Criticizing Israel Without knowledge,

 Nadene Goldfoot                                      

This morning's Michael Smerconish's program spotlighted what Thomas Friedman had in his writing about the Iran- Israel -USA war that started.  If there's any Jew against Israel, it's Thomas Friedman, so his opinion of Israel made me scream.  He wrote "From Beirut to Jerusalem" that was published in 1989.  It's the first inkling I've had of his continued misguided opinions about Israel. 

Thomas Loren Friedman was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 20, 1953, and grew up in the middle-class Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park. He is the son of Harold and Margaret Friedman.He's  the author of seven bestselling books, among them From Beirut to Jerusalem and The World Is Flat. During his undergraduate years, he spent semesters abroad at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the American University in Cairo, colleges probably as different as ying and yang. 

Thomas Friedman has argued on Smerconish and in his columns that the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran represents one of the most dangerous moments in modern Middle East history. He warns that Iran’s regime is driven by ideology, requiring a strategic, non-superficial response from Israel and the U.S. that avoids a "forever war".

 "From Beirut to Jerusalem" (1989) by Thomas Friedman is widely regarded as a classic, Pulitzer Prize-winning, and insightful, yet pessimistic, account of the Middle East conflict, based on his 10 years as a New York Times reporter. The book is praised for its accessible blend of personal anecdote, history, and analysis, though some critics consider it deeply cynical and, in some cases, Orientalist."  In essence, describing Friedman as an orientalist implies his analysis is not an objective assessment of the region, but rather a "style of thought" that imposes a Western perspective that diminishes the agency and humanity of the people being described. 

 Following his graduation from Brandeis, (Brandeis University is located at 415 South Street in Waltham, Massachusetts, 02453. Situated on a 235-acre campus in the suburbs of Boston, it is a private research university founded in 1948).  In 1948, the year it opened, Brandeis University focused on establishing a foundation for top-tier research, primarily in the humanities and social sciences, while establishing a "pioneering research enterprise" to combat discrimination in higher education. The research environment was shaped by European scholars fleeing war, leading to a cosmopolitan, intellectual, and social justice-oriented academic culture.

Friedman attended St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, on a Marshall Scholarship. In 1978, he received an M.Phil. degree in modern Middle East studies from Oxford. That summer he joined the London Bureau of United Press International (UPI) on Fleet Street, where he worked as a general assignment reporter.

All this education came about in England where anti-Semitism is high.  Since then, he's been against Israel as far as I can see reading and hearing about his opinion from Smerconish's TV program.  

To universities today recommended for Israeli studies are:  

• University of Haifa: Offers specialized International Israel Studies and Master's programs in Jewish thought and history, located in a diverse, immersive setting.
• Yale University: Provides comprehensive undergraduate majors and doctoral studies in Jewish history, culture, and literature.
• Columbia University: The Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies covers modern Judaism, ancient studies, and modern Israel.
• What has been going on in these universities is plain anti-Semitism.  
  
  
            Before iran's first revolution 46 years ago when people were more like Americans.  

 I lived in Israel from June 1980 to the end of November1985 and lived in Haifa and then moved to Safed to teach. Our history had captured my interest when 15 and I've spent lots of time educating myself, starting with UR with Abraham doing deep studies.  For once, Israel was not hit while I was there because Iran and Iraq were busy shooting at each other.  My classmates and I were not affected.  

        Trying to rebel and bring down the Ayatollah's regime

Friedman also hasn't kept up with what has been going on in Iran at this time.  There has been a revolution against the Ayatollah regime.  There is reason for the citizens who are not part of the Revolutionary Guard to have been rebelling in the streets without arms, mind you.  The Revolutionary Guard was turned onto them with guns, mowing down at least 35,,000 for starters, now with the number unbelievable.  

Iran has been supplying their henchmen terrorists, Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, others, with weapons to use against Israel.  Iran has come out in the open declaring their goal in life is to wipe out Israel. 

Before this regime caused to Shah to run for his life, the Shah and Israel were friends.  The Ayatollahs brought in an Islam foreign to the majority of Iranians that was bent on killing Jews. Iran then fought a war with Iraq. 

 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, fled Iran on January 16, 1979. He departed from Tehran with his family, officially for a "vacation," amid escalating political unrest, massive protests, and the growing momentum of the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini.

Iraq invaded Iran on September 22, 1980, driven by Saddam Hussein’s desire to exploit Iran's post-revolutionary instability, seize control of the oil-rich Khuzestan province, and secure the vital Shatt al-Arab waterway. Hussein aimed to prevent the spread of Iran's Islamic Revolution to Iraq and establish Iraq as the dominant power in the Persian Gulf.

