(screaming)(electronic music)

- This week on Jerusalem Dateline.

us Secretary of Statemakes a historic visit

to the West Bank, Israel'sBiblical heartland.

- Today, we're making history again.

- And Jerusalem hosts thefirst trilateral meeting

with the us, Israel and Bahrain.

Plus a front linesreport on a new democracy

in the heart of the Middle East.

And the iconic Tower ofDavid Museum gets a renewal.

All this and more thisweek on Jerusalem Dateline.

(whooshing)

Hello and welcome to thisedition of Jerusalem Dateline,

I'm Chris Mitchell.

Secretary of State MikePompeo made history,

becoming the first top US diplomat

to visit a Jewish community inIsrael's Biblical heartland.

In the Bible, it'scalled Judea and Samaria,

yet much of the worldcalls it the West Bank

and wants it to be a futurestate for the Palestinians.

The visit represented adramatic shift in US policy.

(whooshing)

- Secretary of State Pompeo's visit

to the Jewish community atBinyamin served a dual purpose,

in addition to its historic nature.

The stop at the Psagot Winery

carried a strong business message.

Pompeo declared that goingforward products produced

in Israeli communities in the West bank

will be labeled 'Made in Israel'.

That move changed a decades old US policy.

Pompeo also called the boycott divestment

and sanctions movementknown as BDS, anti-semitic

and that the US would cut support

to any groups participating in it.

Pompeo also made thefirst official US visit

to the Golan Heights, whichpresident Trump recognized

as part of Israel in March, 2019.

- You can't stand here andstare out at what's across

the border and deny the centralthing that president Trump

recognized that previouspresidents had refused to do

that this is a part of Israel

and the central part of Israel.

- [Chris] On Wednesday, theus, Israel and Bahrain mark

their first ever trilateralmeeting in Jerusalem,

the latest milestonein the Abraham Accords.

- Today, we're making history again.

This is the first everofficial ministerial visit

from the Kingdom of Bahrainto the State of Israel.

It marks another importantmilestone on the road to peace

between our two countriesand peace in the region.

- Throughout all themeetings, it has been obvious

the intention and keennessof all sides to ensure

that the peace we arepursuing will be a one piece

that will deliver clearbenefits to our people.

- [Chris} Pompeo emphasizethe message sent to Iran.

- These agreements alsotell them malign actors

like the Islamic Republicof Iran that their influence

in the region is waning andthat they are ever more isolated

in this shall forever be

and until they change their direction.

- [Chris] Also Thursday,the New York Times reported

the Palestinians are considering ending

the so-called paid toslay program to gain favor

with a potential Biden administration.

This program pays convictedPalestinians in prison

and their families up to $4,000a month for terror attacks,

including murdering Israelis.

However Itamar Marcus ofthe Palestinian Media Watch

tell CBS News he feels it'sunlikely the Palestinians

will give up the programsince it's such a part

of Palestinian society.

Palestinian presidentMahmud Abbas said numerous

times the martyrs andtheir families are sacred.

And so are the wounded and the prisoners.

Even if we have only a pennyleft, it will only be spent

on the families of themartyrs and the prisoners.

(whooshing)

As secretary of state,Mike Pompeo announced

the new relationshipsfrom the Abraham Accords

are sending a strong signal to Iran.

A nuclear round representsperhaps the main threat

facing the US Israel and the middle East.

Now a new report says theymight be further along

than you think towardsdeveloping a nuclear bomb.

(whooshing)

Before the proverbial link was even dry

on the Iranian nucleardeal signed in 2015,

Iran has pushed its limits.

- Slow but consistent breachingof the limitations that Iran

took upon itself when it signed the JCPO

in the summer of 2015.

Now it's doing it step by step.

- [Chris] While misbehaviorlike that led president Trump

to pull out of the international agreement

Iran tactics seem to be working.

The most recent report ofthe UN's International Atomic

Energy Agency discovered Irannow has 12 times the amount

of low enriched uraniumallowed by the so-called deal.

