Jolani/Sharaa's Terrorism Against USA and Israel

 Nadene Goldfoot                                            

                                                         Jolani aka Ahmed al-Sharaa

During his militant and terrorist period (primarily spanning his involvement with Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq, and later as the founder and leader of the Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria), Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (Ahmed al-Sharaa) engaged in direct conflict and operations involving the U.S. and regional dynamics with Israel:

Actions Against the United States

Combat in the Iraqi Insurgency: After the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Jolani travelled to Iraq and joined Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), fighting directly against American military forces in the Iraqi insurgency. 
Imprisonment by U.S. Forces: U.S. and Iraqi forces captured Jolani around 2005 or 2006, and he was held in U.S.-run military detention facilities in Iraq—including Camp Bucca and Abu Ghraib—before being released in 2011. 
Leadership of an Al-Qaeda Affiliate Targeting Western Interests: Upon returning to Syria in 2011, he founded Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front), which was formally designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State in 2012/2013. Nusra carried out deadly bombings and asymmetric attacks in Syrian cities (such as Damascus), and the U.S. placed a $10 million bounty on Jolani's head, viewing him as a direct extension of Al-Qaeda's global network. (Jolani later publicly distanced Nusra from Al-Qaeda in 2016 and eventually pivoted toward political rehabilitation after toppling the Assad regime in late 2024).

    1967  IDF in Golan
Actions and Posture Regarding Israel

Regional/Sectarian Fronts (The Golan & Southern Syria): During the Syrian Civil War, Jabhat al-Nusra operated extensively in southern Syria and areas near the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights (such as Quneitra Governorate). 
      How He Took Over Presidency of Syria 
Avoidance of Direct Military Confrontation with Israel: Unlike his war against the Assad regime, Iran, or Hezbollah, Jolani largely avoided direct offensive military engagements against Israel during his Nusra/HTS leadership period. 
Instead, his group focused its energy on toppling Bashar al-Assad's government inside Syria. The Syrian government and the regime of President Bashar al-Assad fell on December 8, 2024, ending over 50 years of Baath Party rule when Islamist-led rebels spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured Damascus. 
During and immediately after the collapse, iconic images and videos documented the fall of the regime:
Tearing down portraits and statues: Crowds and opposition fighters across Damascus, Homs, Hama, and other cities were filmed and photographed tearing down large portraits and billboards of Bashar al-Assad and toppling statues of his father and predecessor, Hafez al-Assad. 
Ransacking and entry into palaces: Images emerged of rebels and citizens entering Bashar al-Assad's abandoned presidential palace in Damascus and gathering in key public areas like Umayyad Square and the Umayyad Mosque.
Opening of prisons: Widespread photos and footage documented the opening of notorious detention centers, such as Sednaya, as prisoners were freed.  
Post-Assad Stance: Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 and his transition into leadership, Jolani (using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa) publicly rejected external aggression or efforts by Israel to divide or strike Syrian territory, while simultaneously navigating complex regional diplomacy.

Syria is not exactly what the Wall Street Journal sees.  They say, "The December 2024 collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime sharply changed the regional orientation. Syria was suddenly no longer the lifeline of the Shiite axis on the northern front, through which Iranian weapons and money passed to Hezbollah.   Instead, Damascus belongs to Ahmed al-Sharaa, a Sunni leader and former commander of al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, who had fought Hezbollah for years." 

 Direct Combat in the Syrian Civil War and Lebanon (2010s)

The relationship escalated from rhetoric into full-scale battlefield warfare after both groups intervened in the Syrian Civil War on opposing sides:

The Syrian-Lebanese Border and Qalamoun: Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front (Jabhat al-Nusra), fought pitched battles against Hezbollah forces supporting the Syrian government. This included heavy clashes in the Qalamoun mountains and along the rugged border region between eastern Lebanon and Syria. 
Syrian Golan Heights: Al-Qaeda-supporter networks and local insurgents established a military presence on the Syrian Golan facing Syrian army units and embedded Hezbollah forces. 
Sectarian Retaliation: The conflict spilled over into sectarian violence and bombings in Lebanon (such as attacks outside Sunni mosques in Tripoli), with al-Qaeda-linked factions blaming Hezbollah for backing the Bashar al-Assad regime.

 Al-Qaeda.  Background: Al-Sharaa previously served as the emir of Al-Nusra Front (an Al-Qaeda affiliate) and later led Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Salafi-jihadist rebel and governing group based in Idlib Province. Over time, HTS publicly distanced itself from Al-Qaeda, and al-Sharaa began using his birth name while attempting to rebrand as a pragmatic transitional leader.  But as a terrorist as Jolani, he's the same terrorist to the people of Syria who know him well.  They don't like him at all.  I've met two already who verify this; one who has felt the pain of his prison.  

