(high-pitched noise wailing)

- [Chris] This week on Jerusalem Dateline,

another attack on shippingin the Persian Gulf

raises the stakes between the US and Iran.

Plus, CBN News gets a rare look

inside the biggest Hezbollahterror tunnel uncovered

by the IDF.

- [Jonathan] You can see the winch here

on the wall over there, electricity,

communications, lighting.

- And a look at what someare calling the miracle

of how the Sea of Galileeis being restored.

Hello, and welcome to thisedition of Jerusalem Dateline.

I'm Chris Mitchell.

Tensions between the USand Iran are heightened

as the Islamic Republic appears poised

to break its nuclear deal with Europe

and after officials saythe regime attached bombs

to oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

CBN's Jennifer Wishonexplains US officials say

they have the evidence to prove it.

(power tool whirring)

- Here it is.

Pentagon officials say this video captured

by Navy surveillance provesIran is behind the explosions

that rocked two oil tankersin the Middle East Thursday.

The footage, officials say,shows Iran's Revolutionary Guard

pulling alongside a targeted ship

to remove evidence, anunexploded limpet mine attached

to the ship's hull by a magnet.

The attacks are similar tothose officials say Iran carried

out in May against fourcommercial ships in the region.

This time, Japanese- andNorwegian-owned oil tankers

were the targets.

One ship burned for hoursand is at risk of sinking.

The USS Bainbridge rushed in to help,

and now another destroyer, the USS Mason,

is en route to provide backup.

- (speaks in foreign language)

- [Jennifer] Iran denies responsibility,

calling it an unfounded claim

in America's Iranophobic campaign.

But Secretary of State MikePompeo says the intelligence

is clear.

He accuses Iran of lashing out

because it wants theTrump administration's

crippling economic sanctions lifted.

But he says that's no excuse.

- No economic sanctionsuntil the Islamic Republic

to attack innocent civilians,disrupt global oil markets,

and engage in nuclear blackmail.

- [Jennifer] And nowIran is just weeks away

from resuming enriching uranium closer

to weapons-grade levelsif European leaders

don't offer new terms to the deal.

- There are elementswithin the Iranian regime

that do not want the US and Iran

to ever come to a bargaining table.

- The Islamic Republic says it's

already quadrupled its productionof low enriched uranium.

But US sanctions havecut off Iran's ability

to trade its excess uraniumand heavy water abroad,

putting a desperate Tehran on course

to violate its terms of the nuclear deal.

Jennifer Wishon, CBN News, Washington.

(power tool whirring)

- Iran is not only activein the Persian Gulf,

but the chief funder of theIslamic terror group Hezbollah

inside Lebanon.

It's well known that Hezbollah has more

than 120,000 missiles pointed at Israel.

But a less visible weaponwith dangerous potential

is a network of attack tunnels running

underneath the northern border.

Israel just discovered one ofthe most significant tunnels

to date, and they took CBNNews for a rare look inside.

This is Zarit, a smallagricultural community

of 250 residents on theIsrael-Lebanon border.

Above ground, it's quiet and peaceful.

But underground, Hezbollah was planning

for death and destruction.

- We're standing in the tunnel right now

and just a few feet fromthe Lebanese border.

This tunnel was called Ramyeh,named after the village

where the tunnel began.

It was the most difficultfor the IDF to discover.

It's also the longest and the deepest,

the equivalent of a 22-storybuilding built underground.

- [Jonathan] You can see the winch here

on the wall over there,electricity, communications,

lighting, and there's a phonethat was actually connected

for the first day whenwe exposed the tunnel.

The wire was still live.

One of our guys jokingly picked it up

and asked for anybody toanswer on the other side.

There was no answer.

- The workmanship you seehere is all done by Hezbollah.

This tunnel took yearsto construct and millions

of dollars to build, muchof it supplied by Iran.

- [Jonathan] You can seethe remains of a rail system

that Hezbollah had in place,which is what they used

in order to bring equipment up, basically,

and also to take allof the debris and rocks

and shift it out of the tunnel.

This would attach to anelectric drill, power drill,

that would drill like this.

And once it got to theend of the cup itself,

they would just pull it out,knock the piece of rock off,

and then shift that piece of rock back.

- The size of this tunnel is impressive.

It's large enough wherehundreds of Hezbollah commandos

could have come into Israelwith a goal to kidnap or kill.

- Where we're standingnow, you can see behind me,

is the last and the highest point

that this Hezbollah tunnel got.

As you can see, it's only afew meters from ground level.

- [Chris] This is theentrance Israel opened

into the tunnel.

