Our Druze Cousins in Golan Heights

 Nadene Goldfoot                                        

Druze are found in Israel, Syria and Lebanon and come from Islam.  Out of a total of over 200,000+20,000 who migrated overseas, 53,000 live in Israel living in Western Galilee villages and on Mt. Carmel.  Over 20,000 Druze live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights region of the Quneitra Governorate, predominantly residing in five villages, while only a small number remain in the small part of the governorate under Syrian control. These residents are largely from the Druze community, maintaining Syrian identity while living under Israeli administration.  They  worked with Israelis since 1948 and have Reps in the Knesset.  Like Jews, they have their own religious courts that administer Druze religious law.  

On March 20, 2026, the Israeli military (IDF) conducted airstrikes against Syrian government military infrastructure in southern Syria, specifically targeting command centers and weapons storage to protect the local Druze minority in Suweida province. This action followed clashes where Syrian forces were accused of killing civilians, as Israel declared it would not tolerate threats to the Syrian Druze population.

As of March 2026, Israel has intensified strikes in southern Syria, targeting military infrastructure in Sweida and Quneitra in response to local clashes and to protect Druze communities. Israel maintains a significant military presence in southwestern Syria following the 2024 collapse of the Assad regime, while new Syrian leadership of Jolani demands a full withdrawal.

• Targeted Strikes: The IDF conducted airstrikes in the Sweida Governorate, targeting Syrian military infrastructure following clashes between government forces and Druze militias.  Druze are a minority group.  Armed attacks against Syrian Druze communities, particularly in the Sweida region, stem from volatile sectarian tensions, local militia clashes, and political crackdowns. Since July 2025, violence has surged due to clashes between Druze, Bedouin, and state forces, with accusations of anti-minority sentiment, revenge killings, and attempts to suppress local autonomy.
• Israel protects the Druze due to a "blood covenant" alliance established in the 1950s, where the community pledged loyalty and mandatory military service in exchange for protection and integration. This policy strengthens ties with the roughly 150,000 Druze citizens in Israel and supports a trusted, loyal Arab minority.  Israel also defends Druze in Syria/ Golan Heights.  
• Druze populations in the Levant share a deep, ancient genetic connection with Jewish populations, particularly with Ashkenazi and Levantine Mizrahi Jews, often positioning them as close genetic neighbors or, in some studies, even closer to each other than to other nearby regional populations. This similarity is largely attributed to both groups possessing significant ancestral components from the Bronze Age Levant and the ancient Near East. Druze turn out to be the closest group to Jewish DNA.  
• Sectarian Clashes: Intense conflict erupted between Druze armed factions and Bedouin tribal fighters.
• Retaliatory Attacks: Druze groups clashed with government forces and their allies (including Bedouin clans) after rising security incidents, leading to significant casualties in areas like Al Doura and Al Douweira.
• Marginalization & Control: Syrian government forces, in an effort to maintain control post-2024, have used artillery and engaged in activities causing heavy loss of life, kidnappings, and destruction of property in Druze areas.
• Political Conflict: The Druze, often seeking to remain neutral during the conflict, have faced tensions for refusing to support the ruling regime of Jolani and for demanding greater autonomy.
•                                Golan Heights
  
  
                            Quneitra, part of Golan Heights near DMZ, gray/yellow on map
• Israeli Occupation & Incursions: Israeli forces continue to occupy key areas of the Golan Heights which is more than occupation:  Israel seized the territory from Syria in 1967, annexed it in 1981, and officially recognizes it as part of its northern territory, a stance supported by US recognition in 2019., with reports of military vehicles performing incursion operations in Quneitra. 
•  On June 10, 1967, the town was captured by Israeli forces. Quneitra was abandoned almost entirely, as most of its inhabitants fled to other parts of Syria. The Syrians temporarily regained Quneitra during the Yom Kippur War of October 1973, but Israeli forces soon recaptured the town. The disengagement agreement signed in 1974 called for the Israeli military forces to withdraw from the town, and Quneitra was included in the territory that was incorporated into a demilitarized buffer zone between Syria and Israel and placed under the supervision of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).
• Deadlock on Security: Talks regarding a formal security agreement between Israel and the new Syrian government have reached a standstill, with Syria demanding a full withdrawal and Israel insisting on maintaining security buffers.
• Regional Instability: These clashes come amid a broader regional conflict, with Israel warning it will not allow the Syrian government to use the situation to target Druze communities in the south.
• Russian Presence: A Russian military delegation has arrived in Kunetra, suggesting potential renewed influence in the region. 