Origin and History of HTS: Formed on January 28, 2017, as a merger of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and other anti-Assad rebel groups. It evolved from Jabhat al-Nusra, which was originally established in 2011/2012.

Leadership: Led by Abu Muhammad al-Julani (also known as Ahmed al-Sharah).

Role in the Syrian Conflict: HTS played a central role in leading the military offensive that toppled the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024. 

Governance and Ideology: Rooted in Sunni Islamism and Salafism, HTS historically focused on a local Syrian agenda (overthrowing the Assad regime) rather than global jihad. It operated through the civilian-led Syrian Salvation Government in northwestern Syria (Idlib Governorate).

International Designations: HTS is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Nations, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia due to its historical roots and extremist ideology, remaining subject to international sanctions.

Some facts:  Ahmed al-Sharaa's AKA was Jolani, a leading terrorist of al Qaeda.

"So far, Israel has treated Mr. al-Sharaa with skepticism", but knows he was a terrorist and still is.  it's Trump that is taken in by him.  Israel "responded to the Assad regime’s fall militarily, destroying Syrian capabilities and seizing a forward line in the Syrian Golan. Mr. al-Sharaa’s past raises legitimate questions about whether his political transformation from jihadist to suit-wearing rebuilder of Syria is genuine or tactical. 

Even if he is truly committed to restoring Syria and stabilizing relations with Israel, the country will remain fragile. Southern Syria is vulnerable to terrorist activity; such groups have operated near the Israeli border before. The regime’s relationship with Turkey is also troubling, while the unresolved dispute over the Golan Heights remains.  

Netanyahu was not taken in by Jolani/Sharaa like Trump was.  The question is if a new Israeli government would be or not.  

General Eisenkot, here in 1978 picture at induction, gives his opinion of Jolani.

General Gadi Eisenkot is a soft-spoken, reserved, and pragmatic former career general who served as the 21st Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from 2015 to 2019.  Military Career & Rise: Rising through the infantry and the Golani Brigade, Eisenkot spent four decades in the military, holding major command roles including the Northern Command, Operations Branch, and serving as military secretary to the prime minister. He was the first IDF Chief of Staff of Mizrahi Jewish descent (with family roots in Morocco).

Skepticism as a Peace Partner. Upon being tasked with forming a government in November 2026, Eisenkot stated that al-Julani comes from an extremist background linked to the Islamic State and remains a jihadist. Eisenkot rejected U.S. assessments that the Syrian leader has moderated, declaring that Israel does not view him as a peace partner, but rather as a threat that must be managed. 
Military Presence in Syria. Eisenkot affirmed that the Israeli military will not withdraw from Mount Hermon or the buffer zones it entered in southern Syria following the fall of Assad on December 8, 2024. He stated that Israeli forces will remain in those areas as long as Russian and Turkish forces stay in Syria. 
Nuanced Diplomatic Framing. Earlier in the 2026 election cycle, Eisenkot's broader approach drew criticism from hard-line members of Benjamin Netanyahu's outgoing coalition. In August 2026, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli called al-Sharaa "Israel's next enemy" and criticized Eisenkot for previously viewing the political transition in Syria as a potential strategic opportunity for Israel to engage with. Similarly, Al-Monitor noted in October 2026 that an Eisenkot-led government could potentially open the door to diplomatic shifts involving the United States, Iran, and Syria compared to the outgoing government.

You Can Bet Your Boots: Answer to Who Started This War?

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

 During breakfast and my deep conversation with my distant cousin, Merry Ann, I came up with the for sure answer to everyone's question of "Who started the War, Anyway?  "  Our advanced technology started it.  

Current Maximum Range: Iran's longest-range operational ballistic missiles (such as the Ghadr-110, Sejjil, or Khorramshahr) have ranges of roughly 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers (about 1,200 to 1,860 miles), which can reach parts of the Middle East, the Gulf, and parts of southeastern Europe, but not the United States.  Well, not yet, as far as AI knows.

   

This was the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,  riding on a missile aimed at hitting Israel.  

It was our technical advancement that brought about the war;  having these intercontinental missiles that can be shot from Iran to USA in a straight shot;  that's what has brought it about.  An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is required to travel from Iran to the USA (a distance of roughly 10,000+ km). While Iranian officials have discussed long-term ambitions or ambitions to push past previous range limits, U.S. and international intelligence note that Iran has not fielded an operational ICBM, though components from its space launch program could potentially be adapted for such technology in the future.  

Showing off Shahab intercontinental missile in Iran 

We discussed what causes man to kill another, and decided it was to hold onto what they had worked and died for and not wanting to share-though some groups did just that and grew larger.

