Operation Roaring Lion With UAE

 Nadene Goldfoot                                      

Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 11 March 1961), also known as MBZ or MbZ, is an Emirati royal and politician who has served as the third president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi since 2022 and was from 2014 until 2022 the de facto leader of the United Arab Emirates.  As of May 2026, the leader of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (also known as MbZ). He has held this position since May 14, 2022, and is also the Ruler of Abu Dhabi. Following regional security challenges in early 2026, President Mohamed bin Zayed has been directing the nation’s response to conflicts, including in the Middle East. 

Abu Dhabai is the capital of the UAE.  

Israel's Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet chief David Zinni visited the UAE at least twice during Operation Roaring Lion, in March and April, to coordinate issues regarding the war.

The Mossad (Hebrew for "Institute") is Israel's national intelligence agency, responsible for foreign espionage, covert operations, and counterterrorism. Founded in 1949, it reports directly to the Prime Minister and is a key pillar of Israel’s security, focusing on threats in the Middle East and globally.

The Shin Bet, or Shabak (Israel Security Agency), Known as the "unseen shield" (Magen veLo Yera'e),is Israel's internal security service responsible for counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and protecting state secrets. preventing terrorism, espionage, subversion, and sabotage.  It is one of Israel's three main intelligence agencies, reporting directly to the prime minister, with a focus on operations within Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. 

Operation Roaring Lion is a major, sustained military campaign launched by Israel, beginning on February 28, 2026, only (2 1/2)) months ago,  aimed at dismantling Iranian military infrastructure and leadership following extensive missile attacks. 

Conducted in cooperation with the United States, the operation has involved massive airstrikes, achieving significant air superiority and targeting Iranian leadership and weapon production.

Even war tools such as the family of the Iron Dome need batteries!!! It's always an issue as to how to open the door of the battery bed, at least in my house.  Then, which way do they go in?  + or - at the top???

A combat-proven, multi-mission system, IRON DOME delivers reliable protection against a wide spectrum of aerial threats, including rockets, artillery, mortars, cruise missiles, UAVs, and a diverse range of missile threats. Designed for short- to medium-range defense, it is uniquely capable of engaging multiple missile types alongside air-breathing threats within a single architecture, providing unmatched operational flexibility.

 Israel also sent Iron Dome batteries to the UAE, along with personnel to operate them.

The campaign of Operation Roaring Lion is described as a sustained effort rather than a short strike, with Israel aiming to change the security balance in the region.

Why UAE, an Arab country?  UAE, ( United Arab Emirates, a country in Western Asia located on the eastern Arabian Peninsula. It is a federation of seven, primarily oil-rich emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah) established in 1971, with Abu Dhabi as the capital and Dubai as its largest city. )

and Israel became close strategic partners through the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in August 2020, normalizing relations to boost economic, technological, and security ties. Key drivers include shared interests in regional stability, countering threats (such as Iran), and massive investment in technology, trade, and tourism. 

Resource:

https://www.rafael.co.il/system/iron-dome/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_content=Iron_Dome_GSN&gad_source=1utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_content=Iron_Dome_GSN&gad_source=1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel%E2%80%93United_Arab_Emirates_relations

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates

Ukraine War Discoveries and Israeli War Discoveries Aiding Each Other

Nadene Goldfoot                                               

Actually, the fact that there are wars happening in Ukraine and Israel gives me the Willies. Their enemy is Russia who is the mother lode of hitting Ukraine,  and also the mother lode of Iran who is the mother lode of terrorists of Gaza such as Hamas and their cohorts, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen.   The two are finding out that they can share discoveries that have helped them.  Small FPV drones are now replacing bombs hitting both countries, but are just as deadly.  How do they fight against this?     

                                    Warrant Officer (res.) Alexander Glovanyov (Courtesy)

Warrant Officer (res.) Alexander Glovanyov, 47, of Petah Tikva, who served as a transport vehicle driver in the 6924th Transport Battalion of the Transportation Center, was killed on Sunday by a Hezbollah FPV drone near the Lebanon border. During the attack, several explosive drones launched by Hezbollah struck in Israeli territory, close to the border with Lebanon. One of the drones killed Glovanyov, according to an IDF probe.                                                   

Wikipedia map, wrong about Golan Heights,  Israel effectively annexed the territory in 1981.. The international community (enemy) largely considers it occupied Syrian land. The United States officially recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan in 2019,

As of May 2026, the Israel-Lebanon border, often referred to as the "Blue Line," is a highly militarized and contested, featuring a roughly \(120\text{ km}\) demarcation separating the two countries from the Mediterranean Sea to the Golan Heights. The area is marked by 272 blue barrels and is monitored by UNIFIL, passing near Israeli border communities like Metulla, Misgav Am, and Manara.  

                                                    

   These 3 reserve IDF were killed in October 2024

However,  three reserve soldiers were wounded Saturday in an FPV drone attack in the Shlomi area near the Lebanon border in 2026

Update: 11:19am: Two IDF soldiers were wounded last night in an explosive drone strike near the Lebanese border. Another drone was intercepted by the air force..                          

The IDF is employing measures to counter the FPV drone attacks, including distributing thousands of meters of fishing nets to troops to trap the drones. A pair of workers repair thousands of metres of turquoise fishing nets before they head back out to sea.They painstakingly check the vast nets for any sign of damage or wear before knitting them back together.