IDF spokesman Lieutenant ColonelJonathan Conricus told us

the tunnel runs almost a mile long

and was nearly operational.

- Operational in the sense

of Hezbollah actually having the ability

to break out and then to run

to the nearest Israeli community.

There are two communities here nearby less

than six minutes runningdistance from where we are now.

- [Chris] Tunnel warfareexpert Daphne Richemond-Barak

says the value of this type of warfare

is priceless for Hezbollah.

- The potential reward is amajor one if only it succeeds

because it neutralizes thetechnological advantage

of the Israeli Army.

- [Chris] For now, Conricusbelieves they have found

and rendered all the bordertunnels useless either

by destroying or filling them with cement.

- That doesn't mean that wehave, even for one second,

let down our guard andhave stopped looking.

- In the meantime, this massive tunnel

represents the persistentdetermination of Hezbollah

to destroy Israel and the IDF's vigilance

to stop one of Israel's greatest enemies.

Iran not only funds attacktunnels like this one uncovered

by the IDF but is oneof the worst persecutors

of Christians in the world.

In fact, acts of both anti-Semitism

and Christian persecutionare rising around the world.

And now a new organization plans

to challenge the church toconfront these acts of hate.

From synagogue shootingsin the United States

to Christians imprisoned in Iran or China,

Jews and Christians are underassault in today's world.

- You mostly have Jewish organizations

fighting anti-Semitism andthen you have Christian groups

that are fighting thepersecution of Christians.

And I also felt thatthere was a connection

between the two, that there's something

that Jews and Christians have in common,

and that makes us targets of hatred.

- [Chris] Hoping to bringthe two forces together,

Susana Kokkonen has launchedHope for Persecuted Peoples.

For 10 years, she directedChristian Friends of Yad Vashem,

Israel's Holocaust memorial.

- And now she has theopportunity to break out

of Yad Vashem and to bring the message

of Yad Vashem all over the world.

- So this initiative really is

about both fightinganti-Semitism with education

and then also asking the church

to look at the persecuted Christians.

What are we supposed tobe doing at this time?

- [Chris] Kokkonen believes the church

in the West has become too comfortable.

- This has made us like SleepingBeauties at the same time,

in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and now Asia

is especially rising as asmajor persecutor of Christians,

and we have more or lessignored the suffering

of these people.

So it's a divided church also in that way.

- And the Jewish organizationsare reminding the church

about the persecution of theChristians around the world,

and the Christian agencies and ministries

are much more silent.

And I don't think this is right.

- [Chris] Kokkonen sees a solution

by combining prayer and action.

- Prayer is the numberone, but then, also,

all of these governmentsthat allow the persecution,

they certainly are trading with us,

and we should beinfluencing our parliaments,

our politicians, ournations to take a stand

for these persecuted people.

- [Chris] The launchbrought together Christians

and Jewish leaders.

- It's a new day.

We saw it the last 10 to 15 years.

I think it's beautiful to see Jews

and Christian comingtogether for a noble cause.

- And I think that's acommon mission for us,

Jews and Christians,and that's what we want

to actually launch here today.

- [Chris] Kokkonen alsocalls on the church

to prepare and prayagainst the likely increase

of persecution in the West.

Up next, some are calling it a miracle.

The Sea of Galilee on the rise.

- Prayers has been answered, hallelujah.

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(upbeat rock music)

- Just six months ago, the Seaof Galilee was in trouble due

to years of little rain anddrought-like conditions.

While this ancient body ofwater isn't out of danger,

a rainy winter has helped bring relief.

CBN Middle East correspondentJulie Stahl has that story.

- [Julie] For years, the Seaof Galilee has been shrinking.

But then, this past winterdelivered a pleasant surprise

to the biblical lake.

I'm standing near the shoresof the Sea of Galilee.

Just six months ago, afteryears of low rainfall,

the tourist boats could only dock

at the far end of the pier.

But now, after thiswinter's heavy rainfall,

things are looking up.

- A miracle.

We have a lot of rain and snow that come

through the Hermon Mountain, and,

usually, we have about350 millimeters of rain.

This year, we have morethan 600 millimeters.

It was a shock to the water(speaks indistinctly).

- [Julie] The last timethe Sea of Galilee,

or Kinneret, as it's referencedin the Old Testament,

was full was in 2008,and before that, 1996.

In November, we visited Kibbutz Ginnosar,

and the water level looked like this.

Now, it looks like this.

- Every time we arriveto the dangerous point,

somebody do something for us.

