The People of Judah Among The Countries

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                  

On his deathbed, Jacob prophesied that Judah would be the leader among his brothers, likened to a lion, with a permanent royal scepter [Genesis 49:8-10]. Judah’s descendants would rule, defeat their enemies, and produce a ruler (Shiloh) to whom all nations would be obedient. Judah's father was Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abram (Abraham).  son of Terah, son of Nahor, etc, and onto Shem, son of Noah.   They had no idea that our DNA showed the same line recorded in the cells of our body.  We can prove this today.                                                    

Judah's mother was Leah on the left with  6 of Jacob's children.  He was the 4th son.  It was he who persuaded his brothers to sell Joseph to passing Ishmaelites rather than leave him to die in a pit (Gen.37)He received his father's patriarchal blessing (Gen.49-:8), though Reuben, Simeon and Levi were older. 

The land received by the tribe of Judah was one of the largest in Canaan and it eventually absorbed Simeon in the Negev Desert, and Benjamin 12th son of Jacob-2nd son of Rachel who died in childbirth.   This tribe was placed on land between Ephraim and Judah which included Jerusalem.  King Saul was a Benjamite.  The land was a bone of contention between Israel and Judah after Saul died, partitioned between the two eventually, then included in Judah.

Out of this tribe was born David who had a leading position over the other 11 tribes as King.  When the kingdom split after the death of Solomon, Judah supported his son, Rehoboam (933-917 BCE)  and was predominant in the southern kingdom of Judah.   

Punishment by the Greeks and Romans, a practice copied from the Persians was crucifiction.  It was unknown in Jewish law, and here it was was introduced by the Romans;  the usual punishment given to rebels.  Many Jews suffered this fate under Roman rule.  
 

We Jews come from Judah, which was later called Judaea by the Romans who took Judah in 70 CE. 

Jews are the only people who remained really faithful to the Law of Moses and believed in only ONE G-D purely;  no siblings or children of G-D like the Greeks and Romans did.  The rest of the world was a pantheon of Gods that people believed in and worshipped, along with some animals, at times.  

70 CE was the year of Roman putting an end to the Jewish Rebellion which started in  63 BCE with Pompey, the Roman General who involved the Romans into the warfare between the Hasmoneans, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, to occupy Jerusalem, the capital of Judah.  Then the Parthians in 40 BCE captured it which was followed by a long siege to Herod in 37 BCE.  who then ruled it as a Roman vassal until his death in 4 BCE and his son  Archelaus who took over in 6 BCE for his father. 

Pontius Pilate was a procurator who crucified Jesus in 29 CE. which started a new calendar.   Roman procurators then took over until the reign of Agrippa in 41-44 CE who began to build a 3rd wall to the north. 

The Arch of Titus in Rome, one can see it today,  showing how the Jews, now slaves, had to carry the spoils of the Temple back to Rome.   

Roman rule was unbearable and the Jewish rebellion started in 66 CE.  After 3 years of independence, the city of Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans under Titus and fell in 70 CE.  They starved the people of Jerusalem for a long time, according to Josephus Flavius (b: 38-d:100 CE), a Judean Jew of priestly family .  The Temple and most of the buildings were destroyed and a Roman garrison was built on its ruins.  The Jews were not only taken as slaves, but were forced into manual labor in building, and like the Christians, faced death by animals for entertainment.  

Some Jews escaped from Jerusalem and fled to Spain, forced to leave and went to Portugal, forced to leave.  Following their "Golden Age" in Spain, Jews were expelled in 1492 (and Portugal in 1496), triggering a mass diaspora known as the Sephardic dispersion. 

They fled to North Africa, the Ottoman Empire (Turkey/Balkans), Italy, Germany,  the Netherlands, and Eastern Europe and into Russia and that area.  and eventually the New World, forming global communities that maintained Spanish-influenced cultures.  The last place was the USA with Jewish immigration to the USA occurred in several major waves, starting in 1654 with Sephardic Jews in New Amsterdam (New York), followed by a large wave of German Jews in the mid-19th century, and a massive influx of over 2 million Eastern European Jews between 1880 and 1924.  

Germany had Jews living there since the 8th and 9th century who had a pro-Jewish policy and encouraged settlement of Jews with the object of developing trade.  By 9th century they were living in Augsburg and Metz, by the 10th, at Worms, Mainz, Magdeburg, Ratisbon, etc.  The densest settlement was in the Rhineland of Mainz, Speyer, Worms, Cologne, etc.  Crusaders massacred the Jews throughout the Rhineland and adjacent areas.  Yiddish came out of this experience, a mix of German and Hebrew and a dash of others.  

Russia, etc,  introduced pogroms to any anti-Semitic acts which drove Jews to think once more about Judea, their ancestral home.  1880 saw Aliyah of Jews go to live there by boat, and they were followed up by more and more.  

