

WHITE HORSE?

YES.

THAT'S WHAT THEY BELIEVE,

AND THAT'S THE ONLY REASON

IT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM.

IN FACT, IT IS

INTERESTING.

JERUSALEM IS NOT EVEN

MENTIONED IN THE QURAN AT

ALL.

Reporter: SO WHY IS

IT SO IMPORTANT TO THE

MUSLIMS?

WELL, THE MUSLIMS HAVE

SORT OF FOUND POLITICAL

REASONS TO EMPHASIZE

CERTAIN THINGS OVER THE

CENTURIES.

AND WHENEVER JERUSALEM HAS

BECOME IMPORTANT, IT HAS

BECOME IMPORTANT BECAUSE

OF THEIR OWN REGIMES,

WHEREVER THEY WERE PLACED,

WHETHER IN SYRIA OR EGYPT

OR WHEREVER.

BUT NOW, OF COURSE, IT HAS

BECOME THE CENTER OF

EVERYTHING BECAUSE THEY

WANT AN ISLAMIC EMPIRE AND

THEY DO NOT WANT JEWS OR

CHRISTIANS IN IT.

SO THEY SAY THERE ARE NO

JEWISH ROOTS HERE.

Reporter: PERSECUTION

BY ISLAMISTS IS NOT THE

ONLY CHALLENGE FOR

CHRISTIANS HERE.

I ASKED LEILA HOW

CHRISTIANS RELATE TO EACH

OTHER HERE IN THE HOLY

LAND.

THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIAN

SECTS, DENOMINATIONS,

ETC., IN THIS LAND.

HOW ARE THEY DOING WITH

ONE ANOTHER?

NOT TOO WELL.

Reporter: NO?

THEY'RE NOT DOING MUCH

BETTER THAN THE ONES IN

AMERICA.

YOU HAVE CHRISTIANS

ARGUING ABOUT PROPHECY,

AND EVANGELICALS ARGUING

ABOUT ALL KINDS OF THINGS,

MUCH LESS THE OLD CHURCHES

THAT HAVE ANCIENT RIFTS

WITHIN THEMSELVES THAT GO

BACK TO THE FOURTH

CENTURY.

SO IT IS NOT SURPRISING.

BUT WE ALL LOOK PRETTY

MUCH THE SAME THROUGH A

JIHADI RIFLE SITE, AND

MAYBE WE NEED TO REMEMBER

THAT.

Reporter: ARE YOU

HOPEFUL?

I'M HOPEFUL BECAUSE OF

MY FAITH IN THE LORD AND

HIS WAY OF WORKING THINGS

OUT.

POLITICALLY I CAN'T

UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING TO

HAPPEN.

MY HOPE IS IN HIM.

THAT'S THE ONLY HOPE I

HAVE.

AND I BELIEVE IN HIM, AND

HE HAS WORKED IN MY LIFE

IN SO MANY MIRACULOUS

WAYS, THAT I HAVE TO

BELIEVE THAT HE IS GOING

TO WORK AMONGST HIS PEOPLE

AND BRING THEM TOGETHER

AND PROTECT THEM.

Chris: UP NEXT, SEE

HOW ONE UNIVERSITY IS A

MODEL OF CO-EXISTENCE WITH

JEWS AND ARABS LIVING AND

STUDYING SIDE BY SIDE.

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH

OTHER PEOPLE IS VERY GOOD.

AND I DON'T HAVE ANY

PROBLEM WITH ANYONE HERE.

TO "JERUSALEM DATELINE."

LATELY THERE IS TALK OF A

REGIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE

TO RESOLVE THE

ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN

CONFLICT.

BUT YOU MAY BE SURPRISED

TO KNOW THERE ARE SOME

PLACES HERE IN ISRAEL

WHERE JEWS AND ARABS LIVE

AND EVEN STUDY TOGETHER.

CBN'S SCOTT ROSS BRINGS US

THAT STORY FROM ISRAEL'S

BIBLICAL HEARTLAND.

Scott: THIS IS ARIEL

UNIVERSITY, LOCATED IN THE

HILLS OF BIBLICAL SAMARIA.