"The Iran-Iraq War lasted almost eight years, starting with the Iraqi invasion of Iran on September 22, 1980, and ending with a UN-brokered ceasefire that became effective on August 20, 1988. The long, deadly conflict was a stalemate, resulting in an estimated 500,000 to over one million deaths."  So, since 1980, Iranians have been under war-conditions, and both sides fought till only teens were left as soldiers.  They about wiped out their male population!  They haven't had any freedom for the past 46 years since the 1980 war. 

An Iranian, Toussi, has been on the web on youtube from England who has his father stuck in Iran.  Toussi has been showing what it's like there with the Rebellion. Tousi was born in 1973, in Portland, Oregon and raised in Tehran, Iran. He emigrated to the United States as a teenager in 1986.  Mahyad Tousi (born 1973) is an Iranian–American filmmaker, scriptwriter, producer and director. He has created/co-created, directed and produced several films and documentaries including Looking For Palladin (2008), Of Kings and Prophets (2016) and United States of Al (2021–22).  He's my hero for not giving up on the Iranians and continue to filming and presenting their case.  

In 2007, along with Reza Aslan, he co-founded BoomGen Studios, an entertainment based company helping contents related to the Middle East.^[2] In 2020, he founded Starfish, an accelerator program industry

 Ayatollah turned off internet.  The country hasn't had water or food because of the lack of water.  Water trucks have been going around like vegetable wagons in Portland did in the 40s in Portland doling out some water.  People already lost jobs.  They have nothing to live for; this the rebellion.  Finally, CNN had a program telling about the Prince helping the Iranian people---for regime change!!!Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last Shah, has advocated for regime change and a democratic transition from exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Based in the U.S., he has served as a prominent opposition figure, actively encouraging popular uprisings, urging international support, and aiming to lead a democratic transition to a secular Iran.  No one was picking this information up and most were not trusting what they saw briefly without it coming from a well-known website.  Thank you CNN.  I cried when I saw this finally happened. 

2025: In an unprecedented turn of events, the Iranian regime has been rocked by internal rebellion and external military strikes, leading to an unexpected and dramatic collapse. The once unshakable power structure that has ruled Iran for over 47 years is now crumbling, with the people rising against their oppressors and the regime's foreign allies retreating. 

Has Friedman shown this bit of knowledge?  If I can know about it, what hasn't Friedman?  He and Trump just think they can pick another living Ayatollah and all is fine !!! 

For some time now Israel has been helping the people.  I've been writing about it. 

" Israel has engaged in activities to weaken the Iranian regime, often described as supporting opposition or destabilizing efforts, for decades, with significant proxy conflict dynamics dating back to at least 1985. Support intensified in the 2020s, with reports" detailing Mossad and CIA support for Iranian Kurdish militia groups and direct attacks on military targets to aid potential rebellions. I don't even think Toussi knew about this. 

 Resource:

Edit: 4/4/26 at 5;50pm

Tousi

Smerconish TV Program

Thomas Friedman

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/06/thomas-friedman-newspaper-reporter.html

Who Started The War in Iran ?

 Nadene Goldfoot                                       

It was some time ago when Israel felt the need to tell Trump that they were an independent country  and could not take orders.  They certainly enjoy cooperating when the goals are the same but will not follow directions that they disagree with.  In fact, it was  based on reports from early 2026, amid intense military operations against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that Israel makes its own decisions while acting in cooperation with the U.S. when goals align. 

 This talk came about when the country felt that Trump was getting a little too pushy with Netanyahu.  

The question continued to be asked by all the reporters, why now?  Why did the USA join Israel in attacking Iran?  I had the answer with my March 11th article about the "WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.". 

Today, April 3rd, I watched the morning show of "The View" discuss this question and everyone agreed that it was Israel's fault.  Little Israel, according to them, has the power to force the USA into the war.  I cringed, then screamed.  Oh, I do believe one person didn't agree with the others since she trusted the USA generals, but I couldn't hear what she was saying with all their yelling and screaming to be heard. I take this as being very anti-Semitic/anti/Israel-a country they are blaming.  Israel has taken steps to show their independence from the USA!!!Israel has major reasons for their actions.  They do not take war lightly.   

