(shofar blares)

- This week on "Jerusalem Dateline,"

Iran threatens war afterthe Islamic Republic

accuses Israel of attackingits nuclear facility.

Plus, the green pass.

Privileges for the vaccinated

or discriminationagainst those who aren't?

Plus, a rare discoveryunites ancient history

and the gospels in themodern state of Israel.

And Israeli celebrate theircountry's 73rd Independence Day.

All this and more this weekon "Jerusalem Dateline."

(driving music)

Hello and welcome to thisedition of "Jerusalem Dateline."

I'm Chris Mitchell.

Iran announced it has begunto enrich uranium up to 60%,

just shy of weapons-grade.

Iran's President Rouhani says

they can reach weapons-gradeif they want to.

His threat comes afterIran's key nuclear facility

mysteriously lost power.

That severely damaged Iran'sability to enrich uranium.

It's raised the stakes significantly

between the Jewish state andthe Islamic Republic of Iran.

(driving music)

Iran is blaming Israel for the attack,

and a leading Iranianofficial is warning of war.

(speaking in foreign language)

- [Interpreter] We wentto say very frankly

to all those who want toimplement sabotages on us

that if they attempted to start wars,

Iran would not keep silent.

- [Chris] According tothe "New York Times,"

the power outage at theNatanz nuclear facility

set back Iran's nuclearprogram at least nine months.

Israeli media is reporting

the Mossad is behind a cyber attack

that damaged advanced centrifuges

just hours after they went online.

Last July, Iran blamedIsrael for an explosion

that severely damaged this facility.

Sunday's incident raises the stakes

in the ongoing conflictbetween Israel and Iran.

Another confrontation istaking place on the high seas.

Israel attacked in Iranian ship

off the coast of Yemen recently,

while Iran hit in Israelivessel a few weeks ago.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

encouraged the Israel Defense Forces

to continue its battle against Iran.

(speaking in foreign language)

- [Interpreter] The fightagainst Iran and its proxies,

the fight against Iran's nuclear program,

the fight against Iran'snuclearization is a huge task

and I wish all of us thatyou continue on this path

and that you continue to keep the sword,

the sword of David, in your hands.

- [Chris] Here in Israel,

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin

met with both IsraeliPrime Minister Netanyahu

and Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

- The Tehran of todaypossess a strategic threat

to international securityto the entire Middle East

and to the state of Israel.

- During our meeting, Ireaffirmed to Minister Gantz

our commitment to Israel isenduring and it is ironclad.

- [Chris] While the fightbetween Israel and Iran grows,

negotiations in Vienna betweenIran and the five nations

that signed the 2015 Iraniannuclear deal continue.

The talks are designed

to help the US re-enterthe Iranian nuclear deal.

Iran demands the US act first

by removing sanctions before it will agree

to make any moves limitingits nuclear advancement.

Last week, on Holocaust Remembrance Day,

Prime Minister Netanyahu declared Israel

would not be bound by any nuclear deal.

(driving music)

Here in Israel, after more than a year,

Israel will open its skies to small groups

of vaccinated tourists starting in May.

That's because Israel ismoving to revive its economy

now that more than half the population

has received both dosesof the COVID vaccine.

But a major part of that recovery

includes a controversial green pass.

(driving music)

The so-called passport is being offered

only to those fully vaccinated

or who have recovered from COVID-19.

- Either get the vaccine

or avoid certain kinds ofrisky interactions with others.

- [Chris] Only the passportholders will be allowed

to eat inside restaurants, goto the gym and swimming pool,

enter houses of worship,attend other various events,

and fly into the countrywithout quarantining.

- If someone decidesnot to get the vaccine,

they are within the right to do so,

but it's also true thatthey should be the ones

who bear the cost of this poor decision.

- [Chris] Those without a green pass

can also have a negative PCR test

a maximum of 72 hours before an event.

Tourists must have a negative PCR test

before boarding the plane to Israel,

and when they land aswell, have a serology test

at Ben Gurion Airport toprove they've been vaccinated.

Israel is working with other countries

to find a method for recognizingeach other's vaccines.

Some feel the green passprogram is government overreach

and possibly illegal.

- The WHO and most of thegovernments in the world so far,

certainly the United States,has not adopted this measure.

Even if you want to vaccinate,

one has to be careful innot forcing vaccination.