- [Julie] Streams like this one

that feed the Kinneretare brimming with water.

These trees were on thebanks of the lake for years.

Now they're underwater.

Daniel Carmel runs the Worship Boats.

He said in November theycould hardly dock here.

- They don't know it.

They don't know how is theSea of Galilee when it's full.

This is the lowest that I ever saw.

In 25 years that I'mhere, this is the lowest.

- [Julie] Now Joseph Gina

from the Francis JordanSailing Ship says things

have changed.

- This year, it's very, very good.

Thank God from this, okay?

This is a miracle, by the way.

This year, it's a lot of frightening.

So the level in the Sea of Galilee,

it's come up very, very good.

- [Julie] While the water level rose

about 12 feet this year, atthe end of the rainy season,

it's seven feet from being full.

- If we would have had a droughted year,

sixth drought of the year,

then the situationwould be very, very bad.

- [Julie] Uri Schor is withIsrael's Water Authority.

- And the rain also fellexactly on the right places

from the water source's point of view,

and that's also very important.

And the spread of water,the spread of rainfall,

was very good as well.

That's why you can see thestreams run fluently and nicely,

and the levels of the watersources are rising nicely.

- [Julie] Each summer,the water level goes down

by four to five feetjust from evaporation.

And so far, this summer's temperatures

have been extremely high.

Over the last 30 years, rainfallhas continuously dropped

while the region is usingmore water than ever.

- In Israel, the consumptionof water is much higher

than the quantity ofrainfall that we get not only

in the Sea of Galilee butalso in water sources.

Therefore, we are in a deficit every year.

- [Julie] And Israel is not alone.

That's where technology comes in.

For example, Israel hasrecycled sewage water

and desalinated seawater for years.

Schor says without that,

Israel would not have the water it needs.

While the winter rain delivereda much-needed miracle,

the Sea of Galilee isclearly not out of danger.

Last fall, Carmel asked people to pray.

- Prayers has been answered, hallelujah.

- [Julie] As people hereand around the world pray

for this key body ofwater, Israel is doing

what it can to make new water sources

and preserve this unique biblical lake.

Julie Stahl, CBN News, the Sea of Galilee.

(upbeat rock music)

- [Chris] Coming up,

President Trump recognizesIsraeli sovereignty

on the Golan Heights.

Now others hope Jewish communities

in Judea and Sumeria are next.

- A historic bondbetween the Jewish people

and the land of Israel cannot be broken.

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(upbeat rock music)

- Us President Donald Trumprecognized Israeli sovereignty

over the Golan Heights,

and Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu said he

would do the same over Jewish communities

in Judea and Sumaria, alsoknown as the West Bank.

It's a movement gaining support

amongst some Jewish groupsand even some Christians.

We talked with AnthonyAbma of Return O Israel,

an organization whose goal isto mobilize Christian support

for full Jewish sovereignty in Israel.

(power tool whirring)

Well, Anthony, great to haveyou here on Jerusalem Dateline.

Welcome.

Sovereignty has been aissue in the news lately.

President Trump recognizedIsraeli sovereignty

over the Golan Heights.

The US ambassador David Friedman talked

about annexing Jewish communities

in the West Bank, Judea and Sumaria.

Tell us, why is sovereigntysuch a hot topic right now?

- Jewish sovereignty isconnected to Jewish restoration,

and so we've seen Israelcome back, the diaspora.

They've been a nation declared in 1948,

but we've had this 71-year hiatus.

It's a time and a season thatwe see God is making a move,

and people are recognizing it,

and I really think that this is

what we've all been waitingfor, Jew and Christian alike,

because it's gonna lead to redemption.

- So when you talk about sovereignty,

you're wanting Jewish controlover the biblical heartland

of Israel, talkingabout Judea and Sumaria?

- Sovereignty means all of Israel,

(speaks indistinctly) Israel,

and that's what God promisedto the people of Israel

and even though it's a bit bigger.

But at least now the Golan to the Red Sea,

from the Jordan to theMediterranean and to.

We must remember that, because of Torah,

because of God's wordto the Jewish people,

they are a people that respect others,

indigenous people in their nation.

However, the problem has been that,

when you have some neighbors, as it were,

that's in your territorythat don't wanna respect you,

that's where the tension rises.

But I've even spoken with Arab people

that recognize that theywill have a better life

under Israeli fullsovereignty than they would

in some of the otherMiddle East Arab countries.

- Why do you think Christians

should be supporting Israeliand Jewish sovereignty?

- Well, Chris, this is asubject that has been part

of eschatology for Christiansfor centuries, millennia.

