Two Major IDF Hurdles To Solve Quickly

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf  Salam, visits Tyre Feb. 28, 2025 which was hit by Israel attacks

1. "The IDF is preparing to hand over two limited 

 withdrawal areas in southern Lebanon to the 

Lebanese 

army under the framework agreement signed 

between Israel 

and Lebanon. 

  The two areas, described in the agreement as “pilot areas” 

because they are meant to test the phased handover 

mechanism, are both in the Nabatieh region, near the towns 

of Frun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah. At this stage, 

Israel is 

waiting for the Lebanese army to announce 

that it is ready to 

enter the areas, as well as for U.S. Central 

Command 

approval to move ahead. The agreement 

allows the IDF to 

remain in most of the areas it controls inside 

the security zone 

until the threat from Hezbollah is removed.

In an interview with Fox News, Prime Minister Netanyahu 

said that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon, near 

the Israeli border, had asked to be annexed to Israel to protect 

them from Hezbollah. He did not name the villages or say 

when the alleged requests were made.

According to Arab media, Hamas’ leadership is planning to 

announce the dissolution of the de facto government that 

has ruled the Gaza Strip for nearly 20 years, to clear the way 

for the entry of a technocrat committee into Gaza, which is 

supposed govern Gaza as per President Trump's Gaza plan. 

The requirement for Hamas to fully disarm has reportedly 

been dropped.  WHAT ???

The government approved a plan Sunday to speed up hotel 

construction in the territories, allocating 27 million shekels 

($8.2 million) to remove planning barriers and provide grants 

for new hotel projects in the area. This follows a government 

decision approved in May to allocate 50 million shekels ($15 

million) for public tourism infrastructure in the territories.

        

2. The Israeli government’s decision to recognize the 

Armenian genocide has reportedly triggered a crisis in 

Israel-Azerbaijan relations. As a consequence of the 

overarching regional collapse at the end of 

WWI, the mutual 

massacres between Armenians and 

Azerbaijanis became intertwined with the genocide. In 

September 1918, during the capture of Baku.  Turko-Tatar 

forces committed targeted massacres against 

the Armenian population of the city, which 

Armenians consider a direct localized 

extension of the genocide campaign. 

 
Modern scholars and international human rights groups 

frequently describe Azerbaijan's contemporary actions against 

ethnic Armenians in the disputed region of Artsakh (Nagorno-

Karabakh) as an ongoing legacy or extension of historical 

genocide. Following an extended blockade, Azerbaijan 

launched a rapid military offensive in September 2023. This 

resulted in the forced expulsion of virtually the entire 

indigenous Armenian population (over 100,000 people) from 

the region.                            

 Azerbaijan views Israel as 

“crossing a red line” and failing to reciprocate the support 

Azerbaijan has shown Israel since the outbreak of the war."

                                      

This friction does bother Israel, as it creates tension in a 

highly strategic and longstanding alliance. Israel 

relies on 

Azerbaijan for approximately 40% of its oil 

imports and is a 

primary arms supplier to Baku. Additionally, 

Azerbaijan shares 

a long border with Iran, making it an 

extraordinarily important 

security partner for Jerusalem.  

Resource:

Fine Day 102.3 

israelAM 

Why NATO Charges USA More In Dues Than Other 31 Members

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                       

       Mark Rutte Secretary General of NATO;  (Dutch:; born 14 February 1967) is a Dutch politician who has served as the 14th secretary general of NATO since October 2024. He previously served as prime minister of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2024 and leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from 2006 to 2023. Serving a total of almost 14 years, Rutte is the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history.                                                                                            

    "The task ahead is clear: to turn Allied commitments into concrete results. Increased investment, industrial production and continued support for Ukraine. All of this contributes to a stronger NATO and greater security for all of us."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

22 May 2026                   

NATO?  What does it do for us?  NATO serves as a critical force multiplier for the U.S., projecting global power, protecting trade, and deterring adversaries. According to defense analysis from the Belfer Center, the alliance significantly benefits the United States in several key ways.  They are having a Summit Meeting in Ankara, Turkey tomorrow and the next day.  All 32 countries will be represented there.  Actually, it's happening already.  5:24 PM, and here on the West coast is only 7:25AM.  They are 10 hours ahead of us.  