Retired Israeli generalYaacov Amidror says

Iran has a three-prongedapproach to a nuclear weapon.

Developing long range, ballistic missiles,

enhancing enrichment capabilities

and enriching large amounts of uranium

that could be turnedinto weapons grade level.

- The abilities that they have today

with the new certainlyFujis they have only

to make the decision.

They have all the capacity,

which is needed to enrichuranium to this level.

- [Chris] According tothe Institute for Science

and International Security

Iran's estimated breakout timeas of late September, 2020

is as short as three and a half months.

That timeframe would be early 2021.

But that element is justthe first of two steps

towards a nuclear weapon.

- The other point is how to assemble

a nuclear device.

It's not the same, howyou create the device

to start the nuclear reaction.

- [Chris] That makes the major question.

How long would it take forIran to have a nuclear bomb?

- I would say that if Irandecides that it puts away

all kinds of internationalrespective oversight

considerations and go fast-forward

then Iran can become nuclear,

fully nuclear meaning withthe ability to put the bomb

on a missile etc betweenthree and five years.

- Well tonight I'm hereto tell you one thing,

Iran lied.- In April, 2018,

Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu

went on Prime Time to unveilthousands of documents

taken straight from Iran'ssecret atomic archives.

- What we found in thearchives is a good answer

to all those who said, nah,the Iranians are not serious.

The archive gave us a clear picture

of very serious project,which was very much advanced.

- [Chris] Bergman, the authorof Rise and Kill First,

a definitive study of Israel's Mossad says

that operation exposed Iran deception.

- I'm sure that afterthat Mossad operation

Ocean 11 Jewish style,

after that operation, nobody,

nobody can go back to the St.JCPO way.

Because everybody understandsand confirmed everybody

including in closed sessions,the Chinese and the Russians.

Everybody now understandthat this was based on a lie.

- [Chris] Bergman notes theMossad also led a spectacular

operation in July thatsetback Iran's nuclear program

for a month or more.

- Someone was able to smugglea huge tons of explosives

into the main facility for the assembly

of centrifuges in thetowns and explode that

and creating damage of severe magnitude

to the Iranian nuclear project,

which proves again that specialoperations and agents boots

on the ground on theground can be sometimes

a very good replacementwith sending the troops,

the airplane, the Amandas,and starting a war.

- [Chris] For Israel thequestion of a nuclear Iran

remains a daily exercise.

- Yeah our philosophy is very clear.

We are getting everymorning we ask ourselves

will tomorrow will be too late.

If the answer is no,

we are going for another dayand when the minute will come,

if the minute will come and wewill have to answer ourselves

yes tomorrow will be too late

then we will have to askourselves, okay, what we are doing.

- [Chris] It's clearafter facing the potential

of a nuclear Iran, Israelhas been preparing to answer

that question for a long time.

(bright music)

Up next, a revealing report on how Turkey

is threatening many nationsthrough well, the Middle East.

(uplifting music)

- [Narrator] Get Written inStone: Jesus of Nazareth.

- Bethsaida is mentionedin all four gospels.

Mark 8 says Jesus healed theblind men here by spitting

on his eyes.

And Luke 10:13, JesusHimself describes the village

as a place where He did manymighty works or miracles.

- From the time of the secondtemple period of time of Jesus

we have a residential area with a street

going in between homes

and we can say that theapostles and Jesus walked

on this particular way onthis particular street.

And if you wanna walkon the particular street

where Jesus and apostles walked on,

you got to come to Bethsaidato walk on the same streets.

- [Narrator] Get Written inStone: Jesus of Nazareth.

For a gift of any dollar amount,

call 1800-700-7000 or go tocbn.com/written in stone.

- [Gentleman] This holidayseason take a Biblical Journey

through the Christmasstory in Luke's gospel

in CBNs free devotional,The Promise and the Hope.

You'll see the birth of Jesusthrough the eyes of those

who earnestly awaited thearrival of the Messiah.

This Christmas spend timeexperiencing God's presence

in your life.

Get your free copy ofThe Promise And The Hope.