ESTABLISHED IN 1982, THE

SCHOOL SOUGHT TO IMPROVE

HIGHER EDUCATION HERE,

ESPECIALLY IN THE

SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND

HEALTH.

WE'RE STANDING IN FRONT OF

NOW A PARTICLE

ACCELERATOR.

YES.

Scott: WHAT IS THE

PURPOSE OF A PARTICLE

ACCELERATOR?

DOES EVERY HOME NEED ONE?

YOU DO HAVE A LITTLE

ONE IN EVERY HOME.

YOU HAVE A MICROWAVE OVEN.

AND IN THAT YOU HAVE A

LITTLE PARTICLE

ACCELERATOR, AND IT

CREATES THE RADIATION.

Scott: THIS PROFESSOR

TOLD ME THERE ARE ONLY A

FEW OF THESE MACHINES IN

THE WORLD.

THE MAIN RESEARCH THAT

WE ACTUALLY HAVE OCCURRING

HERE NOW IS CANCER

RESEARCH.

WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT

THAT PARTICULAR RADIATION

CAUSES CANCER CELLS TO

KILL THEMSELVES.

Scott: KILL

THEMSELVES?

YES.

Scott: PUT THEM ON A

SUICIDE MISSION?

EXACTLY.

BUT ALL OF THE HEALTHY

CELLS ARE ALIVE AND WELL.

Scott: THE

UNIVERSITY'S HOME IS

ARIEL, WHAT SOME CALL A

WEST BANK SETTLE AND

TERRITORY PALESTINIANS

WANT FOR A FUTURE STATE.

IT IS ALSO A LAND PROMISED

TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE AS AN

ETERNAL INHERITANCE IN THE

BIBLE.

BUT YOU HAVE BEEN

BOYCOTTED AT TIMES?

WE HAVE BEEN BOYCOTTED

BY THE EUROPEAN

GOVERNMENTS AND THE U.S.

STATE DEPARTMENT.

Scott: ODDLY ENOUGH,

DESPITE THE POLITICS, THE

UNIVERSITY REPRESENTS A

MODEL FOR CO-EXISTENCE.

15,000 ISRAELI JEWISH AND

ARAB STUDENTS STUDY HERE

TOGETHER WITHOUT A

PROBLEM.

I SPOKE WITH A VARIETY OF

THE SUBSTITUTES.

SHERA, A JEWISH WOMAN FROM

NEW YORK, AFRAT, A

RELIGIOUS ISRAELI WOMAN,

AND YASSER, AN ISRAELI

SOLDIER, AND AFFAT, WHO

IMMIGRATED HERE.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME

HERE?

I WAS LOOKING FOR A

GOOD PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM,

AND I FOUND IT HERE.

Scott: ANYBODY ELSE?

IT IS A PROFESSIONAL

DEPARTMENT HERE, AND

ESPECIALLY IN

COMMUNICATIONS.

THE PEOPLE HERE ARE SO

WARM AND HAPPY, AND THE

TEACHERS, TOO.

IT IS A SMALL UNIVERSITY,

SO THEY CAN GIVE GOOD CARE

TO EVERY STUDENT THEY SEE.

Scott: DO YOU AGREE

WITH WHAT HE'S SAYING

ABOUT THE ATMOSPHERE?

YES.

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER

PEOPLE IS VERY GOOD, WELL.

AND I DON'T HAVE ANY

PROBLEM WITH ANYONE.

Scott: DO ANY OF YOU

GET ANY HASSLES OR

PROBLEMS FROM FAMILY

MEMBERS BECAUSE YOU HAVE

CHOSEN TO COME TO SCHOOL

HERE?

THERE ARE A LOT OF

HOSTILE ARABS AROUND HERE.

THERE ARE A LOT OF

INCIDENTS AROUND HERE.

SO THE PARENTS ARE AFRAID

FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

Scott: IT WOULD SEEM

THAT YOU COULD BE A MODEL

FOR THE REST OF THE

COUNTRY BETWEEN JEWS,

ARABS, WHATEVER -- IS THAT

TRUE?

HOPEFULLY.

OF COURSE.

IN MY APARTMENT, NEXT

DOOR THERE ARE ARAB

PEOPLE, AND WE HAVE A GOOD

RELATIONSHIP.

WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM AT

ALL.

Scott: ARE YOU

SURPRISED BY HOW AFFECTIVE

YOU GUYS ARE?

I HAVE TO BE PARENT OF

THE SYSTEM HERE THAT SENDS

A MESSAGE TO EVERYONE.

AND THE THING IS THAT

PEOPLE REMEMBER THIS PLACE

FROM BAD TIMES, HARSH

TIMES, OR BAD PUBLICITY IN

THE NEWS.

BUT NOBODY REALLY COMES

HERE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS,

AND SO THEY DON'T REALLY

KNOW.

Scott: THAT'S WHY

WE'RE HERE.

MAYBE IT WILL CHANGE

SOMETHING NOW BECAUSE

PEOPLE REALLY THINK IT IS

A VERY HARD OR NOT A SAFE

PLACE, BUT IT IS NOT TRUE.

Scott: CHANCELLOR

ORGAD CREDITS THE

UNIVERSITY'S SUCCESS FOR

CREATING AN INFORMAL

ATMOSPHERE WHERE STUDENTS

SEE EACH OTHER EYE TO EYE.

DO YOU HAVE MANY CONFLICTS

HERE AT THE UNIVERSITY?

NOT AT ALL.

THERE WAS NO ONE EVENING

OR ONE DAY OF TENSION

BETWEEN JEWS AND ARABS

THAT STUDY HERE.

Scott: DESPITE ITS

CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH AND

PASTORAL SETTING AND QUIET

CAMPUS LIFE, SOME SEE

ARIEL UNIVERSITY AS A

CONTROVERSIAL PLACE.

HAVE YOU HAD PROBLEMS WITH

THE INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNITY OR WITH OTHER

ISRAELIS?

WE DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS

WITH OTHER UNIVERSITIES

AND RESEARCH INSTITUTES.

WE HAVE REAL PROBLEMS WITH

MANY GOVERNMENTS.

FIRST OF ALL IN EUROPE AND

PART OF THE AMERICAN

GOVERNMENT, I.E., THE

STATE DEPARTMENT, THAT

TRIES TO BOYCOTT US

FORMALLY OR INFORMALLY.

Scott: WHY?

BECAUSE THEY THINK WE

DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT AS

JEWS TO LIVE HERE IN

SOMALIA.

Scott: DO YOU HAVE

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE FOR

PEACE FOR ISRAEL?

I'M SURE ONE DAY WE'RE

GOING TO HAVE PEACE WITH

OUR ARAB NEIGHBORS.

PEACE OR AT LEAST

UNDERSTANDING THAT TO STAY

WE SHOULD FIND A WAY TO

LIVE IN PEACE.

Scott: SCOTT ROSS,

ARIEL UNIVERSITY, SAMARIA.

Chris: COMING UP, AN

ENCOURAGEMENT TO PRAY FOR

THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA, WHEN

WE COME BACK.

*

Chris: WELCOME BACK.

THOSE IMAGES WE SHOWED

EARLIER OF THE CHEMICAL

ATTACK INSIDE SYRIA ARE

DIFFICULT TO WATCH.

BUT WITH THIS U.S.

MILITARY STRIKE, AT LEAST

SOME HERE IN THE MIDDLE

EAST ARE HOPEFUL IT MIGHT

SIGNAL THE END OF THE LONG

AND DEADLY SYRIAN CIVIL

WAR.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AN END TO

THIS TRAGEDY THAT HAS TORN

THIS REGION APART.

AND PLEASE PRAY FOR THE

SYRIAN PEOPLE.

AND AS THE APOSTLE PAUL

REMINDED US, PRAY FOR

LEADERS IN AUTHORITY, LIKE

PRESIDENT TRUMP AND OTHER

LEADERS IN THE REGION, AND

REMEMBER TO FOLLOW US ON

Facebook, TWITTER, AND

INSTAGRAM, AND PLEASE LET

US KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD

LIKE TO SEE ON OUR

PROGRAM.

YOU CAN SEND US A MESSAGE

TO OUR Facebook PAGE.

THAT'S ALL FOR THIS

EDITION.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I'M CHRIS MITCHELL.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON

"JERUSALEM DATELINE."