Trump is not the first President to complain about paying NATO.  Obama also complained.  While the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a political-military alliance comprised of 28 member countries throughout North America and Europe, has been a key force in assisting in the fight against terror, even President Obama, has criticized allies that don't pay their "fair share."  In his day there were only 28 members, too.  The last four countries to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are:

• Sweden (Joined March 7, 2024)
• Finland (Joined April 4, 2023)
• North Macedonia (Joined March 27, 2020)
• Montenegro (Joined June 5, 2017)

NATO does not charge the United States "dues" or membership fees; rather, direct contributions to the alliance’s common operating budget are determined by a cost-share formula based on each nation's Gross National Income (GNI).

Today, they have military personnel (soldiers ) available

Total amount from 32 nations:3,240,410  In reserve: 2,233,850

From USA:                                1,315,600  In reserve:    797,200

Direct Funding (Common Budget): NATO’s central operating budget (around €5.3 billion) pays for shared assets like headquarters, communications, and joint infrastructure. The U.S. and Germany each contribute roughly 14.9% of this total. Under a 2019 payment formula designed to equalize burden-sharing, the U.S. share was reduced from its previous 22%

Indirect Funding (National Militaries): The vast majority of NATO-related spending is indirect, as members independently fund and maintain their own national militaries. The U.S. defense budget makes up the largest absolute amount, largely because the U.S. acts as a global superpower with responsibilities extending far beyond the European alliance. 

The 2% Guideline: NATO members have a voluntary guideline to spend at least 2% of their national GDP on their own domestic defense.

As I look at it, the USA is the largest country to protect:

Made up of 50 states:  The United States covers approximately 3.8 million square miles (9.8 million square kilometers), making it the third-largest country globally by area. It stretches about 2,800 miles from east to west and features an incredibly diverse geography, including mountain ranges, deserts, and coastlines across its 50 states.

Resource:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Rutte

https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/introduction-to-nato/funding-nato

Egypt Rules in Size In Middle East

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

    The score is 99..6% to 0.4%. and Israel must keep it's share and not be gobbled up again.  Here are the Arab countries, from largest to smallest:  I note that size-wise, Lebanon and Oman are unusual for their neighbors.  Israel has a total area of approximately 22,072 km² (or about 20,770 km² within pre-1967 borders). This makes it roughly equivalent in size to the state of New Hampshire, USA.

Egypt: ~1,002,450 sq km

Yemen: ~527,970 sq km

Iraq: ~437,072 sq km

Oman: ~309,500 sq km

Syria: ~185,180 sq km

Jordan: ~89,342 sq km

United Arab Emirates (UAE): ~83,600 sq km

Israel--22,072 sq km

Kuwait: ~17,818 sq km

Qatar: ~11,581 sq km

Lebanon: ~10,452 sq km

Bahrain: ~765 sq km

China and Israel These Days

 Nadene Goldfoot                                      

China has erased the name of Israel off their maps.  That's a terrible sign.  

I was brought up in Ladds Addition, Portland, Oregon where many of my neighbors were Chinese. Ladd's Addition was an experiment of housing mixed nationalistic people together of a medium financial household.  We had Greeks, Italians, Chinese, Jewish, many others who showed up at school smorgasbord dinners that were great.   My son's best friend, David Louie lived across the street and I drove to college every day with a Chinese neighbor.  My brother attended Hebrew school after public school-day while his Chinese friend attended Chinese school, too.  Two doors away from me was my playmate, Joan Padrow, parents immigrants from Palestine/Israel.  

We had good relations with our buddies, an important part of our own make-up is based on the development of our childhood.  We got together and we each also had our own circle of close relatives to cherish.  We were a family--based people.  How is the world doing?  I need not ask, I know.  The question is, how are China and Israel getting along?  

On the left under Turkey is Israel on the border with the white Mediterranean Sea.  China is humungous.  China covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometers (3.7 million square miles), making it the third or fourth largest country in the world by total area.

Approximately 9,000 to 12,000 residents of Chinese descent live within the Portland city limits. They represent a substantial segment of Portland’s Asian demographic, which makes up about 8.1% (over 52,000 people) of the city's total population.

Approximately 57,000+ Jewish people call the Greater Portland area home . Approximately 3,000 to 5,000 Orthodox Jews live in the Greater Portland area,    According to the comprehensive 2022-23 Greater Portland Jewish Community Study, the wider metropolitan region—which spans into Southwest Washington—is home to roughly 56,600 individuals of Jewish descent , with some estimates reaching over 75,000 in the extended metro area. 

Global Strategy: China generally seeks to avoid direct frontline involvement in Middle East conflicts, prioritizing its energy security, trade stability, and its "Belt and Road Initiative" . Beijing attempts to maintain a delicate balance—professing concern over the escalating violence and backing a two-state solution while continuing its massive trade operations. Hopefully, since October 7, 2023, they realize a 2-state solution no longer is on the table.  