Have we ignored the fact of long ago Iran calling the USA the  Big Satan and Israel the Little Satan?  Their goal, coming from their extreme line of Islam, was to destroy these Satans, and they haven't changed.   Ayatollah Khomeini: The term was popularized by Iran's revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in a speech on November 5, 1979, shortly after the start of the Iran hostage crisis.  Theological Meaning: In Islamic theology, Satan (Shaytan) is a deceptive tempter who misleads people through false promises, materialism, and arrogance. Khomeini used this framework to portray U.S. culture, secularism, and political influence as a corrupting force against Islamic values.  They showed us all how they would achieve this by their October 7th 2023 act of killing Israelis (Jews).                           

Iran’s actions against the United States and Israel span over four decades of state rhetoric, direct and proxy military engagements, and covert operations.   Official Rhetoric and Slogans: Iranian leaders and military officials have repeatedly used destructive language regarding Israel’s existence, such as calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map" or eliminated from the "global political map" (a phrase historically traced back to statements by Ayatollah Khomeini and later echoed by officials like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—IRGC—commanders). Ballistic missiles tested by Iran have also occasionally featured anti-Israel slogans painted in Farsi and Hebrew.

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz: The broader military clashes trace back to the outbreak of the war on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched an air campaign against Iran. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) largely blocked shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—a vital global energy chokepoint—by issuing warnings, boarding merchant vessels, laying sea mines, and using drones and missile launchers.

Oil and LNG Choke Point: Roughly 20% of the world's daily petroleum and liquid fuels—about 20 million barrels per day—and nearly 20% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) pass through the narrow channel. 
Limited Alternatives: Only a fraction of this volume can be rerouted through alternative pipelines (such as those in Saudi Arabia or the UAE), leaving a massive daily deficit if the strait closes. Countries like Iraq, Kuwait, and Iran have virtually no way to bypass it for their primary oil exports. 
Market Shocks: Even partial disruptions or slowdowns cause immediate spikes in global oil and natural gas prices, driving up inflation and transportation costs worldwide.

Edited at 6:48pm on 11/9/26 with 3 pictures

A Different Makeup of Israel's Possible New Government: Eisenkot

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                 

Street art of Yair Golan in honor of his heroism during the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.  Right now he's one of the men making up our Democratic Party of election on Eisenkot's team.  The writing is the cursive writing form of Hebrew.   

President Isaac Herzog has given Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form the next government, after 67 MKs recommended him vs. only 46 for Netanyahu.

Joint List supporters celebrate exit poll results at the party headquarters in Nasserah, Israel, on Tuesday.Mostafa Alkharouf / Anadolu via Getty

Remember, Israel is a type of Democracy, modeled after England's, and 20% of Israel is made up of an Arab population.

Eisenkot managed to get to his number because all of the Arab MKs endorsed him. Netanyahu called for a unity government, but Eisenkot responded that any cooperation would require the prime minister to sever ties with extremist elements of his political bloc, which would include Ben Gvir and probably also Smotrich.                                                          

Bennett on left, Liberman above, Golan Below

Eisenkot met individually with the leaders of the parties in his potential coalition, including Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman and Yair Golan. Eisenkot has shown willingness to form a minority government reliant on the Arab vote to pass laws in the Knesset. Liberman has said that he rejects the minority government idea and instead, is willing to sit with the Ultra-Orthodox parties despite his past refusal to ever do so. Bennett has yet to release any statements regarding his position after meeting with Eisenkot. 

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said that investigators had uncovered no evidence of foreign interference capable of changing the results of last month's parliamentary election: "I am not aware of any evidentiary basis that comes even close to affecting the election results or substantiating a claim of influence that could have changed the outcome. If additional new information that has not yet been presented to us emerges, it will be examined and

Resource:

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2026/10/election-day-is-here-in-israel.html

israelAM

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

 handled in accordance with the law." 

The Worst American Anti- Semite Of All

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                         

People of today will be very surprised to find out that Henry Ford did more to cause anti-Semitism than even General Patton.  "Henry Ford was a prominent American industrialist whose promotion of severe antisemitism significantly amplified hate speech and conspiracy theories in the United States and abroad."  What is sickening are the Jews who worked making Fords, or mechanics working only on Fords who were Jews during any years, because they had a good job. Dearborn is an inner-ring suburb of Detroit in Wayne County, Michigan. 