The Immigration Act of 1924 (Johnson-Reed Act) severely restricted Jewish immigration to the United States by establishing strict national-origins quotas based on the 1890 census. This act intentionally targeted southern and eastern European immigrants, including Jews, effectively ending the era of mass migration and closing a major door for those fleeing persecution. 

ATTACK ON WATERING JUDEA AND SAMARIA

 Nadene Goldfoot

Israel Guys report that 

IN JUDEA & SAMARIA The land is divided into A,B,C areas with C for Jews on the east side (white) and yellow showing Palestinian side.  (West Bank, no longer; use Judea and Samaria) The Jordan River runs along the eastern border of the region of Judea, flowing south into the Dead Sea. While the Judean highlands are arid, the region also features several smaller, seasonal streams (wadis) in the Judean Desert, such as the Brook Kidron and Wadi Qelt, which run toward the Jordan  Valley.  Israeli citizens in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) are approximately 500,000–700,000 Jewish residents living in over 185 communities, including cities like Ariel and Ma'ale Adumim. They are governed by Israeli law (via the IDF's Civil Administration), pay Israeli taxes, and vote in Israeli elections.

The map of Israel reflects the staged transfers of land from Israel to the Palestinian Authority since 1993. Area A refers to land that was transferred completely to the Palestinian Authority (“PA”). These areas became terrorist hotbeds of activity and it was only in 2003 that the Israeli army began entering these areas in order to combat the terrorism threat. Area B includes land that was jointly controlled by the PA and Israel; here, too, most of that cooperation was destroyed in 2000, although the PA is still responsible for all civilian issues in both areas A and B. Recently, the PA has begun to cooperate with the IDF to keep the area safe, for both Arabs and Jews. But it is clear to both Arabs and Jews that without a strong IDF presence, terrorism would once again rear its head with more power than ever before. Area C is still within exclusive Israeli control. All remaining Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria as well as the main roads leading to them, remain within Israeli control, although many are isolated and surrounded by Palestinian-controlled areas.                    For the ninth time in two years, water reservoirs of Jewish farms were poisoned by Palestinians. On Monday night, near the Allon road, terrorists broke locks to gain access to secured grazing areas and then dumped toxic substances mixed with oil into the water troughs. The oil, which floats on the surface of the water, held the poison at the surface where it was consumed first by the animals. A shepherd noticed the livestock starting to convulse and foam at the mouth and acted quickly to prevent more of the animals from ingesting the poison. Which brings me to the subject of WATER in Israel.  Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.  Are we sitting in the middle of an ocean?  No,  practically sitting on an ocean of sand, though.                         Israel has transformed from a water-scarce nation into a water-surplus country through heavy investment in technology, despite its arid climate. Over 85% of its domestic drinking water is produced via seawater desalination, supplemented by extensive wastewater recycling for agriculture. However, significant challenges persist regarding water equity in Judea and Gaza. Resource: israelAM Israel Guys (love them) https://cfoic.com/settlement-map/

Those Who Have Turned Against Netanyahu

 Nadene Goldfoot                                     

                                                            Netanyahu 1980

During my productive time in Israel, we had 3 Prime Ministers:  Between 1980 and the end of 1985, Israel had three different Prime Ministers due to a leadership change and a national unity rotation agreement: Menachem Begin: Until October 1983.Yitzhak Shamir: October 1983 – September 1984.Shimon Peres: September 1984 – end of 1985 (as part of a rotation agreement). But Netanyahu has always been my hero.  When the chips were down, the people called upon him over everyone.  During that time, Iran was at war with Iraq from September 1980 to August 1988. and left Israel pretty much alone. 

 Over 1.5 million immigrants (Olim) have entered Israel since 1980, with a major influx of over 1 million arriving from the former Soviet Union (FSU) from the 1990s onwards. Major waves included significant arrivals from Ethiopia, the United States, France, and Argentina, with over 18,000 to 20,000+ new immigrants arriving annually as of 2025–2026.  Most come without any knowledge of the history of Israel and it's politics since then.  They must learn that plus Hebrew to really survive.  Hopefully, they come with a skill.  But you can imagine that they are perfect people that the political arena can convince to their side in politics and join in just about anything.  

I have been amazed that since 1985, when I was called back to the States, some Israelis had turned against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to  what?  His handling of the October 7, 2023, attack was the latest reason, prioritizing personal political survival over bringing hostages home, and pushing divisive judicial reforms. Many hold him accountable for security failures and blame his policies for escalating tensions and failing to secure a ceasefire, fueling widespread protests demanding his resignation and early elections. 