And we can see where the attempts

of forcing Jewish conversion has resulted

in a lot of contention, alot of misunderstandings,

and yet, at the sametoken, we also recognize

that if we have aJudeo-Christian foundation

in the Torah, in the Bible,that speaks unequivocally

of God's irrevocable promisesand covenants to Israel,

we have an interest in that.

Like Corrie ten Boom said,

if you're gonna be a Christian,you have to love Israel.

I believe that we as Christians,

we could mature, wecould show some patience,

some love, and say thisis what's before us.

This is an irrevocable,undeniable miracle that happened

in 1948 and even beforeand on the way through.

And here we are, andwe have an opportunity

to actually lay downsome of our differences,

and let's let God fulfillHis plan of redemption

and let us support thebattle that's going on

in Israel right now for Jewish sovereignty

because I think you might realize, too,

that some of the contention in Israel

for sovereignty is between Jew and Jew.

- Tell us what kind of reaction you've had

from Christians and Jews,

and what's the bottom line going forward?

- Well, it's a bit mixed, but, overall,

when Jews find out thatthere's actually Christians

that love Israel to the point that they

are willing to help them and support them,

it's very, very favorable.

And the more and moreChristians I talk to,

they're beginning to realizethat yeah, you know what?

That's got a truth ring to it.

I wanna know more about it.

And so that's why we'reendeavoring to do what we can

to help Christians understand sovereignty

through Return O Israel.

- And going forward, what do you see?

- I see biblical promises being fulfilled.

I see redemption on the horizon.

I see a recognition

that Israel has a rightto be a sovereign state,

biblically like God promised to them,

like every other nation in the world

has got a right to sovereign territory.

- Well, Anthony, thanks for joining us

and sharing this unique andvery timely perspective.

(upbeat rock music)

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(upbeat rock music)

- For millions of disabledpeople around the world,

simple tasks like playinga musical instrument

or going to the gym are out of reach.

But one organization is determined

to provide real-life solutionsto their daily challenges.

Take a look.

Yosef Abramson just receiveda gift not available

in any store.

Five years ago, a warinjury left him unable

to play the musical instruments he loves.

- These really specialpeople here behind me

have been working really, really hard

for three days to developa very cool gadget

that will help me playguitar better again,

help me play drums again, andlooks like it's gonna work.

So we're very, very excitedand very, very thankful.

- [Chris] Abramsonreceived this special gift

at the event Makers For Heroes.

It's all part of the global mission

of Tikkun Olam Makers, or TOM for short,

to help the disabled.

- We launched inspired by a bold vision

that called for the state of Israel

and Jewish communities around the world

to collaborate in helping a quarter

of a billion people within a decade

in all continents of the world,

all countries, all cities, allreligions, and all cultures.

- [Chris] At TOM, engineers, programmers,

and product designers create solutions

to help wounded veterans, like34-year-old Dror Zuckerman.

He needed a special braceto help with weight lifting.

- This is the brace.

Also have here the logo,and this is the rubber.

This is how it functions.

I put it on my leg like this.

- [Chris] TOM partnerswith local organizations

like Restart in Israel.

- Restart's vision is tohave every wounded soldier

should be back to normal lifeand integrated into society.

And TOM vision is to takeeverything that was done here

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So together, it's bigger than separately.

- [Chris] The company's vision goes far

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to focus that energy onthe needs of the people

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- [Chris] 59-year-old grandfather Michael

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And now my group and my team,it's give me some more legs,

and now I've climbing very fast.

And this is very happy becauseit's new present for me.

- [Chris] AT&T Foundry collaborated

with the Israeli startup Wearable Devices

to help this pianist.

- We were able to build a modelthat allows Ahad to get back

to playing piano usinghis weak hand as well,

which also has rehabilitative abilities,

which are beyond what we expected.

And we're very happy and honored

to help him make his dream come true.

- [Chris] All of the innovative technology

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- The trick of TOM is that allintellectual property created

by all TOM teams around the world

is deposited in the public domain,

which basically means it belongs to nobody

but it also belongs to everybody.

- Within five years, TOM has spread

to nearly 20 countries andforesees a worldwide web

of partners to help the disabled.

TOM is just one example ofmany here in Israel living

out Tikkun Olam, repairing the world.

If you want to know more about TOM,

you can go to tomglobal.org.

Well, that's all for this edition.

Thanks for joining us.

Remember, you can follow us on Facebook,

Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

I'm Chris Mitchell.

We'll see you next timeon Jerusalem Dateline.

(upbeat rock music)