- [Chris] Renowned immunologist

Dr. Zvi Bentwich of Ben Gurion University

is part of the emergency public counsel

for the coronavirus crisis.

The group, comprised ofdoctors, scientists, and others,

have filed a lawsuitwith the Supreme Court,

calling the green passcoercive and predatory.

- We are not against vaccination,

but we are against the usage of a measure

that would cause discrimination

and enforcement of measures

that would impinge onbasically on human rights.

- [Chris] Professor David Enoch

at the Hebrew Universityin Jerusalem disagrees.

- When done properly,

it does not violate human or civil rights.

Giving at least a fairlysuccessful vaccination effort,

green passport policyis the way to do that.

- Having a policy, let'ssay in restaurants,

that everybody will wear a mask

and there would be somesort of distancing.

But by saying that youcannot enter a place

unless you have this passport,that's a different story.

- [Chris] Many Israelis hope

that once herd immunity is achieved,

green passes and otherrestrictions will be unnecessary

so life can just return to normal.

Meanwhile, these passportswill rule the day.

(driving music)

Coming up, a rare discoveryat the Tower of David Museum

unites ancient history and the gospels

in the modern state of Israel.

(upbeat music)

- [Announcer] His storyhas inspired the world

for thousands of years.

- [Gordon] Israel's most famous king.

- [Announcer] While some scholars doubted

his very existence.

- You cannot claim that KingDavid is a mythological figure.

- [Announcer] Journey beneaththe ancient city of Jerusalem

and see proof of Israel's celebrated hero.

Get "Written in Stone: House of David."

Join host GordonRobertson on an expedition

through the evidencesupporting the Old Testament.

- Extraordinary discoveriesmade headlines around the world.

- [Announcer] See where the shepherd boy

slew the mighty giant.

- We are shedding some light

on the story of David and Goliath.

- [Announcer] Explore therelics of the Davidic Age.

- There was a significantstructure standing here.

- [Announcer] And discoverproof of King David's legacy.

- This is a royal house.

- [Announcer] "Writtenin Stone: House of David"

can be yours for any dollar amount.

Call 1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com.

Available now.

(dramatic music)

- [Announcer] Watch breaking news,

in depth, exclusive stories and programs

from health to entertainmentyou won't find anywhere else.

The CBN News Channel, aperspective you can trust.

Enjoy credible news reportingfrom around the world.

Discover inspiring programsand stories of hope

all in one place from aChristian perspective.

The CBN News Channel, aperspective you can trust.

To watch the CBN News Channel,

download the app orvisit CBNNewsChannel.com.

- [Announcer] A new wave of anti-Semitism

is sweeping the globe, and theJewish state faces hostility

at every turn.

Now is the time forChristians to support Israel.

In CBN's free booklet, "WhyChristians Stand with Israel,"

you'll discover why Christianssupport the Jewish state

and why must stand togetherwith the Jewish people.

Get your free copy today.

Call now or go to CBN.com/StandWithIsrael.

(driving music)

- A major renovation atJerusalem's Tower of David Museum

has led to a rare discovery.

It represents anotherexample of modern day Israel

bringing both ancient historyand the gospels to life.

(driving music)

Those who enter the Old Citythrough the historic Jaffa Gate

are welcomed by the visuallystriking Tower of David Museum.

Here at the Tower of David Museum,

they discovered the foundationsof King Herod's palace.

These stairs lead down to the pools

of his elaborate complex,and many historians

and theologians believeit was at this palace

that Jesus was brought beforeKing Herod and Pontius Pilate.

- Right near us, theexcavation of the Kishle,

you can find thefoundation of this palace.

We have the pool, thefoundation, the Phasael tower.

So we probably know that Jesus was here

during His time in Jerusalem.

- [Chris] And it was here that renovations

led to the discovery ofthis rare silver Tyra coin.

- This is a very strongcoin, very heavy silver.

That's why it's so rare.

Jerusalem is full of treasures,and this is one of them.

- [Chris] This coin was likelyused to pay the temple tax

during the reign of King Herod.

Eilat Lieber, the directorof the museum, told CBN News

the discovery brings thestory of the gospels alive.

- And we know from the gospels

that Jesus visited Jerusalem.

We know that He talkedto the money changers.

So here we have the evidence,

the archeological evidenceto the historical sources.

- [Chris] Another majorpart of the renovation

is the Phasael tower built by King Herod.

Yotam Carmel heads upthe conservation project.