No doubt that no one on ABC'S "the VIEW" neither thought of my answer or read my article where I explained my view  I can tell that none of the ladies were Jewish as they didn't think of Purim.  Of course, they do not know of my blog and I didn't send my article to them, but I did think that someone could come up with my reasons that I had found.  

1. Israel happened to pick the 3rd of March which was Purim, a Jewish holiday celebrating the destruction of the Persian HAMAN, the precursor of Hitler, who wanted to kill all the Jews in the world.  Purim was a good day to attack Iran and put an end-hopefully-to the killing of Israelis for the past 47 years.  In other words:  

Israel selected the holiday of Purim for military action against Iran to draw symbolic parallels to the biblical Book of Esther, where the Jewish people defeated an ancient Persian plot to destroy them. The choice is meant to cast Iran as the modern-day Haman and emphasize a "reversal of fortune" in preventing a new genocide.

2. Ali Hosseini Khamenei, leader of today's Persia (Iran), hated by over half his population.People, especially the younger ones, rebelled when water and food ran out, never mind their lost jobs in the process, so had nothing to live for.  They were demonstrating in the streets, and Khamenei directed his Revolutionary Guards to shoot over 35,000 of them at this time. 

3.  The Shah of Iran's son directed them to overthrow their government from the USA at this time.  Purim was turning into a WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY-TIME FOR THESE PEOPOLE TO BE SAVED.   Thus was this window of opportunity;  a time with Trump and Khamenei and the people.  Such a time was seen as prophetic to Israel.  It was meant to be.  Who would not react?  All this could be seen on youtube's program coming from Iran. 

AFP via Getty Images

Police in Munich estimated that 250,000 turned out to hear Reza 

Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's former leader, give an address

"Hundreds of thousands of people took part in demonstrations around the world against the Iranian government on Saturday, following calls from the exiled son of the late shah for a "global day of action".

Addressing an estimated 250,000 people in Munich, Reza Pahlavi - who has called for the overthrow of Iran's Islamic regime - denounced a crackdown on recent protests there.

Munich, Los Angeles and Toronto saw the largest crowds, with smaller protests in cities including Tel Aviv, Lisbon, Sydney and London.

Activists say more than 6,000 people were killed after joining nationwide protests in Iran against the rising cost of living and the government. Thousands more deaths are being investigated.

Pahlavi told the crowd: "My first message is to our brave and fighting compatriots inside the country: know that you are not alone, and today the world stands with you in this struggle.""

Criticising Iran's leadership, he said: "In contrast to this corrupt, repressive, child-killing regime, you represent a great culture and civilisation, and in a free Iran of tomorrow you will prove to the world what a great nation we are." 

Trump went as far as moving ships in the water, but did not help--then.  The killing spree went on in Iran.  In fact, this happened on  January 2026, President Trump ordered a "big flotilla" of U.S. warships to move from the South China Sea to the Middle East, a deployment aimed at countering Iran's crackdown on protesters and supporting opposition forces. These forces, which included the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group, were reported to be arriving in the region around January 26, 2026, marking a major escalation in regional tensions.

Many would say this was just a coincidence. Is it a  coincidence that the USA's Trump heard the Iranian people who had no arms, nor water or food and were being picked on by machine guns and told them before----before, mind you, that if the government started to kill them , he would come?  Is it a coincidence that Israel planned on doing this on Purim of the same time period?  Is it a coincidence that Khamenei, such a terrible religious leader of a nation would ignore his duties of seeing to his people's water supply, food supply and economic situation  and just spend his nation's money on supplying weapons for  their henchmen to use in attacking Israel and the USA?  These 3 events were bad alone;  but happening at the same time.   It was a time for Israel to react-a window of opportunity.  I'm happy that the USA reacted then as well.  

Resoource:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czr0lykl4g4o

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-window-of-opportunity-was-ajar-and.html

Israel'a War Goals

 Nadene Goldfoot                                     

                                                 Qiam Missile

On Tuesday, March 31, 2026 Israel continues to strike Iranian military production and defense industry targets. Israel has set crippling Iran’s defense industry, not only its missile launch capability but also the factories, infrastructure and command networks that sustain it, as one of its central war aims. 

The IDF said that all critical and essential pre-war Iran targets will have been destroyed by Wednesday, April 1st, first night of Passover. 

Iran continues to fire around 10 missiles a day at Israel. They are the Qiam missiles.  The Qiam 1 (Uprising-1") is a short-range ballistic missile designed and built by Iran. It was developed from the Iranian Shahab-2, a licensed copy of the North Korean Hwasong-6, all of which are versions of the Soviet Scud-C missile. The Qiam 1 entered service in 2010, with a range of 800 km (500 mi) and 100 m (330 ft) (CEP) accuracy.

