Bad Weather Kept Travelers Off the Road; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Faces General Election in March; Israel's Netanyahu Retains Likud Party Leadership
ALLEN: Emergency crews in Southern California are trying to clear a major highway that has been shut down due to a fast-moving winter storm. Yes, another one. They were moving stuck vehicles on I-five, Interstate five while some motorists are helping each other push cars stranded in the snow and ice. I think that video there tells you how severe this is. A high wind advisory is in effect for the region. It's not clear when the roads will reopen. Motorists are being told to use alternate routes. It makes sense. Let's go to our meteorologist Derek Van Dam on where the storm might be headed next after this. Hello, Derek.</s>DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Natalie. Not the place you want to be, stranded on the side of a highway.</s>ALLEN: No.</s>VAN DAM: That is particularly dangerous position to be in as well because you get the white out conditions or low visibility because of the heavy snowfall you see behind me and it didn't take long for other cars to pileup behind the cars that are stranded already on the roadways. I mean, it's very treacherous conditions across Southern California. You can clearly see that in the video. The good news is that the storm system is going to slowly wind down with rain and snow for Southern California. There's Interstate five that runs from the border of Mexico all the way to Canada. We're going to take this moisture and move it across the great -- the four corners region, and you can see the winter storm advisories and warnings that are in place across this region. But then the National Weather Service just hoisted winter storm watches across the Great Plains, as well as the northwestern sections of the Great Lakes. That is in anticipation of the system gathering strength and bringing a swath of at least 18 inches of snowfall to that area. More on that in just a moment. But look at the snowfall totals coming out of Southern California. Impressive to say the least. Over two feet of snow for many locations. There is the storm system. Here it is evolving. And it's going to tap into Gulf of Mexico moisture. So, in advance of the storm this is going to be a warm storm, so we'll keep it all rainfall for the eastern two-thirds of the country. But on the cold side of the storm we draw on some of that chillier weather from Canada and we'll transition this over to snowfall. And this is the are we're targeting for some of the hefty snowfall. Northern Minnesota into North and South Dakota. Those three states have the potential to see over 18 inches of snowfall. Yes, that's right, 18 inches plus that is going to bring transportation to a standstill across the area. You can see the mild weather dominating the forecast for the eastern parts of the country. That will change as we head into the New Year. A lot of people want to know, Natalie, will the big ball drop in New York City be dry or it will be bringing the New Year with rain. Well, at this moment in time it looks like that storm will clear out just in time for a dry New Year's Eve celebration. Bring it on.</s>ALLEN: That makes it a little more tolerable, right?</s>VAN DAM: I think so too.</s>ALLEN: Because sometimes it's pouring rain and the revelers could care less.</s>VAN DAM: last hour I ended on a bad note. This hour I thought I'd bring you some good news.</s>ALLEN: Thank you, Derek. We appreciate that is the holidays. Thanks, Derek.</s>VAN DAM: You're welcome.</s>ALLEN: All right. Israel's conservatives are not ready to give up on Benjamin Netanyahu. The embattled prime minister has won a challenge to his leadership of the Likud Party with 72.5 percent of the vote by party members. Now you may recall Mr. Netanyahu faces criminal indictments for fraud, bribery and breach of trust. But he will now lead his party in general elections in March. Israel's third vote in 12 months. On Thursday he tweeted this, "huge victory, I thank the Likud members for the trust, the support, and the love with God's help and with your help, I will lead the Likud to a great victory in the coming election and will continue leading the state of Israel to unprecedented achievements." Now Mr. Netanyahu's path to victory in the Likud Party and possibly in the March election has followed an increasingly familiar pattern. Our Oren Lieberman has that from Jerusalem.</s>OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is becoming a familiar image among friends, a black and white picture of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointing at the camera. The caption says "they're not only after me, they're after us." It's copied from President Donald Trump who used a similar image with a similar message days earlier. The well-documented political bromance has been a focus of Netanyahu's messaging featuring heavily in election campaigns. On Christmas eve --</s>BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Merry Christmas to all our Christian friends.</s>LIEBERMANN: -- Netanyahu promising another political gift from the Trump administration.</s>NETANYAHU (through translator): We are going to bring American recognition of Israeli sovereignty in the Jordan Valley. And pay attention in all of the settlements those in the blocs and those that are not.</s>LIEBERMANN: Netanyahu and Trump share much more than style. As Trump faces impeachment, Netanyahu faces criminal indictment, charges of bribery, and fraud and breach of trust in three investigations. Netanyahu has insisted he's innocent calling the charges an attempted coup and a media-driven witch hunt.</s>TRUMP: I call it the rigged witch hunt.</s>LIEBERMANN: Language we've heard from Trump as well. In messages like this Netanyahu has painted himself as the victim while leaning once again on his relationship with Trump to boost his standing. But Trump borrowed this one.</s>TRUMP: I want to especially thank a great man and a great leader, the leader of India, Prime Minister Modi, my friend.</s>LIEBERMANN: It was with another populist leader Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that we first saw the message.</s>NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA: Our great American President, Mr. Donald Trump.</s>LIEBERMANN: Modi's supporters created and spread a meme, a picture of the Hindu leader with the words "in reality they're not after me, they're after you. I'm just in the way." With his India first style of politics Modi has celebrated Trump's America first brand.</s>MODI: It believe in American future and our strong resolve to make America great again.</s>LIEBERMANN: Modi has also shown his love for Netanyahu in 2017 becoming the first sitting Indian prime minister to visit Jerusalem. While Modi isn't facing any personal corruption scandals, his government has been facing massive protests after the passage of a controversial immigration law that critics say discriminates against Muslims. That's three nationalist leaders united by a love of brash tactics and strong man strategies. For Modi and Trump this style of campaigning worked. It's less clear with Netanyahu who faces a third straight election within 12 months already having failed to form a government twice. Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.</s>ALLEN: If you're watching internationally, African Voices Change Makers is next for you. Here in the U.S., more news with me just ahead.