- Welcome to the 700 Club,
peace in the Middle East has been the goal
of every US president in recent memory.
President Trump is no different
but he's taking a far different approach
than his predecessors,he's asking Christians
for their input.
- CBN news has learnedthe president is talking
with evangelical leaders abouthis Middle East peace plan.
White House correspondentBen Kennedy spoke
with some of those leadersabout their meeting
with the commander in chief.
- Faith leaders told theWhite House to never forget
that Iran remains the realenemy in the Middle East,
that being said, the deal won't work
unless the Palestinianauthority is open to talks.
To solve that dilemma, theTrump Administration wanted
to hear directly from Christian leaders.
- We were stunned by that.
- [Ben] Stunned that theWhite House wanted input
from leaders like Pastor JackGraham on Middle East peace.
- We talked about of coursethe sovereignty of Israel,
that that's very important for Christians
and in particular biblebelieving Christians,
that Israel has a rightto exist and Jerusalem
as it's capital.
- [Ben] In the meetingthat included secretary
of state Mike Pompeoand the president's son
in law Jared Kushner, Grahamand others urged the security
of Israel must be a priority.
- Making sure that Israel is safe as long
as people keep throwing bombs at Israel,
it's gonna be difficult to have peace
so everybody understandsthat but at the same time,
we talked about partnershipswith Arab countries
and governments that could be partners
and economic development I thinkwill be a part of the plan.
- [Ben] Another attendee PasterJentezen Franklin agrees.
Do you think this plan couldactually stop the violence
along the Gaza border?
- I believe there's a possibility,
there is a different, there'ssomething that is working
and people like JaredKushner and Jason Greenblatt
and others are workin' diligently trying
to find some middle ground.
- The middle ground couldinclude a two state solution,
that challenge lies withthe Palestinian authority
who has refused to speakwith the White House
since President Trump recognized Jerusalem
as Israel's capital.
What needs to be in this plan
to get the Palestinianauthority to the table
to even talk?
- Opportunity, everyoneneeds to live with hope
and so many Palestinian peopleare living without hope.
- The White House has stoppedshort in releasing details
about the Middle Eastpeace plan, in September,
President Trump said itwould be ready in four months
but it's clear more time wasneeded to hash out a deal.
Ben Kennedy, CBN News, the White House.
- Well, I hate to be thevoice of discouragement
in this conversation but Ijust don't see a peace deal.
As long as Hamas is in controlof Gaza, as long as the PLO
which is effectively the organization
that started the Palestinian authority,
they have in their charter
that wiping Israel offthe map is their goal
so unless you wanna put Jaffa on the table
or Haifa on the table orTel Aviv on the table,
you're not going to get theminto any kind of peace deal.
Then on top of it, you have UNWRA,
the UN Relief Works Agencywhich has been around
for over 70 years now
where they effectively payPalestinians to continue
to be refugees and ourgovernment has supported that
for decades and still supports it,
even though President Trumphas reduced the allocation,
that whole pay to slay program
that the Palestinian authority was doing
where if you commit murderagainst Israelis, well,
the government will then pay you,
the Palestinian authoritywill then pay you.
Until we knock out thosekinds of economic supports
and until Hamas no longer exists in Gaza,
I just don't see any hope of peace.
They consistently saythey want to drive Israel
into the sea so howcan you ever have peace
with that kind of adversary.
In other news, President Trumpis getting out of Washington
as the battle over theMulla Report heats up.
John Jessup has more on thatstory from our CBN News Bureau
in Washington, John?
- Thanks, Gordon, President Trump's visit
to California today
to see new barriers alongthe southern border comes
as he's backing away from earlier threats
to close the US border with Mexico.
He says he'll give Mexicoa year to stop the flow
of illegal drugs or he'llimpose tariffs on cars
from that country, all this as the fight
over releasing the Mullareport reaches fever pitch.
Members of special councilRobert Mueller's team
telling the New York Times
that attorney generalWilliam Barr's summary quote,
"Undersold their findings."
Barr says he legally cannotrelease the full report
or the summaries from Mueller's team
but he says he'll have a redactedversion ready for release
by mid April, that's notgood enough for democrats.
- There's an easy answer tothis, release the Mulla report
as soon as possible
and let me just say the Mullareport will be released.
- President Trump responding in a tweet,
"There is nothing we canever give to the democrats
that will make them happy."
Well, President Trump alsosays he'll nominate Herman Cain
to a seat on the federal reserve board.
The former godfather's pizza CEO
sought the republicannomination for president
in 2012, he's also a Trump ally,
like fellow potential fednominee Steven Morcain
is a critic of fed policies.
President Trump has strongly criticized
fed Sherman Jerome Powellfor raising interest rates,
saying, "It's put a drag on the economy."
Well an unlikely relationshipis helping Virginia move
toward racial reconciliation, the sentence
of two key players inthe history of slavery
in America are workingtogether to heal wounds.
CBN senior correspondentEric Philips reports
from Richmond the formercapital of the confederacy.
- If you're not feeling thesouls of the departed here,
something's wrong with you.
- It's a moment of realityand acknowledgement
and a sacred time actually to just realize
what our ancestors went through
so that we actually are still here today.