Current Tensions

• Drone and Air Action: The region is seeing increased drone activity and precision strikes from Israel.
• Strategic Positions: Israel has solidified control over the strategic Mount Hermon summit in southern Syria. 
• Resource:
• AI
• https://www.britannica.com/place/Golan-Heights
• https://www.google.com/search?q=DNA+of+Druze+closest+to+jewish+DNA&sca_esv=4e0bfa84728bf4dd&sxsrf=ANbL-n7qGB5MDQLYxZgzW_SwjHNpJPjJlQ%3A1774557382746&source=hp&ei=xpjFaciWK66Qm9cPqrmduQs&iflsig=

Why Israel Is Fighting Against the Terror-Organization, Hezbollah

 Nadene Goldfoot                                    

There is a meeting of land belonging to  Israel, Lebanon and Syria.  

Hezbollah terrorists are from Lebanon.   Shrapnel from a Hezbollah strike shattered the window of a child's bedroom in Kiryat Shemona,Israel, throwing glass on the child's bed. Thankfully, the parents had moved their child into the home's shelter prior to the attack.

Prior to 1982, the PLO with Yasser Arafat engaged in a campaign of armed struggle against Israel, conducting guerrilla raids, rocket attacks, and international acts of terrorism, including plane hijackings and the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. Based in Jordan and later Lebanon, they aimed to destroy the state of Israel and establish a Palestinian state, resulting in constant border skirmishes.                                  

In June 1982, Israel went into Lebanon (Operation Peace for Galilee) to destroy the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, stop artillery attacks on northern Israeli communities, and secure its border. The offensive, spearheaded by Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, expanded into a strategic attempt to weaken Syria's influence and install a pro-Israel Lebanese government.

Hezbollah established strong ties with Iran and is part of the "Axis of Resistance". The group was initially supported by 1,500 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) instructors, who helped unify various Lebanese Shia factions under Hezbollah's leadership. Hezbollah's 1985 manifesto outlined its key objectives, which include expelling Western influence from the region, destroying Israel, pledging allegiance to Iran's supreme leader, and establishing an Islamic government influenced by Iran's political ideology. 

AI tells us that 

• Military Escalation: Israel has intensified airstrikes, targeting areas in southern Lebanon and near Beirut, destroying critical infrastructure like the Qasmiyeh Bridge.
• Casualties & Displacement: Over 1,000 people have been killed, including over 100 children; who were not protected by their own people, since the surge in violence intensified around March 2, 2026. Over 1.2 million people are displaced.  Who they belonged to: The children were Lebanese civilians living in Lebanon, specifically in areas targeted during Israel's campaign against Hezbollah, including southern Lebanon and Beirut
• Ground Invasion Fears: Israel has announced plans to establish a, "large buffer zone" in southern Lebanon and has continued to target Hezbollah positions, raising fears of a broader, long-term ground invasion.
• International Concerns: The U.S. State Department has issued warnings to avoid travel to the region and urges citizens to depart, noting risks from ongoing airstrikes and clashes.
• Economic & Humanitarian Crisis: The country's infrastructure is severely damaged, with hospitals and schools struggling to operate. This follows a long-term economic collapse that has seen the currency lose 98% of its value since 2019. 

Political Situation

• Despite a previous, "political deadlock," reports from late 2025 indicated the election of a new president (Joseph Aoun) and a new head of government (Nawaf Salam), although the country remains reliant on external aid for recovery.
• The current conflict has placed extreme pressure on these authorities to manage the ongoing security and displacement issues. 
• In Summary, As of late March 2026, Lebanon is facing an intense security and humanitarian crisis due to escalated Israel-Hezbollah fighting. Over 1,000 people have been killed and over 1.2 million displaced as Israel targets Hezbollah infrastructure to end their attacks, raising fears of a full-scale ground invasion. The country is also reeling from a long-term, severe economic collapse.  Perhaps it is because Iran is in no condition to continuing arming Hezbollah.  

Operation Roaring Lion-A shift In The Middle East

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

  Missiles fired from Iran at Israel all night in retaliation March 18, 2026.  People have only minutes to get to their bomb shelters.  Based on JINSA and Reuters, Israel's 2025 military campaign against Iran was titled "Operation Rising Lion" (or Am K’Lavi), with some 2026 reporting citing the name "Operation Roaring Lion". The name comes from a Biblical verse in Numbers 23:24, which translates to "the people shall rise up as a lion," representing strength, courage, and a strategic shift in the Middle East. 