- It's important nationally,I think internationally

and also personally, but it really touches

this kind of structure, moving for me,

trying to preserve something

and actually let it liveon for future generations

and actually to do thebest which is possible

to keep as much originalfabric as possible.

- [Chris] Carmel saysthe work Herod envisioned

and ordered is exquisite.

- Unbelievable.

I mean, it's hard to understand,

how they lift, how they build,and how long it will last.

I mean, it will last forthousands of years more.

Unbelievable building system.

Hard to get your mindaround it how it was done.

It's just a massive scale ofstone carving and building,

which is very rare to see.

- [Chris] In 37 BC,Herod established himself

as King of Judea and began some of most

ambitious building projectsin the ancient world,

including the reconstructionof the Second Temple.

He transformed the city of Jerusalem

so much that Pliny the Elder wrote,

"Jerusalem was by far themost distinguished city,

not in Judea only, butof the whole orient."

Lieber says the Tower of DavidMuseum connects the ages.

- You can see how the past, the present,

and the future are actuallyhere at the Tower of David.

And we can actually knowmore about our identity.

Christians can see how the gospels

are coming alive here in Jerusalem.

- [Chris] She says their goalis to tell Jerusalem's story.

- This is the mostexciting part of our works

because all we want is tobring Jerusalem to the world,

the story of Jerusalem, therich history of all of us,

Jewish people, Christians,from all over the world.

- [Chris] The coin will bepart of the new exhibition

at the Tower of David Museumwhile the renovation work

will continue for more than a year.

(driving music)

Up next, a declarationin a Tel Aviv art gallery

73 years ago that changed the world.

- [Patrick] It was not mygrace, but God that I might come

to the Irish nations to preach the gospel.

- [Announcer] Now availablefrom CBN Films, "I Am Patrick."

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

- What brings you back, Roman?

- People thought thathis mission was crazy,

that his efforts to Christianize Ireland

were doomed to failure.

- [Announcer] From slave to missionary.

- Who among you heeds the call?

- Why would this man put himself in danger

among enemies who do not know God?

- [Announcer] From sinner to saint.

- [Priest] Patrick's storybegan 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.

- [Announcer] "I Am Patrick."

Get your DVD of thisinspiring documentary today.

Call 1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com.

(inspirational music)

- Here, we're committed to a heritage

of rigorous scholarshipdating back over 1,000 years.

- [Man] And to a faith traditiondating back 1,000 more.

- [Woman] This is how wecreate a culture of inquiry,

where no topic is off limits.

- [Woman] And a culture of hope.

- [Students] Where anything's 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.

♪ I got the joy ♪

♪ I dance around because I know it ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ I move around because I got it ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ Joy's in the heart ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ I dance around because I know it ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ I move around because I got it ♪

♪ Joy ♪

♪ Joy's in the heart ♪

(driving music)

- Israel celebrated its73rd Independence Day

with life looking almost normal

after last year's coronavirus lockdown.

Here's a story we didon the 70th anniversary

about the declaration madein a Tel Aviv art gallery

that changed the world forever.

Against overwhelming odds,this fledgling state of Israel

not only survived, butgrew beyond expectation.

CBN's Scott Ross looks back at that moment

along with someone who was there.

(speaking in foreign language)

- [Scott] Here in Independence Hall,

David Ben-Gurion declared the birth

of the modern state of Israel.

For the first time in nearly 2,000 years,

the Jewish people had a nation.

- And he chose thewords, "We hereby declare

the establishment," it sayshere, "of a Jewish state

in the land of Israel to beknown as the state of Israel."

This was the birth of aJewish state and for all Jews.

Ben-Gurion was standing here as the voice

of 11 million Jews around the world

who had no voice, who had noaddress and nowhere to go to.

(audience clapping)

- [Scott] I spoke with Isaac Dror,

who leads the education effort here.

- It was promised to us by God.

We are the only people inthe history of the world

that live on the same land,speak in the same language,

and believe in the sameGod more than 3,000 years.

- We are in a historic setting here.

Where are we, and what happened?

- This is the room

where the Jewish state ofIsrael was born 70 years ago.

In this tiny room withthese same furnitures,

a ceremony that lasted 32minutes and shook the world.

- [Scott] As British rulersleft Israel that day,

five Arab armies invaded.

