- Well welcome to "The 700 Club."

Israel's Iron Dome has been a bastion

against terrorist attacks.

Well now something is threateningthis antimissile system

that could have dangerous impacts

far beyond the Jewish state.

- What is it?

Chris Mitchell has theanswer from Jerusalem.

(siren faintly wails)

(missile blasts)

- [Chris] Israel's IronDome antimissile system

is literally a lifesaveragainst terror attacks

by groups like Hamas or Hezbollah.

This amendment, introducedby Senate Democrat

Chris Van Hollen, couldconceivably prevent the deployment

of this joint US-Israel defense system

to protect areas like theWest Bank or Jordan Valley.

The amendment states,

"No US funds may support the deployment

of United States defensearticles, services,

or training to territoriesin the West Bank

unilaterally annexed byIsrael after July 1, 2020

or to facilitate the unilateral annexation

of such territories."

- The Van Hollen amendment is an example

of American legislatorswho cut off their nose

to spite their own face,

namely, the face ofAmerica's own interest.

- [Chris] Israel's formercongressional liaison,

Ambassador YoramEttinger, argues this move

could have a negativeimpact beyond the West Bank

while also undermining Israel and the US.

- Such a proposal reflectsa total disconnect

by those senators fromMiddle East reality.

When Israel and Jordan

concluded the peacetreaty in October of 1994,

the top Jordanian military commanders,

they told Israeli colleagues

a Palestinian statewest of the Jordan River

would doom the pro-AmericanHashemite regime

east of the Jordan River.

- Others argue the amendment contradicts

President Obama's 2016Memorandum of Understanding

between the US and Israel.

That allowed Israel todefend itself by itself.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

had hoped to announce annexation

of 30% of Judea and Samaria,the West Bank, on July 1st,

but a combination ofWhite House indecision

and a rebound of COVID-19has delayed that decision.

Annexation is a proposalopposed by senators

like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

- Those American senators would do well

for their own American interests.

Israel and the West Bank hasbecome very potent element

of deterrence in faceof Iran's ayatollahs.

- [Christ] Ettinger doesn'tview the Van Hollen amendment

as an anomaly.

On the contrary, hesees it as more evidence

of an ideological shift in America.

- Certainly, that transformationof the American society

has also afflicted Capitol Hill as well,

the House of Representatives,and the Senate.

The secret, so to speak,of the very unique bond

between the US and Israel has rested

on the Judeo-Christian rootsof both the US and Israel.

A departure from Judeo-Christian roots,

a departure by America from those roots,

would also mean adeparture from very special

US-Israel relations,which would not bode well

for either the US or Israel.

- [Chris] Chris Mitchell,CBN News, Jerusalem.

- Well let me underline what this bill

from Senator Hollen would actually do.

You have incoming missilesbeing launched by terror groups

in areas that are under the control

of the Palestinian Authorityor under the control of Hamas.

This bill means that the Israelis

would not be able to defend themselves

against those missiles.

That's that's the intent of the bill.

Can you imagine anyonetelling us in the US,

if you've got incomingmissiles, well I'm sorry

because our development fundswent into creating the system

of defense for you.

You can't use it.

We would absolutely rise up against that.

And it makes no sense to tell Israel

you can't defend your own borders,

you can't defend yourcitizens from attack.

But that's what's happening and that's...

I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime

where a US senator wouldactually propose a bill

and have it move forward.

But that's where we're going,

and this is coming from the Democrats,

and you've got to start asking why.

Why is there now a risinganti-Israel sentiment

on the part of whatshould be natural allies?

You know, look at the facts.

The facts are Israel'sthe only stable democracy

in the Middle East.

Israel has been our friendsince its founding in 1948.

The Palestinians havenever missed an opportunity

to miss an opportunity.

They've had opportunity afteropportunity after opportunity

to form their own state andcome to peace with Israel.

They have refused it every single time.

And their goal still remainsto drive Israel into the sea.

That means an ethnic cleansing.

That remains a removal ofall Jews from the territory.

That is staggering to me that US senators

would support that kind of ideology,

but that's what we're dealing with.

This is absolutely real.

When Jordan controlled thecity of Jerusalem after 1948,

there was an ethniccleansing of Jerusalem.

The Jewish Quarter was...

All Jews were removedfrom the Jewish Quarter

and they announced,"They'll never come back.

There will never be a Jewishpopulation in Jerusalem again."

That shows their aim.

That shows what they're all about.

And why to put some kindof restriction on Israel,

I don't know, but this is something

that all Christians need to be aware of,

be educated on what'shappening politically

in our United States of America,

and we're in danger of turning against

our only ally in the Middle East.

Well in other news, the numberof new coronavirus cases

has hit a new record.

John Jessup has that story

from our CBN news bureau in Washington.

John.

- That is right, Gordon,

the US recorded a littleover 77,000 new cases,

easily the highest numberfor a single day yet.

One reason for the highernumber of cases, more testing.

Still, deaths are rising

in states like Florida and Texas,

and Arizona is runningout of room in morgues.

Despite problems in those states,

the total number of deaths there

remains far below whathappened in New York

and New Jersey earlier this year.

Dr. Anthony Fauci saysthings are a mixed bag

across the country right now,

and on Facebook, he had awarning for younger people.

- You have to haveresponsibility for yourself,

that your getting infectedis not just you in a vacuum.

You're propagating a pandemic.