Political and Diplomatic Ties: Diplomatic relations have cooled significantly since the outbreak of the Gaza war and the regional conflict with Iran. Beijing has taken a stance aligned closely with the Global South, criticizing Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, and pushing for Palestinian statehood. China also maintains close strategic and economic partnerships with Iran, placing it at odds with Israeli security goals. 

Trade and Economics: China remains Israel's largest trading partner in East Asia and its second-largest globally, with robust Chinese investments in Israeli infrastructure and technology sectors . Israeli companies continue to do significant business with Chinese firms, and there are high-profile commercial disputes, such as a major intellectual property claim against a Chinese EV giant.

 The bilateral relationship between Israel and China is highly complex and strained due to the broader geopolitical landscape and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.  Of course, everyone is confounded by the Middle East today.

Israel Dared To Recognize Armenian Genocide; Now On Turkey's Bad List

     Nadene Goldfoot                                                 

   Many scholars believe that the Biblical city of Haran was within the borders of current-day Turkey. 

That means that Abraham and his grandson Jacob lived in Turkey, and that all four Matriarchs and eleven of the Twelve Tribes were born there!                                   

Today, you can say that Turkey and Israel have transitioned from once-strong regional partners to open rivals, with tensions escalating over Middle East influence, the war in Gaza, and the conflict in Syria . Although direct military conflict is actively constrained by U.S. pressure, both nations frequently exchange sharp diplomatic warnings and have recalled their respective ambassadors.  While a formal trade embargo was announced, commercial ties persist through indirect trade and energy transit . The diplomatic relationship has deteriorated further with Turkey accusing Israel of regional destabilization and, more recently, Israel’s historic recognition of the Armenian genocide drawing fierce condemnation from Ankara.  Israel had put off recognizing Armenia for just this reason not wanting to anger Turkey.

       Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during the opening ceremony of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, in Antalya, southern Turkey, April 17, 2026. (AP/Riza Ozel)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, of incitement to genocide on Thursday after Fidan  called Israel a “burden that humanity can no longer bear” and said it was a “problem” for the world.  Fidan made the comments in a TV interview, in which he called for global sanctions on Israel. His comments followed Israel’s recognition this week of the 1915 Armenian genocide, which Ankara denies.                             

By Reuters:  Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

July 4, 20268:09 AM PDTUpdated 6 hours ago.  

Sometimes called the first genocide of the twentieth century, the Armenian genocide refers to the physical annihilation of Armenian Christian people living in the Ottoman Empire from spring 1915 through autumn 1916. There were approximately 1.5 million Armenians living in the multiethnic Ottoman Empire in 1915. At least 664,000 and possibly as many as 1.2 million died during the genocide, either in massacres and individual killings, or from systematic ill treatment, exposure, and starvation.  Ottoman authorities, supported by auxiliary troops and at times by civilians, perpetrated most of the persecution and mass killing. The Ottoman government, controlled by the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP; also called the Young Turks), aimed to solidify Muslim Turkish dominance in the regions of central and eastern Anatolia by eliminating the sizeable Armenian presence there.                                         

      Anatolian women:  DNA of women today:  Anatolian Turks (Greek, Armenian, Arab, Syriac, Georgian, Hittite)

Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor, is a vast peninsula in West Asia that comprises the majority of modern Turkey . Bounded by the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea, the region has served as a vital geographic and cultural bridge connecting the continents of Europe and Asia.

The victims of the Armenian genocide include people killed in local massacres that began in spring 1915; others who died during deportations, under conditions of starvation, dehydration, exposure, and disease; and Armenians who died in or en route to the desert regions of the southern Empire [today: northern and eastern Syria, northern Saudi Arabia, and Iraq]. In addition, tens of thousands of Armenian children were forcibly removed from their families and converted to Islam.

 There have  been established Jewish communities in what is now Turkey since antiquity, as attested to by the discovery of a 2000-year-old synagogue in Sardis. Throughout Byzantine rule (from the 4th to 14th centuries), the community was small, mostly consisting of Greek-speaking Romaniote Jews, and they suffered greatly from forced conversions to Christianity and other persecutions like the Armenians.

Resource: 

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7394378/jewish/11-Facts-About-the-Jews-of-Turkey.htm

Wikipedia

https://www.timesofisrael.com/saar-accuses-turkish-fm-of-incitement-to-genocide-for-saying-humanity-cannot-bear-israel/

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-armenian-genocide-1915-16-overview