Houthi forces in Yemen have unveiled two Scud-based mobile short-range ballistic missiles: the Burkan 1 and Burkan 2-H. On 4 November 2017, Saudi Arabia claimed to have intercepted a Burkan 2-H over its capital, Riyadh, with a MIM-104 Patriot. It reportedly was aimed at King Khalid International Airport. According to the US State Department, the missile was actually a Qiam. 

There have also been reports of previous attempts by Iran to send missiles to Yemen.

From  Ido Efradi of Reuters:  

Five Israelis lightly wounded in earlier missile barrage from Iran, Houthis and Hezbollah

A total of five Israelis were lightly wounded in separate impact sites, after Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen launched missiles around the same time earlier Thursday. Three people were wounded in two Iranian missile impacts in central Israel. Two men were wounded, probably by missile shrapnel, following a Hezbollah (Lebanon) missile barrage, in northern Israel.

Bombing The Nuclear Center In Iran

 Nadene Goldfoot  Passover:  Erev:  April 1, 2026

                                            

     View of the main campus of Iran's military experiments in NE Tehran, Iran.:  It has a scientific group and a nuclear physics department. Imam Hossein University, which is particularly run on military lines by IRGC, is the center for experiments on nuclear research. Iranian scientists are conducting nuclear research and development using university laboratories.                        

However, it is not only a main center for nuclear research. It also has a place for biological research. Imam Hossein University has a biological section that conducts microbial research. Nonetheless, nuclear enrichment at Imam Hossein University is the mother of all research at what called a nuclear weapons university. 

Prof. Raymond Tanter, of Georgetown University, an expert on Iran, claimed that this university has become the center for all of Iran's secret nuclear programs. In February 1998, Imam Hossein University was identified by the British government as having procured goods and/or technology for weapons of mass destruction programs, in addition to doing non-proliferation related business.

   From Department of Aerospace Engineering (دانشکده هوا و فضا)

Imam Hossein University in Tehran is a key Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military institution established in 1986, located in northeastern Tehran near the Babayi Expressway. It acts as a major training and research hub for the IRGC, covering both military and academic fields. Recent imagery, such as that shown on this Instagram post, this Facebook post, and this X post, has highlighted its campus, with file photos available on Wikipedia

Multiple facilities within the university complex were targeted, to damage Iran’s weapons development capabilities.

Israel continues to expand its campaign against Iran’s military infrastructure. The IDF said it recently struck one of the IRGC’s key military sites embedded within Imam Hossein University in Tehran, the corps’ primary academic and training institution, which it said also serves as an operational asset for the regime. 

An Iranian missile with cluster munitions flies towards central Israel on March 5, 2026 [Dylan Martinez/Reuters]

A combined barrage (included cluster bombs) from Iran and Lebanon struck central and northern Israel on Monday, triggering sirens from Netanya to the Galilee. The barrage from Lebanon toward northern and central Israel, as far south as Herzliya, included about 10 rockets, some of which were intercepted while others fell in open areas. There was a reported impact at the Bazan oil refinery complex. In the Haifa area, reports indicated multiple impact sites, power outages and structural damage, including a roof collapse. Yesterday, Iran fired a cluster missile towards southern Israel, causing some damage in Beersheva and in a large industrial park south of the city.

Before this 8 day period starting April 1st of Passover, Israel has had 6 deaths in battle:                        

                                           

Sgt. Liran Ben Zion, 19, from Holon, was killed overnight by anti-tank missile fire in southern Lebanon. He served as a tank crewman in the 9th Battalion of the 401st Armored Brigade. Two other soldiers were seriously wounded from anti-tank fire and another from a drone explosion.

Since the start of the ground operation, five additional soldiers have been killed in anti-tank fire, clashes and rocket attacks: 

Sgt. 1st Class Maher Khatar, Staff sergeant Or Demry, Staff sergeant Ori Greenberg, Sergeant Aviaad Elchanan Volansky, and Sergeant Moshe Yitzchak Hacohen. More than 30 soldiers have been wounded in the fighting in southern Lebanon.  The goal of the IDF is to create a security buffer deeper inside Lebanese territory, away from the border, to reduce rocket fire on residents of northern Israel.