- Dr. Fauci's warning comes

as teens and children accountfor an increasing number

of coronavirus cases, andscientists aren't sure

whether they'll spread thedisease if schools re-open.

Although many doctors say

they want their kids back in school,

some teachers are torn over the issue.

Charlene Aaron explains why.

- As the pandemic continuesto surprise medical experts,

the debate grows on howthe country's schools

can safely re-open.

Top federal health andeducational officials, however,

support President Trump's call

that students must return to the classroom

for in-person learning.

This issue has becomecentral for the president

as he's pressuring governorsto make it happen in the fall.

In Florida, some schooldistricts want students in class

as early as August despitea surge in state cases.

- Ultimately, it's not a matterof if schools should reopen.

It's simply a matter of how.

They must fully open and theymust be fully operational,

and how that happens is best left

to education and community leaders.

- [Charlene] Last month,the CDC issued guidance

on reopening classes.

- We're prepared to work with each school,

each jurisdiction, to help themuse the different strategies

that we've proposedthat help do this safely

so they come up with the optimalstrategy for those schools.

- [Charlene] Recommendationsinclude masks for students

and teachers, staggered schedules,

wider distance between desks,and eating meals in classrooms

instead of the cafeteria,rules that Nicole Aaron,

a special education teacher in DC, says

would be difficult to follow.

My kids, because of their disabilities,

they're not going to beable to wear a mask all day.

They have sensory needs anddifferent things and challenges

that will not require, will not allow them

to be able to keep a mask on.

If they can't wear a mask,

then what are we reallyexposing ourselves to?

Even if we have on a mask,at some point, you know,

wearing a mask all day for eight hours

is a hard thing to do.

- [Charlene] A recent USAToday/Ipsos poll shows

one in five teachersare unlikely to return

if their schools re-open, many citing fear

over putting themselvesand their families at risk.

It's a concern shared by Nicole Aaron.

- As a parent and as a teacher is,

if I go back to school, thenmy kids have to go somewhere.

If their schools aren't open,then I have to send them

to childcare and I'mputting them in danger.

If I go back to school,

then I could bring COVID into my home.

So either way, I'mexposing my family to COVID

regardless of if I'm going out to work

or if I'm having totake them to childcare.

- [Charlene] Meanwhile,plans for re-openings

are likely to vary fromdistrict to district,

as the virus looksdifferent in each community.

Charlene Aaron, CBN News.

- Weighing some very difficult decisions.

Thanks, Charlene.

Well as businesses andgovernments work furiously

to find a coronavirus treatment,

the United States, United Kingdom,

and Canada are accusing computer hackers

believed to be Russian intelligence

of trying to steal valuableprivate information

about a possible vaccine.

George Thomas has that story.

- In a joint communication,those governments alleged

that a hacking group known as Cozy Bear

is attacking academic andpharmaceutical companies

involved in developinga coronavirus vaccine.

Britain's foreign secretary

calling Russia's alleged activities

egregious and unacceptable.

- I think that's pretty appalling,

to have the Russian governmentengaged in that endeavor,

I think is, needs calling out.

- [George] According to a 16-page document

released by Britain's NationalCyber Security Centre,

the Russians are targetingseveral global organizations

with hacking programs calledWellMess and WellMail.

- One of the things that the report stated

was that a lot of this information

came from phishing attacks.

It is sending emails and getting people

to send personal information

that then hackers could use to get in.

And so as ever with these things,

the weak link in the security

isn't so much thecomputers; it's the people.

- [George] The hackinggroup Cozy Bear is familiar

to US intelligence.

Washington identified them

as one of two Russiangovernment-linked groups

that broke into theDNC's computer network,

stealing emails and other documents

ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

- The biggest takeaway from these attacks

is that other countriesare actively targeting

the health research industry.

And we're seeing thepharmaceutical companies

and others being targetedbecause they have the information

that can be used to helpalleviate this global pandemic.

- [George] In April, the USDepartment of Homeland Security

warned that various cybercriminal groups around the world,

including in Russia and China,

were targeting COVID-19 research.

- Russia not only canderive benefit economically

by speeding up their owndevelopment of a vaccine,

but they can also disrupt ourefforts to develop a vaccine.

- [George] On Thursday,the White House said

the US, UK, and Canada are working

to stop Russia's nefarious actions.

- We worked very closely with our allies

to ensure that we would take measures

to keep that informationsafe and we continue to do so

and we're aware of those activities.

- [George] The report doesn't specify

whether Russia's presidentknew about the hacking job.

The Kremlin has rejected the allegations.

George Thomas, CBN News.

- Thanks, George.

Gordon, more and more,the threat is moving

from traditional warfare to cyber warfare.

- Well, once you createstate-sponsored cyber warfare teams,

what do you expect them to do?

They're going to continuetheir nefarious activities.

And let's call this out for what it is.

This is egregious behavior,

because what it does,it actually hinders us

from getting a vaccine.

If the scientists involved,if the doctors involved

have to worry about exchanging information

over the internet orexchanging email information

with their colleagues in aneffort to develop the vaccine,

if that information flow is, in any way,

interrupted by this kind of behavior,

well then, that's terrible for all of us.

And we have to realizewe're all in this together.

If a vaccine is as developed,

of course it's going to beshared with the whole world.

Let us have the freedom toexplore these treatments

and these vaccines without the worry

that some horrible hackeris trying to interrupt it

or steal information.

Please, we've got all gotto come together on this one

and realize we all share this planet,

we're all sharing this virus,

and we will all share the cure.