Key Facts About Dearborn

Population: Approximately 110,000 residents (ranking as the seventh-largest city in Michigan).  Automotive Roots: Known globally as the hometown of Henry Ford and the headquarters of the Ford Motor Company

                                                   

The Dearborn Independent and "The International Jew"

The Newspaper: In 1918, Ford purchased a local weekly paper, The Dearborn Independent, which grew to reach a circulation of nearly 900,000 readers by 1926. Ford Motor Company dealerships were heavily pressured to distribute and sell subscriptions to the public.  Antisemitic Content: Beginning in May 1920, the paper published a multi-year series of articles titled "The International Jew: The World's Problem".
 The articles heavily relied on The Protocols of the Elders of Zion—a notorious 20th-century Russian forgery—falsely claiming a global Jewish conspiracy controlled banking, media, politics, and cultural shifts like jazz, movies, and modern social mores. Book Publication: The articles were later compiled and distributed into four bound volumes translated into multiple languages, including German.  Talk about  a brain-washing.  
Ford was a conspiracy theorist who drew on a long tradition of false allegations against Jews. Ford claimed that Jewish internationalism posed a threat to traditional American values, which he deeply believed were at risk in the modern world. Part of his racist and antisemitic legacy includes the funding of square-dancing in American schools because he hated jazz and associated its creation with Jewish people In 1920, Ford wrote, "If fans wish to know the trouble with American baseball they have it in three words—too much Jew.
In 1918, Ford purchased his hometown newspaper, The Dearborn Independent. In early 1920, Ford procured a copy of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an infamously antisemitic fabricated text. He instructed the editors at the Independent to adapt the material in the Protocols to appeal to American audiences.^] Later in 1920, Ford's paper began publishing a series of articles in the paper, claiming a vast Jewish conspiracy was affecting America. The series ran in 91 issues. Every Ford dealership nationwide was required to carry the paper and distribute it to its customers. Ford later bound the articles into four volumes entitled The International Jew: The World's Foremost Problem, which was translated into multiple languages and distributed widely across the US and Europe, selling more than 500,000 copies The International Jew blamed nearly all the troubles it saw in American society on Jews. The Independent ran under Ford's ownership until its closure in 1927. With around 700,000 readers of his newspaper, Ford emerged as a "spokesman for right-wing extremism and religious prejudice.
In Germany, Ford's The International Jew, the World's Foremost Problem was published by Theodor Fritsch, founder of several antisemitic parties and a member of the Reichstag, influencing German antisemitic discourse. In a letter written in 1924, Heinrich Himmler described Ford as "one of our most valuable, important, and witty fighters". Ford is the only American mentioned favorably in Hitler's autobiography Mein Kampf, which appeared five years after Ford's antisemitic pamphlets were published in book form.
Impact and Influence on Adolf Hitler
Admiration by the Nazis: Ford's writings deeply influenced the early Nazi party. Adolf Hitler praised Ford in Mein Kampf (1925), kept a portrait of Ford in his office, and translated The International Jew into German during the 1920s. Hitler viewed Ford as a leader of a fascist movement in the United States.
Nazi Honors: In July 1938, on Ford's 75th birthday, Hitler awarded him the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, the highest decoration the Nazi regime could bestow on a foreign national.
Lawsuit, Apology, and Legacy
The Sapiro Lawsuit: In 1927, lawyer Aaron Sapiro filed a high-profile libel lawsuit against Ford over the antisemitic articles.  Closure and Apology: Facing intense pressure, a public backlash, and potential financial ruin, Ford shut down The Dearborn Independent in December 1927 and issued a signed retraction and apology, though he largely distanced himself from personal accountability for the publication's contents.
Cultural & Demographic Identity: Dearborn  is widely recognized as a major center of Arab American culture, featuring a large Lebanese and Iraqi population, vibrant commercial thoroughfares like Warren Avenue, the Arab American National Museum, and the Islamic Center of America.
Geography & Layout: The city is divided roughly into East Dearborn (known for its dense Arab-American community and culinary spots) and West Dearborn (featuring residential neighborhoods and commercial areas)
 Despite his intense public campaign of hate, Ford also employed Jewish individuals (such as his chief architect Albert Kahn), and maintain complex personal relationships with local figures like Detroit's Rabbi Leo Franklin.  it was money that blinded them;  that and the needs of their family.  
 Following Kristallnacht in 1938, Ford expressed verbal sympathy for Jewish refugees seeking entry into the U.S. within quotas, even as his earlier published propaganda continued to be reprinted and weaponized by white supremacist and nationalist groups. 
 He opposed his country's entry into World War II, and served for a time on the board of the America First Committee. After his son Edsel died in 1943, Ford resumed control of the company, but was too frail to make decisions and quickly came under the control of several of his subordinates. He turned over the company to his grandson Henry Ford II in 1945. Upon his death in 1947, he left most of his wealth to the Ford Foundation and control of the company to his family.
What kind of 2-facedness has he shown?  It's again, my opinion, but that's how he used  to snow his parents, I feel, back-tracking, saying he didn't mean it.  I don't know why, but this guy used Jews as the scapegoat of all problems he encountered while getting to tell the world it was he, Henry Ford, who discovered this.  
Resource;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ford