Once repaired, fishermen will use them to catch large shoals of anchovies off the coast of Vietnam. ·

FPV, or first-person-view, drones, are small aircraft guided by operators watching a live video feed and can be flown directly into targets. They have been used widely in the Russia-Ukraine war. 

Marathon Runners in Israel, Too !

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

Yes, Israel has a vibrant marathon culture with elite runners competing internationally and several major local events, such as the Tel Aviv Marathon and Jerusalem Marathon. Elite Israeli runners like Maru Teferi, Gashau Ayale, and Lonah Chemtai Salpeter have won medals at the European Athletics Championships and World Athletics Championships.  A recent marathon: The recent major, large-scale marathon in Israel was the 15th International Winner Jerusalem Marathon, rescheduled to take place on Friday, April 17, 2026. This event includes a full marathon, half-marathon, 10k, and shorter community races through historic Jerusalem. 

Volcano Race (Rishon LeZion): May 29, 2026 (includes various distances).

Eilat Desert Marathon: November 27, 2026.

Tel Aviv Marathon: February 26, 2027. 

In 2025, Israel's men's team won gold and the women's team won silver at the European Athletics Championships in Brussels.  

Key Marathon Events in Israel:

• Tel Aviv Marathon: Known for being a fast and flat course along the Mediterranean coast.
• Jerusalem Marathon: Known for running through a historic, hilly city.
• Bible Marathon: Held annually in Rosh Haayin.
• Desert Marathon: A challenging race ending on the Red Sea Shore. 
• : Elite Israeli Runners:
  
  
  
  • Maru Teferi: Teferi was born in Dangila, Ethiopia, and is Jewish. He was born to an Ethiopian-Jewish family August 17, 1992 and is now 34.   He immigrated to Israel at the age of 14 in 2006 along with most of his family. Maru made history as the first Israeli to medal at a world championship, winning silver in the 2023 World Athletics Championship marathon. He is an Israeli marathon and half marathon runner, and an Olympian. He won a silver medal in men's marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, a silver medal in marathon at the 2022 European Athletics Championships, a gold medal in the 2022 European Marathon Cup, and the gold medal at the 2022 Fukuoka Marathon. He represented Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the men's marathon, and again represented Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 2020 Olympic Marathon. He has set Israeli records in both the marathon and half marathon. Teferi represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the Men's marathon, and came in 26th.
    
    
    
  • Lonah Chemtai-Salpeter: A highly decorated Olympic runner who won the 2020 Tokyo Marathon, bronze at the 2022 World Championships, and finished 3rd at the 2023 Boston Marathon.  Lonah Korlima Chemtai Salpeter (Hebrew: לונה צ'מטאי-סלפטר, née Chemtai, born 12 December 1988) now 38 is an Israeli Olympic runner. Born in Kenya, she represents Israel internationally. She won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. At the European Athletics Championships in the 10,000 metres, Salpeter won the gold medal in 2018, and earned a bronze medal in 2022. She won the 2020 Tokyo Marathon, won the silver medal at the 2022 New York City Marathon, and finished third at the 2023 Boston Marathon.
    
                                        
    
                     2024 Summer Olympics
  • Gashau Ayale: Won gold for Israel's team at the 2025 European Athletics Championships and has been a top finisher in elite international races.Ayale was born in the village of Gojam in Ethiopia to Tabak (his father) and Tesfia (his mother), and is Jewish. He was born into the Beta Israel ethno-religious community of Ethiopian Jews. Fellow Israeli long-distance runner and Ethiopian Jew 

    Ayale immigrated to Israel in 2010, at 13 years of age, with his parents and five brothers. They initially lived in an absorption center in Safed, Israel, and then later the family moved to Jaffa, Israel. (I was living in Safed when the first Ethiopians came to our

  •  city.)   His father worked as a cook, and his mother as a cleaner. He began running at 18, after initial interest in soccer. He trains with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

  • Gashau Ayale (Hebrew: גשאו איילה; born 22 August 1996) 30 years old, is an Israeli long-distance runner. In May 2022, Ayale set an Israeli record in the 10,000 metres, running 27:49.88. He won the bronze medal in the marathon at the European Athletics Championships, and a gold medal in the 2022 team European Marathon Cup. In February 2024, he won a bronze medal at the Seville Marathon with a time of 2:04:53, setting a new Israeli record. Ayale represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the Men's marathon, and came in 31st.
    
    
    
  • Beatie Deutsch: age 37, A prominent Israeli national champion known as the "marathon mother" for winning titles while being a mother of five.Bracha “Beatie” Deutsch (Hebrew: ברכה "ביטי" דויטש; née Rabin; born August 29, 1989) is an American-Israeli marathon runner. She has won the Tiberias Marathon and the Jerusalem Marathon, as well as the Israeli half-marathon and marathon national championships. In 2024, a documentary of her life called Marathon Mom was released.

  • Deutsch was born in the United States, the oldest of five siblings, grew up in Passaic, New Jersey, and emigrated to Israel in 2008. Her father is a doctor. She has a master's degree in school counseling from Northeastern University, as well as a black belt in taekwondo.

    A religious woman, Deutsch lives in Moshav Neve Michael in central Israel with her husband Michael, a yeshiva teacher and computer science student whom she married in 2009, and their five children. Before she committed herself to running, Deutsch worked full-time as a communication officer for the non-denominational Olami international Jewish outreach organization, which brings college students closer to religion and helps professionals get in touch with their roots by coming to Israel.