- So it's like when youmix the happiest day

for the Jewish people, oneof the greatest moments

for our nation in modern times

with one of the mostdangerous and sad days

when Israel was that closeto a complete annihilation.

- Why this building?

Why here? Why Tel Aviv?

- This building was simplythe safest auditorium

in the city of Tel Aviv.

- Who were the people that were here?

- Most of them would bepeople from around Tel Aviv

because they could notinvite people from Jerusalem

because Jerusalem was disconnected.

Only 350 of them werelucky enough to be squeezed

in the room with noair condition. (laughs)

- [Scott] And among the crowdof witnesses was Yael Sharett.

- Her father was on thestage here, Moshe Sharett.

He was the right hand of Ben-Gurion

and kind of the foreign minister

of the provisional government of Israel.

- [Scott] I met Yael Sharett Medini

at her home near Tel Aviv.

- Here's my aunt, and this is my forehead.

Hopefully there's somethingbehind it, as I say.

And we shared a chair there.

It was next to the wall.

- [Scott] She told mehow, just the day before,

her father had dictated, and Yael wrote,

a draft of the Declarationof Independence.

- This is my father'sversion of the declaration,

the one that he dictated to me.

This is my handwriting.

This is a photocopy of the original.

The original is in the archive.

- Yael simply calls herselfa handmaiden of history.

Do you remember the event itself,

when Ben-Gurion stood up and read?

- It's epic.

It's really epic.

It's poetry, actually.

The only time I was really moved,

I must say,- Right.

- was when the Rabbi Levine

made the old age Jewish blessing.

(speaking in foreign language)

- [Scott] That ancient Jewish prayer,

recited on momentous occasions, thanks God

who has given us life, sustained us,

and allowed us to reach this day.

- I'm not religious,

but this blessing hasan echo of generations.

- Did you sing?

- Hatikvah, yes.

And then everybody stoodup and told the anthem,

the national anthem.

- [Scott] The very nextday, which was the Sabbath,

President Harry Trumanbecame the first world leader

to recognize Israel.

- The Pentagon and the StateDepartment truly believed

that Ben-Gurion, the leader ofIsrael, is leading the world

into a new catastrophe.

One person, however, thought differently.

His name was Harry Truman.

He understood something thatmost of his top advisors

and ministers failed to see.

This is truly prophecy being realized.

- [Scott] 70 years letter, it'sclear that Truman was right.

(driving music)

- [Chris] Still ahead,God fulfilling prophecy

in the land of milk and honey.

Thank you for watching"Jerusalem Dateline."

We're committed to providing you

with unbiased reportingfrom the Holy Land.

Through weekly broadcasts,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

and prophetic perspective.

This is a big vision andis only made possible

by the generous supportof people like you.

- [Announcer] Call ustoll-free at 1-800-700-7000,

or go to CBN.com/Jerusalem Dateline

and make a donation that will help spread

the light of truth aboutIsrael throughout the world.

(dramatic music)

- [Announcer] Roman soldiers

destroyed the Second Temple Jerusalem.

Centuries of eyewitnesses saythe temple treasures survived,

but where are they?

- [Narrator] They wentfrom Jerusalem to Rome,

Rome to Carthage, Carthage to Byzantium.

- Historians are silent aboutwhat happened to it next.

(dramatic music)

- [Announcer] CBN Documentaries presents

the worldwide release of"Treasures of the Second Temple."

- So does it still exist today?

- [Announcer] A story of mystery.

- [Gordon] Where is it?

- [Announcer] Calamity.

- [Narrator] Most of thevictims were butchered.

- [Announcer] And destiny.

- The possibility to dig is impossible.

(dramatic music)

- [Announcer] Get your copy

of "Treasures of the Second Temple,"

yours for a gift of anyamount to CBN Documentaries.

- If you're tired and exhausted all day

you can't think clearly, andyou really just need a cup

or even a pot of coffeeto get through your day,

then join me, Dr. Josh Axe,for 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.

- [Announcer] Wake up to your best life.

Call 1-800-700-7000 to getyour free DVD or booklet

of "Protect Your Sleep" today.

- Orphan's Promise is committed to loving

and serving at risk children,

to helping keep families together,

and to creating opportunities for strong

and sustainable communitiesaround the world.

We're working in over 60 countries,

and with your help, we can do even more.

We are out to change theworld one child, one family,

one community at a time.

Will you join us?

(driving music)

- As Israel faces troubleon nearly every side

and even sometimes from within,it's important to remember

how God is fulfilling Hispromises to the Jewish people.