Call 1800-700-7000 or go tocbn.com/christmasdevotional.

- [Male Narrator] Watch breakingnews, in-depth exclusive

stories and programs fromhealth to entertainment

you won't find anywhere else.

The CBN News channel, aperspective you can trust.

Enjoy credible news reportingfrom around the world.

Discover inspiring programs and stories

of hope all in one place.

From a Christian perspective,the CBN News Channel,

a perspective you can trust.

To watch the CBN News Channel,

download the app orvisit CBNnewschannel.com.

(bright upbeat music)

- For years Middle-Eastobservers have warned

about the expansion as policies

of Turkey's president Recep Erdoğan.

Those ambitions reachedthroughout the region

all the way to Jerusalem.

(whooshing)

- [Seth] Turkey is theemerging and a major threat

to the Middle East.

- [Chris] Analyst like SethFrantzman say we are witnessing

a belligerent Turkey on the move.

- It's invaded and ethicallycleansed Afrin of curves

and years using Christians attacked

last year in Eastern Syria

and attacked unethicallycleansed Christians.

It's attacked Armenian now,it didn't do it directly,

but it basically goadedAzerbaijanis into war.

And it's also been involved Libya.

It sends the Syrian mercenaries.

Also Turkey has been threateningGreece every few weeks

for the last six months.

Also Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, UAE.

I mean, it never stops.

- [Chris] One event came after a deal

with Libya for its water rightsin the Mediterranean Sea.

- And the whole point of the deal

was to basically use a very poor,

weak Libyan dividedgovernment and get a deal

for all this water rights,

which basically mean that Turkey

is now sitting a strideof what claims by Greece

and the pipeline thatIsrael wants to build.

- [Chris] Erdogan telegraphedhis intent to the world

by converting the HagiaSophia, once the largest church

in Christendom into a mosque.

- Ever since the modernnation state in 1923,

that church has been a museumbasically free for everyone

to gather in.

Him just making the decisionto turn it back into a mosque

basically is a indirect kindof communication to everybody

I wanna restore Ottoman past.

- After that conversionRedogan set his sights

on liberating, the unlockedSamos here in Jerusalem.

Then last month he said in this city

that we had to leave in tearsduring the first world war,

it is still possible to come across traces

of the Ottoman resistance,so Jerusalem is our city.

Fragment says the regionalpowerhouses of Turkey

and Iran share the same goals.

- [Translator] I thinkit's just that you just

have to admit the rhetoricfrom anchor today is a rhetoric

that looks exactly likethe Iranian regime rhetoric

and that's by the way,exactly what the UAE

and other friends I thinkof the US and Israel say,

which is that Iran andTurkey are on the same side.

It's not the Persian Ottomanempire Sunni and Shia.

They're both religious extremism.

And then the rest there's other countries

in the region that are not that.

- [Chris] Erdogan's aggressionpresents another problem.

Turkey is a NATO member,

but isn't seen as a team player.

Recently, it purchased Russia'sS-400 anti-aircraft missile

system and aligns itself with the Muslim

brotherhood and Hamas.

- It's connected deeply into the European

NATO security infrastructure.

And I think that thatpresents a huge challenge.

And I don't know how countries

are gonna extricate themselves.

- [Chris] It's a regime seenas hostile to Christians.

Two years ago, Turkish officials convicted

and then released Americanpastor Andrew Brunson

on charges of aiding terrorism.

Now middle East analyst,Mike Karen tells CBN News

Turkey is closing its doors.

- Basically his goal tocleanse Turkey of all,

non Turkish Christians,

any Protestant foreignChristians that are living,

working in Iran or involvedwith the Turkish church at all

they've been declared persona non grata

and a threat to national order or threat

to national security.

- [Chris] Given its dreamsof a Neo Ottoman empire

and Turkish nationalism,some believe Turkey

might be as much of athreat to the West as Iran.

(bright upbeat music)

Coming up.

An on the ground report fromone of the most important areas

in the Middle East, a newdemocracy in the region.

