Why I'm So Happy About John Bolton As Our National Security Advisor

Nadene Goldfoot

                                                                             

John Bolton was our : United States Ambassador to the United Nations in 2005 and 2006. an appointment by George Bush.  "President Donald Trump announced his appointment as National Security Advisor, to take office on April 9, 2018."

As Ambassador, he defended Israel.  He wasn't shy about it.  He defended Strongly.  
That's more than many presidents have done. 

 We had a defender in John Bolton.  He didn't buy into the Palestinian claims of land
 ownership in Israel.

  "In June 2011, Bolton dismissed Palestinian claims to statehood as a "ploy."  Why?  He was up on his history as well as the activities of people in the area.  Bolton stated in June 2004 congressional testimony that Iran was lying about enriched uranium contamination:  He understood the aims of the Iranian government to snuff out Israel.  

Bolton Is Gary Cooper in High Noon for Israel, Dr. Strangelove in Apocalypse Now for Everyone Else-in the UN click. 

"The removal of H.R. McMaster and appointment of John Bolton as United States President Donald Trump’s national security adviser was met with joy in Jerusalem, with dread in other capitals." Israel hopes Bolton will help defend them against Iran. 
Bolton is known as a tough guy.  He's another who doesn't mince words.  He's direct.  That's us.  That's America.  We've admired straight shooters.   

John seems to me to be his own man, which is rare these days.  He's not part of a cabal.  He'll do as he sees is right for his country.  What's important is that he's not part of the former Sec of State John Kerry before Clinton or or during her reign.  It was Kerry who fawned over the Iranians and got us the nuclear deal with them in the first place, and Obama and Clinton either followed suit or directed it.  Now Trump and Bolton will have to halt this mess.  

One thing, Bolton will work well with Trump. As was said in 2017, "
'After Obama, Netanyahu finally has a real friend in the White House,' says former US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton." 
Eliran Baruch, 12/4/2017 Information Security engineer

Today we couldn't be luckier with the President Trump appointment of Ambassador Nikki R. Haley. 

  She's Bolton's equal and even more if that's possible.  She's not shy about speaking 

the truth to the UN in her defense of Israel. Perhaps she was even an admirer of Bolton.  Why are these two people defending Israel?  

It's because they see the truth and it doesn't interfere with any pre-conceived plans of theirs

like other people have had.  Every time Nikki has spoken about Israel  I have had reason to cheer.  She had been the Governor of North Carolina and knows how to be emphatic about righteous causes such as Israel.  Young as well as beautiful, she reminds me of Queen Esther speaking up for her people, only she isn't Jewish, which makes us even luckier, for no one can say that she's self-indulgent over her own.  She just sees our Israel's position clearly.  .  

Pete Hegseth on Fox News " also noted that "it's an ongoing reality that from Baghdad to Damascus, to that entire region, Iran seeks the destruction of the State of Israel. It's 'Death to America, death to Israel -' we're in this together. And it's happening right now under our noses. Some of the people that we have supported in that region have tacitly allowed Iran to expand its influence even more - which is a huge problem. It's ongoing - every day, [Israel's] existence has to be fought for, and this is an important step to show that we really do care."

Those that scream about Bolton being appointed are people who don't give a nickel for the life of Israel or its people.  That's how I see it.  The #1 problem Israel and the USA are facing is the action that can come from the Ayatollas of Iran who bubble and boil in their hatred against the West and Jews.  Our previous government put us both in the direct path of destruction. Now these tough guys, Trump and Bolton, must face them as brave Americans would and should.  They stand shoulder to shoulder with Israelis.  May G-d be with them both.  High Noon.  Yes, indeed.  

Resource: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-bolton-appointment-raises-israeli-hopes-that-trump-will-nix-iran-deal-1.5938180
https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-bolton-is-gary-cooper-for-israel-dr-strangelove-for-everyone-else-1.5937518
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/238881
http://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2015/03/terrorists-america-has-deleted-from.html 
John Bolton mentioned here.  