Who were these people who turned against him?  The people who have turned against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and protested in the streets in early 2026 consist of a broad, diverse coalition of Israeli society, primarily driven by anger over the ongoing, multi-front war, the failure to secure the release of all hostages, and the push for judicial reforms. As of May 2026, these protests have continued, with demonstrators demanding the government step down, blaming it for increasing insecurity, and accusing it of prioritizing political survival over the safety of the state.

Standing Together (Omdim Beyachad / Naqif Ma'an) was founded in late 2015. It is a grassroots movement in Israel, co-founded by Alon-Lee Green and others, aimed at uniting Arab and Jewish citizens for peace, equality, social justice, and against the occupation, particularly after years of conflict in 2014 and 2015. Yes, Standing Together is a prominent Jewish-Arab grassroots movement in Israel that has actively organized against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies, including the 2023 judicial reforms, the ongoing war in Gaza, and the occupation of Palestinian territories. As a united front of Palestinian and Jewish citizens, they advocate for peace, equality, and social justice.

. Anti-Corruption & "Crime Minister" Activists: Long-term protesters, active since 2020, who initially focused on Netanyahu's corruption trial (which I consider ridiculous)     Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three long-running corruption cases (Cases 1000, 2000, 4000) that began in 2020. . The cases focus on allegations of receiving expensive gifts, negotiating media coverage, and granting regulatory favors to business tycoons in exchange for positive press. The trial, featuring hundreds of witnesses, involves allegations of accepting expensive gifts and exchanging regulatory favors for positive media coverage. Benjamin Netanyahu is alleged to have accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of luxury gifts—specifically expensive cigars,(the only accusation I heard about)  pink champagne, and high-end jewelry—from wealthy acquaintances. These items, often dubbed a "supply line," were allegedly received from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer in exchange for political favors, forming the basis of "Case 1000".Netanyahu denies all charges, citing political motivation    "Submarine Affair" is now more important and  on judicial reform..

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seen at a welcoming ceremony for a new submarine, Rahav, at the Israeli naval base in Haifa, on January 12, 2016. (Kobi Gideon/ GPO)JERUSALEM — Israel signed a €3 billion (U.S. $3.4 billion) deal Thursday to buy three cutting-edge submarines from Germany, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced.  The Dakar-class diesel-electric submarines will be produced by German manufacturer ThyssenKrupp and are expected to be delivered within nine years, the ministry said.    Israel purchased the submarines from German shipbuilder Thyssenkrupp in a series of murky deals worth some $2 billion that have been under scrutiny for possible corruption and bribery. According to an 11-page statement released by the commission on Monday, during his term as prime minister between 2009 and 2016, Netanyahu made decisions with “significant implications for security” without an orderly decision-making process, bypassed his own government in order to come to agreements with Germany on a series of political, security and economic issues, and made defense purchases “without orderly staff work [while] deviating from the operational needs established by the government.”

Key aspects of the proposed reforms included:  Limiting Judicial Review: The government passed a law in July 2023 removing the ability of courts to use the "reasonableness" standard to cancel government decisions. Key aspects of the proposed reforms included:  Judicial Selection Control: Changes to the Judicial Selection Committee to give the governing coalition a dominant voice in appointing judges.Override Clause: Proposals to allow a simple majority in the Knesset to overturn Supreme Court rulings.Legal Advisers: Allowing ministers to reject the counsel of their legal advisers.

Brothers in Arms & Reservists: A prominent group of former military personnel and reservists who have been active in protesting Netanyahu's policies:  (Achim L'Neshek) is a prominent Israeli protest organization composed of IDF reservists and veterans, notably including former Sayeret Matkal Lt. Col. Ron Scherf  and former combat helicopter pilot Shira Eting.  Other leaders mentioned include Eyal Naveh and Eitan Herzel  with growing numbers refusing service to protest the government's direction.  Brothers and Sisters in Arms (Achim L'Neshek) began in January 2023 as a protest movement of IDF veterans and reservists against the Israeli government's proposed judicial reforms. The group gained momentum in February 2023 with a three-day march from Latrun to Jerusalem and pivoted to become a major aid organization following the October 7, 2023, attack.

Kaplan Force officially began its activities on June 25, 2023, emerging as a militant wing of the broader anti-Netanyahu protest movement during the height of the judicial reform demonstrations. While the broader protests began in January 2023, the specific "Kaplan Force" brand was established to execute "targeted actions" and "Days of Disruption or Rage" (including blocking highways and the airport) in response to the government's push for judicial reform. 

Who Are Israel's Greatest USA Presidential Friends?

 Nadene Goldfoot                                        

Going to war was the U.S. president’s decision, for which he alone is responsible.  Nobody can tell Trump to do something he doesn't want to do.  