(upbeat music)

- [Narrator] Now, for alimited time, you can get five

of CBNs criticallyacclaimed documentaries.

Experience the rebirth ofthe modern state of Israel.

- A historic bondsbetween the Jewish people

and the land of Israel cannot be broken.

- [Narrator] Relive thebattle for Jerusalem

in the six day war.

- Jerusalem is yours forever.

- [Narrator] Discoverhow Israeli volunteers

are changing the world.

- When people need us, wevolunteer and we come and help.

- [Narrator] Explore theworld of Israeli technological

innovation.- Where people have dreams.

God gives us dreams andthat's really the roots

I think of much of our innovation.

- [Narrator] And understandthe biggest land dispute

in history.- Many Palestinian Arabs claim

that the Jews stole Arab land,

but is that the real story?

- [Narrator] This exclusiveIsrael DVD collection

can be yours for a gift of $40 or more.

Call now or go online to getyour Israel DVD bundle today.

(siren wailing)- Joy.

- From SuperBook.- Your mother fell.

- What?- Your dad went with her

in the ambulance.

- [Narrator] You may have trials in life,

but God will help you through them.

- Why doesn't God?

I don't know, fix this.

- [All] SuperBook.

- Join the SuperBook book and get

SuperBook Paul Keeps theFaith plus two copies to share

with others all for your gift of only $25.

- [Man] Our worst situationscan be turned for the greatest

good when we endure them.

- SuperBook: Paul Keeps the Faith.

(upbeat music)

- Here, we're committedto a heritage of rigorous

scholarship dating backover a thousand years

and to a faith traditiondating back a thousand more.

- This is how we createa culture of inquiry

where no topic is off limits.

- And a culture of hope.

- [Everybody] Everything is possible.

- It's Christian leadership,

- and it's changing theworld for the better.

- It's higher learning.

- It's greater knowing.

- It's what makes us whole.

- It's what makes us regent.

(bright music)

- One of the areas scarred byTurkey's aggressive foreign

policy is Northeast Syria.

In October of 2019, Turkeyinvaded the area under the guise

of ridding the regionof Kurdish terrorists.

200,000 people fled the fighting

and it threatened a growingdemocracy in the region.

And Nadine Maenza, thevice chair of the US

international commissionfor religious freedom

visited this region.

And we talked with Maenzafrom our Jerusalem studio.

(whooshing)

Well, Nadine Maenza,thanks for joining us.

Tell us the purpose ofyour trip right now.

- So I came to Northeast Syriaon my own personal capacity

to really understand conditionsfor religious minorities

and also to understandthe governance here.

How this government thatfought to liberate these areas

from ISIS set up self-governancethat has protected

religious freedom and gender.

- How would you describethis region as opposed

to so many other placesaround the Middle East?

- Well, the US Commissionon International Religious

Freedom, where I serve as acommissioner has identified it

as having one of the bestreligious freedom conditions

in the region.

It's the only place you canchange your religion legally,

the only place that Congresscould even build churches,

it has really religiousfreedom conditions that

are really unseen anywhereelse in the region.

- I've been there before too,and met many of the people.

How would you describetheir mood right now?

We know that last year, October of 2019,

they went through a horrific war.

What's their mood and status right now?

- They're working to continueto build this governance

that has really protectedthe conditions here,

but there's fear that Turkeyis gonna come in again.

And as you sort of documented as UN Watch

and Amnesty International,

a lot of other organizationsthat when Turkey comes in

and occupies land andthey commit all sorts

of atrocities against these Christians

and other religious minorities,including killings, rapes,

kidnapping, destructionof religious sites.

And so what they're seeingis these crimes occur,

and people fleeing thoseareas and that fear

that's gonna continueand bring more stability.

There's through thatthe regime will come in

and the regime, althougha lot of people believe

they've made a deal withChristians to protect them

the way it works in Northeast Syria

as if the regime does come back here,

the Christians will bethe first ones targeted

because they'll be seenas disloyal to Assad.

- What role do the US troops play there?

