Nadene Goldfoot
Israel is celebrating the holiday of Sukkot, where we sit in outdoor huts for 7 days to remember our ancestors' 40 year experience in the wilderness and recognize that our protection comes from God and not from the buildings (and institutions) we construct.
- Lulav: An unopened, green frond from a date palm tree.
- Etrog: A fragrant, lemon-like citrus fruit known as a citron. It is held separately from the other branches.
- Hadassim: Twigs and leaves from a myrtle tree. Three branches are bound to the right side of the lulav.
- Aravot: Branches from a willow tree. Two branches are bound to the left side of the lulav.
To see thousands of Jews celebrating in Hebron, at the tombs of the Patriarchs, https://youtu.be/c7YaNY7BScY Hebron (kiriath-Arba) a city in Judah, 18 miles south of Jerusalem, in ancient times under control of the Hittites.
Abraham bought a plot of land-the Cave of Machpelah here in Hebron, to bury Sarah, and later himself and all his family.. Today a mosque stands on the site. Joshua assigned Hebron to Caleb,and it became a levitical city and a city of refuge. David ruled there for 7 and 1/2 years before moving to Jerusalem.
There lived Jews, and in 1890 a census was taken showing 1,500 Jews there in Yeshivot and religious schools. The great Lithuanian yeshivah of Slobodka was transferred here in 1925. In 1929, the Arabs massacred many Jews of the town with only 700 then and the survivors fled. About 30 Jewish families returned in 1931, but the Arabs then rioted in 1936 again and so no Jews lived in Hebron.
It's population in 1967 after the war was 38,310. After the War of 1967, a number of Jews settled in Hebron, establishing the Kiryat Arba quarter east of the city. This numbered 3,700 in 1988. Approximately 9,100 to 9,200 Jews live in Hebron and Kiryat Arba combined, according to official and community population data from early 2026.
Meanwhile....
Prime Minister Netanyahu went to the UAE where he met with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed as well as representatives from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Libya, Jordan and Qatar. The meeting was arranged by Mossad chief Roman Goffman following a Saudi request for Israeli assistance against Houthi attacks in the Red Sea region. The Emirati news agency issued a brief official statement on the meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mohammed bin Zayed, saying that “the Israeli prime minister and His Highness discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen and develop them.” The UAE is member of the Abraham Accords.
Izz al-Din Bik, the commander of Hamas’ northern Gaza brigade, was killed in an Israeli strike on an apartment in Gaza City. Bikh had survived an assassination attempt in May.
Israel's Population Authority has revoked the aliyah (immigration) approval of two Jewish Pro-Palestinian activists in their 20s. According to Haaretz, these are the first known cases in which the authorities "appear to be violating the Law of Return, which grants every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel." (They must be quite well known for taking such a stand and having the Chutzpah to expect Israel to hold out their arms to them. Israel looks upon them having too much sway and power over new immigants, I think. )
Protesters gathered in cities across Morocco over the weekend to oppose a decision to upgrade the country’s diplomatic ties with Israel, including plans to open embassies and exchange ambassadors. The demonstrations followed meeting earlier this month in New York between Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz. Morocco is also member of the Abraham Accords. Morocco joined the Abraham Accords in 2020. The agreement to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel was announced on December 10, 2020, and the formal joint declaration was signed later that month. The two countries agreed to elevate their liaison offices to embassies and appoint ambassadors.
Resource:
israelAM
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