Resource:

Israel AM 

This is Part Of Our Passover History; We Jews, Once Called The Israelites

 Nadene Goldfoot

March 2023                                   

Summary:  Israelites led by Jacob/Israel migrated to Egypt when hit by a terrible drought  when their crops were destroyed.  They had been a people coming from Abraham who lived in Ur of the Chaldees near the delta of the Euphrates River of Mesopotamia.                                    

They settled in Egypt’s Nile Delta in the city of Avaris, where they were identified as the Hyksos people,  a major group of immigrants who also lived in this city.  They did so well tending their sheep that they multiplied faster  than Egyptians, scaring the pharaoh who thought they could turn on them and take over, which the Hyksos managed to do at some point. 

But at the same time, Jacob/Israel’s descendants were made slaves of Egypt, set to building the storage cities of Pithom and Rameses, also in the Nile Delta. 

 Passover’s 9 plagues were remnants of the Volcano erupting on the Greek island of Santorini with their effect which also took place on the island as well, with the 10^th most serious plague of the 1^st born sons dying being the most mysterious one.   A possible cause could have been something to do with circumcision, an act Egyptians practiced, which then could have only been with first borns, and in a ceremony using either a special knife, food or drink connected with the act that could have poisoned the first borns.  Circumsion is the only act that would have identified males from females. 

 Israelites were not circumcising yet, and would receive this act while on the Exodus from Moses’s teachings.   While we don’t know enough about circumcision in Egypt, we do know they practiced it.  

March 2026

Recent archaeological excavations at Avaris (modern Tell el-Dab‘a) in Egypt, led by the Austrian Archaeological Institute (Dr. Irene Forstner-Müller), continue to reveal it as a major Hyksos capital and thriving, cosmopolitan Levantine-influenced city. Key updates include investigations of a 1715 BCE epidemic, mapping of the harbor, and analysis of elite cemeteries and palatial buildings.  The epidemic in Egypt around 1715 BCE, often associated with the Biblical plagues (specifically the plagues involving death/disease), is believed by some researchers to have been caused by Francisella tularensis, the bacteria responsible for tularemia, a disease spread by ticks and rodents, rather than the bubonic plague, say ScienceDirect.com and National Institutes of Health (.gov). 

• Francisella tularensis, which causes ulceroglandular or typhoidal symptoms. Research suggests the outbreak originated from Canaan, a known reservoir for F. tularensis during the 2nd millennium BCE, ScienceDirect.com.Environmental Factors: The crisis is often linked to an unusual environmental event, perhaps an El Niño-Southern Oscillation causing warm, dry conditions, leading to disease proliferation, notes PubMed Central (PMC) (.gov).

• Archaeological Focus: Current research focuses on settlement archaeology, including the harbor, temple rituals, and 13th-15th Dynasty tombs.
• Epidemic Documentation: Investigations have highlighted evidence of a historic epidemic, with large, rapid-burial, non-ritual graves found at the site.
• Excavated Structures: Excavations have uncovered a large, heavily fortified city with Levantine-style palaces (including a "Palace F"), homes, and temples.
• Foreign Influence: The city was inhabited by a wealthy Canaanite/Levantine population, indicated by unique burial practices (such as donkeys in tombs), and pottery imports.
  
  
  
• Palatial Abandonment: Evidence shows the palatial district was abandoned in the mid-18th Dynasty following the reign of Amenhotep II, as confirmed by Egypt Exploration Organization.  Amenhotep II (lit. '"Amun is Satisfied"'), also called Amenophis II, was the seventh pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He inherited a vast kingdom from his father Thutmose III, and held it by means of a few military campaigns in Syria; however, he fought much less than his father, and his reign saw the effective cessation of hostilities between Egypt and Mitanni, the major kingdoms vying for power in Syria. His reign is usually dated from 1427 to 1401 BCE. His consort was Tiaa, who was barred from any prestige until Amenhotep's son, Thutmose IV, came into power.
  
  
  
• Site Context: The site, located in the Delta region (Sharqiya Governorate), was a bustling city built on a harbor before it was destroyed by Ahmose I. Ahmose I (Amosis, Aahmes; meaning "Iah (the Moon) is born") was a pharaoh and founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt in the New Kingdom of Egypt, the era in which ancient Egypt achieved the peak of its power. His reign is usually dated to the mid-16th century BC at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age.

  During his rule, Ahmose completed the conquest and expulsion of the Hyksos, restored Theban rule over Lower- and Upper Egypt, and successfully reasserted Egyptian power in its formerly subject territories of Nubia and Canaan.

• Resource:
• https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-land-of-goshen-and-nile-river-and.html