Israel continued to strike hundreds of Iranian targets and Iran fired multiple missile barrages overnight, triggering sirens across large parts of Israel. 

Intercepts were largely successful, though shrapnel and debris caused damage in central areas, including homes in cities like Rehovot.

     Israel utilizes a multi-layered missile defense system designed to intercept threats at different altitudes and ranges, with the Iron Dome being the most prominent system for stopping short-range rockets. These defense systems are developed by Israeli defense companies, primarily Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, with significant funding and technology support from the United States.

 Yesterday, the Haifa oil refinery was hit, most likely by fragments of an interceptor, causing minor damage. The refinery is still largely operational and affected systems are expected to be restored within days.

Israel is adjusting its defensive posture. Due to the volume of incoming fire, the Air Force is reportedly selectively intercepting threats, allowing smaller cluster fragments to fall in open areas in order to conserve interceptor stockpiles.

Prime Minister Netanyahu gave a live press conference yesterday (yes, he is alive!) in which he said that Israel has already inflicted “significant damage” to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, claiming enrichment capabilities have been “severely disrupted” but that Israel's job is not completed and the war could continue a bit longer. He clearly denied the false rumor that Israel had dragged the U.S. into the war. He added that the war could “create conditions” for regime change. 

He also touched on the economic and strategic upside, pointing to the possibility of new regional energy routes that bypass Iran, suggesting Israel could play a larger role in global energy transit if Iran’s influence is weakened.                                

               Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa since 29 January 2025Based on 2025 reports, Syria's president who was previously designated a terrorist by the U.S. and UN went by the name Abu Muhammad al-Jolani (or al-Jalani). 

Israel strikes Syria, says it’s in response to Druze attacks by Syria.  (Reuters) – The Israeli military struck infrastructure sites belonging to the Syrian government overnight in response to attacks against Druze civilians in Sweida, the Israeli military said on Friday.

Syria’s foreign ministry condemned what it described as an Israeli attack on military infrastructure in southern Syria, calling it a “blatant violation” of international law and an assault on its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The ministry said the strike was part of what it called Israel’s escalating policy and accused it of seeking to destabilize the region, adding that Damascus holds Israel fully responsible for the consequences of the escalation. (Remember who sits in the President's chair in Damascus;  a former terrorist himself!  )It called on the international community, particularly the U.N. Security Council, to act to halt what it described as Israeli aggression.

2 more Iranian leaders killed, Israel says 

The Israeli military said it attacked a command center and weapons in military compounds in southern Syria and said it will not tolerate harm toward the Druze population, adding it will continue to operate to defend them and monitor developments in the region.

(Reporting by Tala Ramadan and Ahmed Elimam; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

Israel is protective of the Druze due to a deep, familial bond, strategic loyalty, and shared destiny. Since 1948, Druze in Israel have served in the IDF with high enlistment rates and enjoy full citizenship, creating a non-transactional "brotherhood". Protecting the Druze also fulfills a moral obligation to defend loyal allies and, for the community in Syria, serves as a bulwark against jihadist extremists, as explained in this YouTube video.  

Resource:

israelAM  (I get news from Israel directly through Israel AM who uses the main headlines from Israeli newspapers. )

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/israel-strikes-syria-says-its-in-response-to-druze-attacks/

https://icejusa.org/2025/07/24/who-are-the-druze-and-why-israel-supports-them/

The Window of Opportunity Was Ajar and Only The Israelis and Trump Breathed In Its Air

Nadene Goldfoot                     

                         The Book of Esther in Bible

The question continues to be asked by all the reporters, why now?  Why did the USA join Israel in attacking Iran?  I have the answer.  

It was destined by a force no one can yet understand, that certain events would happen at the same time.  Purim, a holiday of remembrance of history that took place in  a huge empire about 1,513 years ago, that held many Jews.                      

Jews had been remembering this close call to their being, their religion if you wish ever since that day.  It was a happy memory and celebrated  in that manner.  We celebrated it again last Monday.  

God commanded the Jewish people in the Torah to remember and observe several specific holy days, primarily outlined in Leviticus 23. These include the weekly Sabbath (Shabbat), the three major pilgrimage festivals (1.Passover, 2. Shavuot, 3. Sukkot), and the High Holy Days of 4. Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) and 5. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). 

Jews knew that this event of being saved from extinction needed to be remembered and celebrated as well. They didn't realize it would be copied in the future by a Hitler doing Haman's work 1,540 years from then starting in the 1930's CE/AD.  