- [Narrator] On this day, a coalition
from across Virginia walks a part
of the Richmond slave trail, one stop,
the historic Lumpkin's jail site
where hundreds of thousandsof slaves were bought
and sold, Virginians forreconciliation started last year
to confront racism, one founder,
former governor Bob McDonnell says,
"Moving forward is impossible
without acknowledgingthe wrongs of the past."
- Because this story has tobe told about what happened
within 300 yards of the state capital,
the governor's mansion, peoplewere being bought and sold,
families being rippedapart, we have to understand
what does that still mean today.
- [Narrator] Among thegroup out of town guests
with a special history.
Lynne Jackson is adescendant of Dred Scott,
a slave who notably sued thegovernment for his freedom.
In 1857, the case woundup in the supreme court
with then chief justice Roger Brooke Taney
playing a lead role in striking it down,
standing next to Jackson on this day,
one of Taney's descendants.
- Roger Brooke Taney made a decision
that blacks were inferior to the whites
and had no standing as acitizen, could not be citizens
and therefore he had nostanding to sue for his freedom.
- [Narrator] The two now work together,
spreading the message ofeducation and reconciliation.
- The person causing the harmhas to recognize they did it.
They have to go to the injuredparty and recognize to them
that they hurt them andthey have to express regret
and then their injuredparty has to forgive you
for that and when we didthat, the Scots embraced us
and forgave us.
- If they can do it, weshould all take encouragement
and be able to do it.
- Because for Dred Scott and Taney
to be working together
is something most people wouldthink would never happen.
- [Narrator] That's why thetwo felt it was important
to be here on this day together.
- Former governor Bob McDonnell says,
"Later on this year, groundwill be broken right here
on this site with moneythat was appropriated
during his administrationto tell the story
of slave trading here inVirginia and what those men
and women had to endure."
The timing is important as thecountry remembers 400 years
since the first slaveswere brought to America.
- It started here inVirginia in that sense
and we would like it to come full circle
and possibly end here.
- [Eric] In Richmond,Eric Philips, CBN News.
- Thanks, Eric, for that report, well,
the history channel iscounting down to Easter
with a new docuseries onthe life of Jesus and one
of America's most popular pastors
is the project's executive producer,
Pastor Joel Osteen givesour (muffled) a closer look
at the series Jesus: His Life.
- If you believe, youwill see the glory of God.
- [Narrator] Jesus is coming to Jerusalem
to say that the currentworld is wrong and we need
to change it.
- [Graham] It's thegreatest story ever told
and Jesus: His Life tellsChrist's story through the eyes
of those who knew him best.
- And receiving favor--
- Pastor and best sellingauthor Joel Osteen is one
of the voices in the fourpart history channel series
and it's executive producer.
What was it about this project
that made you not only beinterviewed but lend yourself
to serve as executive producer.
- Well, I think it's another great way
to get the message out ofthe gospel, of the good news
and some people aren'tgonna listen to a minister
on television but theywill watch a documentary.
It tells the story of Jesus' life
from a historicalperspective, really a lot
that we can all learn.
- [Graham] More than 20 faithleaders join Pastor Osteen
in this series to help get the gospel out.
- She was the one chosen by God.
- [Woman] It would'vebeen difficult for Mary
to tell Joseph what happened.
- Joseph is conflicted,
he doesn't immediately believe the story
about the Holy Spirit andthen on the other hand,
he doesn't want to hurt her.
- What new lessons did youlearn about the life of Jesus
from working on this project?
- I think the new lessonsis more about the culture
at the time, you know, Igrew up as a preacher's kid
and some of that, some ofthese things I didn't learn,
you know, growing up just the culture
and the historical times andso that's what I really like.
- I am with you always tothe very end of the age.
- Efrem Graham, CBN News.
- Thanks, Efrem, well,
you can catch the two remaining episodes
of Jesus: His Life Mondaynights on the history channel.
CBN's documentary To Life,
how Israeli volunteersare changing the world
was screened recentlyat the United Nations.
The film explores five Israeliorganizations dedicated
to helping people around theglobe whether they are friend
or foe, the documentaryhas also been nominated
for two daytime Emmy awards,winners will be announced
on May fifth, congratulations, Gordon,
we're all rootin' for the film.
- I'm especially rootin'for the film but thanks
to ambassador Danny Danonwho screened it at the UN,
he's the Israeli ambassador of the UN,
we wanna get the messageout to as many people
as possible, here's Israel, a tiny nation
about the size of New Jersey
but they're providing humanitarianrelief to over a hundred
and 40 countries around theworld and just imagine that,
here they are, if there wasany country in the world
that could say, well, we'vegot enough problems here
at home, we've gotta deal withterrorism on a regular basis,
but no, they say, no, we wanna help people
and that includes helping Palestinians,
that includes helped Iraqis,people who are being persecuted
by ISIS, they're helping theworld so if you wanna see it,
it can be yours for a gift of $10 or more.
We'd be glad to send it to you so call us.
1800-700-7000 and say yes,I would like to get a copy
of To Life and we'll ship you out the DVD.
You can also order it on CBN.com.