I know there's not a lot,but what role do they play?

- Right now they reallyplay is bringing stability?

So it's important that a small amount

of troops are here.

Northeast Syria is so unique

and that they should bea conservative stream.

They don't need nationbuilding and they don't need

America to come here andshow them how to govern,

show them how to run a country.

They're doing a really good job of this.

What they need is for us to keep

some troops here, lift sanctions

which Yussuf has recommended,

give them politicalrecognition, which again,

Yussuf has recommendedand help them to be able

to or allow them I shouldsay, to just be able

to grow their own government,

provide services to their people

and be able to have a future.

And so the troops really aren't needed

to do a whole lot otherthan to just be a force

for stability for this moment,

while they're making this transition

as a state, I shouldsay, in a future Syria,

because they're not separatists.

They don't want their own country,

what they wanna be as apart of a future Syria.

- Yeah and I know theywere really the boots

on the ground against thefight on the ISIS thousands

of them paid with their lives.

So what would you say that people

in the United States reallyneed to know about this area?

- They need to know thatthis was a remarkable area

that they share our values.

They are great alliesto the United States.

This could be the mostimportant refuge for religious

minorities in the Middle East.

And the thing about it is it'san a great situation right

now to do that.

They figured out how tobeat extremism permanently,

which is something we haven'table to do in Afghanistan

or Iraq takes governancesecurity and ideology.

And what they've doneis they have governance

that they built, that I'veseen with my own eyes,

from the grassroots, up this democracy,

they vote for people froma community level up,

and they have security andthe Syrian Democratic Forces,

the strongest fighters on the ground.

And then the ideology is religiousfreedom, gender equality,

and even conservation.

It is a refuge forChristians to be able to live

and practice their faith.

I met with British Muslimconverts that were able

to build a church.

They got a license to build a church.

Nowhere else in the MiddleEast, would that be allowed?

This is such a small stepfor the United States

to support them, givingthem political recognition,

lifting their sanctions.

People could come hereand invest and help build

this country or thisgovernment I should say,

as part of a future Syria.

And they should have to be included

in talks for a future Syria.

It makes a lot of sense, likeI said, a conservative stream.

So but I think mostpeople are unaware of it.

So I was here to hopefully,to raise awareness

of what are unique placethis is for Christians,

religious minorities, andalso even moderate Muslims

were able to practice their faith here.

- Nadine final question.

How can Christians prayabout the situation

they're in Northeast Syria?

- Sure people can pray for the Christians

here in particular,

people can pray for theleadership here for the leadership

of the US and around the world

that they'll have wisdom.

This is maybe the mostcomplicated place in the world

with Turkey on the border,trying to come and have Iran now

that is coming out, we have Russia,

but you also have these people here that

are fighting for their own future,

and they're doing it by themselves.

They're not getting a whole lot of support

from the international community.

This used to be the headquartersof the ISIS caliphate.

Three years later and theynow have the best religious

freedom conditions in the Middle East

with no one really makingthem do what they did

on their own.

That should be rewarded,not just rewarded,

but that serves our interests, frankly.

The United States that serves our interest

to have our allies here be strong.

So I'm hoping thatAmericans understand that,

they'll pray for them, they'llstand with their brothers

and sisters in Christ that are here.

And it's really a win-winfor the United States.

- Well Nadine Maenza, thanksso much for joining us there

in Northeast Syria.

Appreciate it very much.

(upbeat music)

Up next.

A look at a historic renewal project

at one of Jerusalem's iconic sites,

the Tower of David Museum.

Thank you for watching Jerusalem Dateline.

We're committed to providingyou with unbiased reporting

from the Holy landthrough weekly broadcast,

podcasts and online media.

Our vision is to reachmillions around the globe

with the true story ofwhat's happening in Israel

and the middle East,

all from a Biblical andprophetic perspective.

This is a big vision andis only made possible

by the generous supportof people like you.

Call us toll free at 1800-700-7000,

or go to cbn.com/JerusalemDateline,

and make a donation thatwill help split the light

of truth about Israelthroughout the world.