                       Queen Esther with son Darius

 Jews were to be killed which was brought about by Haman. Under King Xerxes I (in Hebrew-Ahasueros(reigned 486–465 BC), (Queen Esther  lived during the 5th century BC, roughly between 487 and 465 BC, in the Persian capital of Susa. As queen to King Ahasuerus (commonly identified as Xerxes I, who reigned 486–465 BCE), she lived during the period of Persian rule over the Jewish diaspora. the Achaemenid Persian Empire was at its peak, forming the largest empire in the world up to that point.) It spanned approximately 5.5 million square kilometers (about 2.1 million square miles) and covered parts of three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe.   This took place about 1,487-1,465 years ago according to my figures.                             

             Esther Denouncing Haman (1888) by Ernest Normand

This would have been complete extermination of all Jews in the world !  

So this special window creaking to open a bit of the special air coming through brought on Persia's new kingships of Ayatollah's  of the Islam faith of  Shi'a that had become murderous.  The leadership had taken on Hitler's position of the aim to kill all Jews. They kept their own Jews living in Persia for last as a ruse to their aims.  Their plan was unique.  They spent so much time arming all their henchmen in other countries dependent on them, Persia-now called Iran, that they neglected  their own basic duties keeping water running or food growing in their land.  Hence, a Rebellion leading to Revolution !!! Tousi has it all documented !!!

People, young and bright, realized this as they were losing their jobs, money, and were becoming desperate.  They took to the streets and rebelled, finding other like young people there as well.  (They opened the window a wee bit)

 Reza Pahlavi (born 1960). Known as the Crown Prince of Iran,  has lived in exile (USA) since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and is a prominent political opposition figure calling for a democratic, secular state in Iran.  He has been its leader of a Revolution since the beginning.  Reza opened it wider.  The West has not been mentioning him, but Tousi in England has.  He has TV hookup from Iran during their blackout that is showing what is happening to the Rebels.  I remember 60 minutes also doing an hour on Reza.  Possibly it's to keep him alive, safe from the goons that go around shooting and killing for the Ayatollas in power.

                         Palestinians of 2 camps who could never work together,  fed ammunition to use against Israelis by Iran as Iran did to all countries they helped to develop hatred for Israel such as Syria, Lebanon, and the terrorists of like Hamas and Hezbollah, etc. .   

Israel was facing instant death of all of them with Iran's intercontinental missiles with nuclear power that Iran promised to hit them with.  The day of Iran's success in creating such a air missile death was almost upon them!  Evidently the rest of the world was unmoved by such a threat, even though it included the USA who was called the big Satan;  Israel being the little Satan by Iran's measurement.  Israelis saw a window open on PURIM !

          Israeli Air Force, flying in tandem with USA over Iran the first time hitting sites they thought were now gone forever...

In the meantime, Israel has been joined by the USA's Trump who gave the people his promise of help if the Ayatollah started to kill the rebels, and he had ships in the water aimed for Iran. 

So we have Purim,  A Revolution in Iran led by Crown Prince Reza , an Israel living under daily threats of atomic bomb carried by Iran's intercontinental missile, and Iran was only weeks away from making it.  Trump, who has Jerad, an Orthodox Jewish son- in- law and may have inhaled some of Jerad's air blowing in his home, and his advisors as to attacking Iran, and it coincided with Israel's plan.   Four puzzle pieces fitting together in a once in a lifetime plan was taking place. The plan took place over a 1,600 Years ago with Purim.   The window of opportunity was here, blowing in the air only special people could breathe in, evidently;  those who are part of of the puzzle. 

On October 2024, Trump hit the sites to make such missiles.  

Israel has just repeated the job according to ynet news below, again hitting the same sites after finding Iran had been reviving it.  "The IDF said Thursday it struck the Taleghan site at Iran’s sensitive Parchin military complex, saying Tehran had sought to use the facility to advance capabilities linked to nuclear weapons development. "

Resource:

AI says, 487 BC was 2,513 years ago, as of the year 2026. This is calculated by adding the 487 years before the year 1 AD (as there is no year 0) to the 2,026 years that have passed since then 

https://www.google.com/search?q=name+of+son+of+last+shah+of+Iran&sca_esv=7106858f813936e4&sxsrf=ANbL-n4Pb4pKEvrs4El74KR50Qz2ZZFeeQ%3A1773230983321&source=hp&ei=h1uxaZihEajC0PEP_sXa4QM&iflsig=AFdpzrg

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1ril7xczl?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=editorial-push#google_vignette

History Skills +1