Israel Buying U.S. F-35 Lightning Stealth Fighter Jets; Venezuelan Government Confiscates Toys Ahead of Christmas
VANIER: Hi, everyone. Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Cyril Vanier, with your headlines.</s>VANIER: Now Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he plans to meet with President-elect Donald Trump soon to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, something both men have criticized. Mr. Netanyahu tells CBS's "60 Minutes" that he's optimistic that after years of strained relationships between the U.S. and Israel, it will improve once Donald Trump is in the White House.</s>BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I know Donald Trump. I know him very well. And I think his attitude his support for Israel is clear. He feels very warmly about the Jewish state, about the Jewish people, and about Jewish people. There's no question about that.</s>LESLEY STAHL, CO-HOST, 60 MINUTES: With Trump, do you think that Israel will not be as at odds with the United States as you have been under the Obama administration?</s>NETANYAHU: Yeah. We had differences of opinions with -- I had differences of opinion with President Obama and most well-known, of course, is Iran.</s>STAHL: Was it personal between the two of you?</s>NETANYAHU: No. No. I don't think so. I think that -- suppose we had the greatest of personal chemistry, OK? So, what? You think I wouldn't stand up against the Iran deal if I thought, as I did, that it endangers the existence of Israel? Of course, I would.</s>VANIER: A few hours from now, Israel begins taking delivery of the most-advanced Stealth fighter jet in the world, the F-35 Lightning. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter will be there for the ceremony. And as CNN's Ian Lee explains, the American warplanes eclipses the capability of anything else in the Middle East.</s>IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jets screech across the summer sky. Israel's surprise attack destroyed hundreds of Egyptian planes in hours. Their air superiority shortened the 1967 war to just six days. The new sound of air domination in the 21st century, say Israeli generals. The F-35 Stealth fighter will be the most-advanced plane in the region. Israel ordered 50. The initial two arriving Monday, making Israel the first country outside of the United States to receive Lockheed-Martin's fighter. The price tag, more than $100 million. Lieutenant Colonel Yotam (ph) will lead the squadron. His identity concealed for security, we're told.</s>UNIDENTIFIED COLONEL (through translation): The F-35 Stealth capabilities widen out operational theater. It allows us to bring into action many abilities that are needed from the air force for superiority.</s>LEE: As it looks around its neighborhood, Israel perceives many threats.</s>LEE: The Syrian conflict is on its doorstep. Hezbollah in Lebanon rearming since the last war with Israel in 2016. Russia's S-300 and more advanced S-400 surface-to-air missiles systems, introduced to support President Assad's military efforts. The advantage of the F-35, Israel hopes, is that it can fly virtually undetected.</s>UNIDENTIFIED COLONEL (through translation): The F-35 is built to deal with threats on the ground. It deals in the best possible way with everything that lies in the region of interest of the IDF outside of the borders of Israel.</s>LEE: But the plane has faced growing pains, includes problems with software, the engines and weapons. This retired Air Force brigadier general has seen this before.</s>UNIDENTIFIED BRIGADIER GENERAL: When you're developing new technology, you suffer from problems and you fix it.</s>LEE: But he insists, this plane is a game changer.</s>UNIDENTIFEID BRIGADIER GENERAL: They idea that you are the first state, the first air force in the area that gets it, it's a lot to your reputation.</s>LEE: A reputation that Israel hopes will make any rival think twice. Ian Lee, CNN, Jerusalem.</s>VANIER: Venezuela's government is replacing the country's highest bank note. Venezuelans have just 72 hours, just three days, to trade in the 100 bolivar bills for coins. President Nicolas Maduro announced the switch in a televised statement on Sunday. He said the purpose is to prevent mafias from smuggling the bills outside the country. And another move by the Venezuela government has parents outraged. Two weeks before Christmas, nearly four million toys are off the shelves. Rafael Romo explains why.</s>RAFAEL ROMO, CNN LATIN-AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Boxes upon boxes of toys stacked up to the ceiling in this spacious warehouse. It's not the North Pole. The warehouse belongs to Venezuela's largest distributor of toys. All of this merchandise was confiscated by the Venezuelan government. Venezuela's chief of consumer protection said the government confiscated nearly four million toys. The government accuses them of hiding them to sell at highly inflated prices during the Christmas season.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): We have found the case of hording of four million toys, so the children of our community's neighborhood and government committees will, for sure, have their toys for Christmas thanks to our laws. This is like reinforcement for Baby Jesus.</s>ROMO: Venezuelan tradition says that Baby Jesus, not Santa, brings the toys. (on camera): According to authorities, the operation targeting the toy distributor began Thursday. But law enforcement officials were still at the warehouse over the weekend. The toys, the government says, will now be made available at under-market prices to families with children in impoverished neighborhoods. (voice-over): Some consumers are calling President Maduro the Grinch that stole Christmas. Now many stores won't have any toys for the Christmas season. Business leaders go further, saying this is nothing less than thefts.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): This is against our rights and due process. This is part of the constant attacks that we business people have endured in Venezuela over the last 15 years, which have caused a loss of 60 percent of all companies in Venezuela.</s>ROMO: And while many children in poorer neighborhoods will get some of the toys, for other families elsewhere in the country, their only hope now rests with Baby Jesus. Rafael Ramos, CNN.</s>VANIER: We're going to take a short break. Coming up after that, ocean coral bleached white and dead. This summer's heat wave caused it to happen at an astonishing rate. It's impact on communities that depend on the sea may be very severe. Plus, the murder trial of an accused church shooter is rocking Charleston, South Carolina, and the church's new pastor speaks to CNN.