- It was not my grace,

but God that I mightcome to the Irish nations

to preach the gospel.

Now available from CBNFilms, I Am Patrick.

Get your DVD for a gift of $15 or more.

- What brings you back Roman?

- People thought thatthis mission was crazy

that his efforts to Christianize Ireland

were doomed to failure.

- [Narrator] From Slave to Missionary.

- Who among you heeds to the call.

- Why would this man put himself in danger

among enemies who do not know God?

- [Narrator] From Sinner to Saint.

- Patrick's story began a chain of events

that is quite remarkablein the impact that it had.

- I Am Patrick.

- Those are the words thatbegin the history of Ireland.

- [Narrator] I Am Patrick.

Get you a DVD of thisinspiring documentary today.

Call 1800-700-7000

or go to cbn.com.

- If you're tired and exhausted all day,

you can't think clearly, and you really

just need a cup or even a pot of coffee

to get through your day,

then join me, Dr. JoshAxe for this new series,

where I'm gonna teach youhow to transform your diet

and use essential oils and supplements

to get a better night's sleep.

- [Female Narrator] Wakeup to your best life.

Call 1800-700-7000 to get your free DVD

or booklet of Protect your Sleep today.

(bright music)- Oh there we go.

- Okay (indistinct)(bright music)

(applauding)

- One of Jerusalem's most iconicsites is the Tower of David

at the entrance of the old city.

Now this ancient Citadel isgetting its first major overhaul

in hundreds of years.

(whooshing)

It's seen Musliminvaders, Roman Concourse,

and the crusaders.

The Tower of David Museum is one

of Israel's historic andarcheological treasures.

Now it's one of the largestconservation projects here.

- This is a rare and uniqueopportunity for archeologists

because we have a lot ofquestions about the Citadel

archeological questions,historical questions.

Not every day you getthe chance to explore

a symbol in Jerusalem.

- Jerusalem's chiefarcheologist Amit Re'em

oversees this massive project.

- Suddenly the stone starts to speak

and we the archeologists see things.

We document everything.

We are excavating.

We discover hiddenpassages, ancient walls,

ancient fortifications, it's become alive.

- It's huge project to renew

this museum for the future visitors.

Of course, we're talkingabout seven new galleries,

which tell the story of Jerusalem,

but it's more than this.

It's all what do yousee around conservation

of the remains, the ancient walls,

the infrastructure of the museum,

and hope that soon whenthe crisis will be over,

visitors will come again andthe Tower of David Museum

will be ready and update for them.

- [Chris] It's a tiny piece of Jerusalem.

- You can see the layersupon layers upon layers

and understand the beauty of the evidence,

the archeology and the history together.

The combination is really unique.

- Everyone was here.

Everyone wanted to seize the Citadel,

to hold the Citadel.

If you want to understand,

if you want to learn aboutthe history of Jerusalem

so this is the place startingfrom the first temple

period and ending inmodern times right now.

All the story is right here.

- The renewal project isuncovering hidden treasures

and secrets of ancient Jerusalem.

For example, this passagewaymay have been used by crusaders

to escape the Citadel.

- Every time I'm here I just imagine

that in the time of trouble,

all the nights, all the Crusader nights,

all the Muslim nights, runningaway in this dark tunnel,

emerging outside the city,

- [Chris] The renewals projectgoal is to bring the story

of Jerusalem to life.

- It's the heart of Jerusalem,

and this place represents everything.

All the story of Jerusalem.

It's a very unique,

it's a symbol of Jerusalemfor many generations.

So it's a great challenge.

It's a great honor.

- The visitor, we will haveyield the ultimate experience

before they enter to visit Jerusalem.

You must visit here.

(whooshing)

- Well, take a meat's word for it.

The Tower of David Museum is a must see

when you visit Jerusalem.

The project will take abouttwo years to complete,

but when tourists do return to Israel,

perhaps next year,

the museum says it will still remain open.

Well, that's all for thisedition of Jerusalem Dateline.

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.

(bright music)