There is the Problem With the Idea That Netanyahu Made Trump Attack Iran floating around in the US.  So they blame higher gas prices and food prices on Israel now.  Jews have been blamed for every bad thing that has ever happened;  especially the Arabs.  I know that Syrians blamed even bad weather on Jews.  Well, indirectly, maybe I can say that it's the way Jews have been treated that brings on the bad things,  you know, Karma !  (Thank you, India for that one.)  All I believe is that something is watching up high.  Something knows who's good and who's bad and it isn't just Santa Claus.  (Thank you American children).  G-d knows.  Broad antisemitic tropes and theories regarding Jewish influence on war are significant: 

• Global Views on War Responsibility: A 2025 Anti-Defamation League (ADL) poll  found that 40% of people under age 35 and 29% of those over 50 worldwide believe "Jews are responsible for most of the world's wars".
• Manipulation Tropes: Approximately one-third of Americans at least "somewhat agree" with the trope that Israeli operatives manipulate U.S. national policy.
• Antisemitic Tropes in the U.S.: As of 2024, nearly 24% of the U.S. population agrees with six or more traditional anti-Jewish tropes, an increase from 20% in 2022.  So that's during  October 7, 2023;  blaming the victim.  
  
     Truman was the first to recognize Israel as a state; here with Weisman, and he was adamant about doing so.  His surrounding friends were against it.  Here he is with Chaim Weizmann.  Israel will be 78 years old on May 14, 2026.  It's called Yom Ha' atzmaut in Hebrew.  
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                           Truman and David Ben Gurion                    
  David Ben-Gurion (born October 16, 1886, Płońsk, Poland, Russian Empire [now in Poland]—died December 1, 1973, Tel Aviv–Yafo, Israel) was a Zionist statesman and political leader, the first prime minister (1948–53, 1955–63) and defense minister (1948–53; 
• 1955–63) of Israel. It was Ben-Gurion who, on May 14, 1948, at Tel Aviv, delivered Israel’s declaration of independence. His charismatic personality won him the adoration of the masses, and, after his retirement from the government and, later, from the Knesset (the Israeli house of representatives), he was revered as the “Father of the Nation.”
• Is there a problem in that Trump and Netanyahu have become friends as well as making their country's a friend?  It seems that way.  My goodness, it's true that Trump is the second real friend out of the 50 Presidents of the 50 states.  Trump has gone that extra mile that the others didn't.  However, 3 other U.S. presidents have been close allies of Israel, with Lyndon B. Johnson, George W. Bush, and Richard Nixon frequently cited as strong supporters alongside Truman and Trump. These leaders strengthened strategic, military, and diplomatic ties, with LBJ often regarded as the most emotionally committed, supporting Israel during the 1967 war
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•  By the way, Jews happen to live in the states as well as having returned to their native land they have re-named Israel.  It's interesting that Jews make up only 2%  of the USA, yet many people  distrust them.  Where do they get such ideas? 

Israel has been at war with Iran at least since 1967.  Every day they have had the knowledge hanging over their heads that their neighbors cannot bear a Jewish state among the Muslims surrounding them.  Trump led the motion of the Abrahamic Accords in which 4 countries now belong including the USA and Israel, of course.  

This is likely the oldest photo Dusky ever posted. It's from 1855, and it shows a group of Jewish laborers in Kerem Avraham, a neighborhood in Jerusalem.

These Jews belonged to what is called the Old Yishuv, those Jews who were already living in the Land of Israel before the First Aliyah, which began in 1882.

Here's a photo of agricultural workers in Ein Ganim in 1923. Ein Ganim was a moshav established in 1908. It was later absorbed into the city of Petah Tikva and is today a neighborhood there.

Photo credit: Oded Yarkoni Petah Tikva Archive

Yet Jews had ventured back in the 1880's and even earlier to their native land of Judah, then called Palestine with the Ottoman Empire at the head of it and all the others surrounding it.  It had become unbearable in Russia and those surrounding states creating Pogroms for Jews to live, always being 2nd class people used to vent all their problems on, then...as now, taking it out on them physically.  Jews started to return after being  chased out in 70 CE by the Roman attack that contained threats of not to return or face death.  

Why are the Jews always blamed for everything--the scapegoat of the world?  It started in the Greek days and have never stopped with Hellenism.  Christianity picked it up and added polish and spit.  This new religion did not help any Jews even though  Jesus was said to be Jewish.  As they saw it in those days, reason enough to kill Jews.  

It's taken over 2,000 years for people of this age to accept Jews, and now they have created anti-Semitism again even as bad as Germany had it before WWII.   In this new land of United States which is only 250 years old to finally accept Jews and secure them as 1st class citizens in 2026 is the greatest blessing  for our USA celebration.  It's been a struggle, but this land has been unique in many ways.  Thanks,  oh young USA.  

 Reference

israelAM