Julie Stahl has more

on how biblical prophecyis coming to pass.

- [Julie] In the Bible, Godpromises the Jewish people

a land flowing with milk and honey.

And while it's a sign ofabundance, it's also literal.

- In fact, milk and honey is critical.

It's used 20 times in scripture.

- [Julie] But when theJewish people returned

from 2,000 years in exile, theyfound a barren desert land.

And Orthodox Jewishauthor, Moshe Kempinski,

says that was all in God's plan.

- God says I'm gonna dosomething miraculous.

I'm gonna create a land

that even though those climateissues don't call for it,

it's gonna be a landthat's going to be filled

also with dates andhoney, and also with milk,

so that you know that nothing comes here,

nothing in this land comeshere, except when it's from me.

- [Julie] And God hasdelivered on that promise.

- We considered leaders

in that production of milk in the world.

- [Julie] Despite the heat,humidity, and limited resources,

the Israeli cow producesmore milk per year

than cows in the US, EuropeanUnion, and Australia.

- We keep going up.

- [Julie] Ronen Gal managesoperations for the dairy

at Kibbutz Yotvata, thelargest milking facility

of its kind in the country.

- The milk production inIsrael is very clever.

It's very high-tech.

- [Julie] And what about the honey?

Most believe honey in Bible times

probably came from date trees.

Botanist Dr. Elaine Soloweyemigrated from the US

and settled not far from Yotvataon Kibbutz Ketura in 1974.

- Actually, I started out here

as the head of the orchard ranch,

and of course that was kind of funny

because at that time wedidn't have any orchards.

In the first few years, I wasresponsible for planting them.

And the first orchard Iplanted was the date orchard,

which you can see behind us,

which is the main agriculturalbranch of the kibbutz.

- There are tens of thousands of acres

of date trees in Israel.

Solowey planted some3,000 of those trees here.

This date orchard ishere at Kibbutz Ketura

in Araba Desert.

Each one of these trees produces

about 350 pounds of dates a year.

Solowey even managed to sprouta 2,000-year-old date seed

found by archaeologistsyears ago at Masada.

Nicknamed Methuselah, thetree is now five years old.

Dates and palms wereimportant in the scriptures,

and dates from this area

were known throughout the ancient world.

- So Romans had nothingnice to say about the Jews,

except that they had good dates.

And their emperors actuallyused to order Judean dates

to eat, and there was somevery, very good date varieties

in that day.

They were famous through the known world.

- [Julie] Today, Israel's dates

are still famous throughout the world.

Israel exports some 12,000 tons of dates

each year to 20 countries.

Now, Solowey is going beyond dates

to grow other life in the desert.

- I'm looking for trees thatlove to live in the desert,

that rejoice to live in the desert,

not the ones I have tokeep on life support.

- [Julie] She found clues in the Bible.

- Well the biblical trees,

if they grew here in the old days,

why shouldn't they grow here now?

We reintroduced frankincense and myrrh,

which had probably been introduced

at the time of King Solomon.

According to what wecan tell from folktales

and from the Bible, therewas already an incense

and this little tree being cultivated here

called the balm of Gilead

- [Julie] The frankincenseand myrrh brought to Jesus

were probably in crystal form like this.

According to Kempinski, therevival of trees in the land

is the first sign of redemption.

- Ezekiel 36 says "Mountains,shoot forth your branches,

give forth your fruit, becausemy children are coming home."

That's an unusual thingfor God to tell a tree.

That's what he created a tree to do,

except God is saying in Leviticus,

"I said it's gonna be a desolateland when I kick you out.

But watch, when I bringmy people back home,

this land is gonna is come forth

with blossoms and trees and fruits."

- [Julie] So, he says, every date you eat

and every glass of milk you drink here

is like prophecy being fulfilled.

Julie Stahl, CBN News,Kibbutz Ketura, Israel.

(driving music)

- By the way, Julie's story

on how biblical prophecy is coming to pass

is our most popular story ever.

And as Israel and the world face troubles

from almost every direction,it's important to remember

that God is still atwork fulfilling His Word.

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

Thanks for joining us.

Remember, you can followus on Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram, and YouTube.

You can also access CBN content

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And don't forget to sign up

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I'm Chris Mitchell.

We'll see you next timeon "Jerusalem Dateline."

(driving music)