Players in The Real Russian Collusion Story That's Bigger Than Watergate

Nadene Goldfoot
The Players:
                                                                   

1. Robert Mueller: former FBI Director, the  Special Counsel, appointed by The Department of Justice, to oversee the federal investigation into Russia’s alleged influence on the presidential election
  decided to obtain tens of thousands of emails from the Trump transition team, investigating collusion with Russia during election if swayed by Russians against Hillary Clinton.  "he kept the Russian bribery plot quiet so that Hillary Clinton could get richer and keep her presidential aspirations intact." "given wide berth to carry out his investigation, and he expanded the probe to look into whether Trump obstructed justice with Comey’s firing." "Mueller’s friendship with Comey is “very bothersome.” The two were former colleagues at the Justice Department." "A Republican, he was appointed by President George W. Bush and his original ten-year term was given a two-year extension by President Barack Obama, making him the longest-serving FBI director since J. Edgar Hoover."  

2. Peter Strzok, FBI agent: a senior FBI official who oversaw the Hillary Clinton email investigation, brought in by Mueller to help manage his investigation into Russian election meddling,
Then  Removed  "from Mueller’s probe after it was discovered that he allegedly exchanged anti-Trump texts with another FBI lawyer." "Strzok referred to Trump as an "idiot." In another, he said Clinton should win the election "100 million to zero." But some Republicans have focused on another message that they suggest signals something more sinister than political bias.  "phrase-we can't take that risk  having an insurance policy.

3. Christopher Wray, FBI Director; defended the removal of Peter Strzok during  a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Dec. 7, FBI . 

4. Tony Podesta:  Brother of John Podesta, Democratic lobbyist, being investigated by Robert Mueller as to whether "Podesta’s firm violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act while working with a Moscow-linked organization."  best known for founding the Podesta Group."" a lobbying and public affairs firm based in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1988 by brothers John Podesta and Tony Podesta, Tony was also founding president of People for the American Way which morphed into an activist anti-conservative action group of which George Soros is a major donor.  

5. John Podesta:    is a columnist and former chairman of the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. He previously served as chief of staff to President Bill Clinton and Counselor to President Barack Obama. John founded the Center for Americn Progress (CAP), a liberal think tank and advocacy organization. He is ultimate Washington insider.  Wikileaks dumped the John Podesta emails late in the campaign.  That no longer matters as groups can find and read them today.  

6. Paul Manafort: former Trump campaign chairman, " required to turn self into federal authorities,indicted on 12 counts – ranging from conspiracy against the U.S., to conspiracy to launder money.

7. Richard Gates: Associate of Paul Manafort,  required to turn self into federal authorities. indicted on 12 counts – ranging from conspiracy against the U.S., to conspiracy to launder money.

8. John Solomon:  Reporter from The Hill, is a media executive. He is currently vice president, digital video for The Hill. He is known primarily for his tenure as an executive and editor-in-chief at The Washington Times.  

 9. Hillary Clinton:  wife of Bill Clinton, former President, running for President, insisted on "using a private server that had top-secret special access programs, classified national security information on it."

Hillary Clinton,  her top aides and Bill Clinton:  FBI evidence of "Kremlin's campaign to try to gain access to them in 2009.  Reported by John Solomon. Female spy busted deported in 2010 with discovery of spy ring. 

10. Democratic National Committee and other officials:   tens of thousands of emails were leaked from them. "– released in July 2016 ahead of the Democratic National Convention – purportedly showed the party favoring Clinton over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and led to the resignation of party chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz."

11. Bill Clinton: ", tried to get permission to meet with Russian nuclear officials while the Uranium One deal was being approved by the Obama administration and his own wife, Sec. of State.  That deal gave control of 20 percent of America’s Uranium supply to Russia.", "got $500,000 for a speech in Moscow. That was twice his normal speaking fee, and the check was cut from a bank that had an interest in the Uranium One deal. While in Moscow, the former president sought to meet with Russian nuclear officials. He had to ask his own wife's State Department for permission, but wound up meeting directly with Vladimir Putin and corrupt banking officials instead
                                                       

12. President Donald Trump:  The White House has denied that Trump was attempting to influence the FBI director, is bothered by Mueller and Comey's friendship who were co-workers in Justice Departments. ""has often tweeted about the ongoing investigation – something that could land him in hot water, according to multiple experts and lawmakers.""

13. Russian female spy; false papers, worked for key Democratic donor 

 14. Sergei Lavrov,Russian Foreign Minister: received classified information regarding ISIS threats from Trump who received from Israel not meant to share.  

15. Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador at the time: received classified information regarding ISIS threats from Trump from Israel, not meant to share.

16. Sarah Carter: Reporter with Circa News

17. James Comey:  FBI Director: fired "May 9 – less than two months after Comey publicly proclaimed that the agency was investigating ties between Russia and Trump’s campaign." "The White House said Comey was relieved from his duties due to his handling of the investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure of secretary of state. But days later, Trump alluded that he had considered the Russian investigation when he fired Comey. 
Comey told a Senate intelligence committee in June that he was concerned about the “shifting explanations” that came from the White House regarding his firing." "claimed that Trump  asked FBI to drop its investigation into Flynn during a February meeting." ", confirmed that he had reassured Trump repeatedly that he was not under investigation by the FBI." Bewildered his own FBI agents because he refused to bring charges against Hillary Clinton in the email scandal. 

18. FBI- Federal Bureau of Investigation:  "witness accounts that the Russian nuclear officials working on behalf of Vladimir Putin and Russia and Moscow were engaging in bribery. "Ousted Wasserman."  ", intelligence officials concluded that those responsible for leaking the emails were connected to the Russian government. In its assessment of the hack,

19. CIA-Central Intelligence Agency:   the CIA concluded that Russia intervened in the election in order to help Trump secure the presidency.

20. Russia:  , Russian nuclear officials were giving $145 million to the Clinton Foundation during time Clinton met with Putin and banking officials."  "Putin wanted a piece of our Uranium supply," 

21. Barak Obama: President in 2010, "The Obama administration, including Hillary Clinton and then-Attorney General Eric Holder, let it happen. In 2010, the Uranium One deal was approved." "sanctioned Russia for its alleged involvement in the election – a move that would eventually come back to dismantle one of Trump’s senior aides." "Politico published a bombshell report over the weekend, offering meticulous detail on how the Obama administration killed intelligence and law enforcement agency efforts to shut down Hezbollah’s narco-terror network. The motive? Obama protecting his precious Iran nuclear deal, which would be threatened if Iran’s pet terror organization suffered defeats at Obama’s hand."

22. Rod Rosenstein:  appointed FBI Director Robert Mueller to probe Trump-Russia collusion. "surely knows everything about the Uranium One scandal." "helped lead that FBI investigation." 

23. House "Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla.:  Reports -"the House Oversight Committee is now investigating this Uranium One deal.  And he recently revealed some stunning information about the FBI informant.

24: Patriotic Informant to FBI: first told the FBI about Russia’s bribery scheme, was mysteriously muzzled by the Obama Department of Justice.
                                                        

25. Michael Flynn:  retired lieutenant general. Flynn had served under Obama as head of military intelligence until he was fired in 2014 following reports of insubordination and questionable management style. "Trump's former national security adviser, charged with lying to the FBI about his communications with a Russian ambassador on Dec. 1, 2016.", resigned from Trump's job next month" "Flynn resigned under harsh scrutiny for misleading the administration, including Vice President Mike Pence, about his ties to and conversations with Russian officials.

He remains under multiple investigations by congressional committees and the Pentagon’s inspector general. He was charged on Dec. 1 for making false statements to the FBI pertaining to his interactions with Russian officials in 2016. He pleaded guilty.

Flynn registered as a foreign agent with the Justice Department in March 2017.. "Flynn reportedly called the Russian ambassador to discuss the move. Flynn initially denied speaking to the ambassador, but when intelligence officials revealed proof, he said he just didn’t remember speaking on that topic."

26.  George Papadopoulos: former foreign policy adviser to Trump’s campaign, pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about his connections with Russian officials.

27. Donald Trump Jr., son of President Donald Trump:  in July 2017 that he took a meeting with a Russian lawyer during the campaign as she was supposed to have damaging information about Clinton.

“This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump,” an email about the meeting said in part."

27. Natalia Veselnitskaya: female Russian lawyer, had no dirt on Hillary, wanted only to discuss the Magnitsky Act (The Magnitsky Act, formally known as the Russia and Moldova Jackson–Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012, is a bipartisan bill passed by the U.S. Congress and signed ...), other sanctions, reported Trump Jr.  

28. Jared Kushner: son-in-law of President Trump, sat in meeting with Trump Jr and Paul Manafort, advisor to President Trump in December 2016, "questioned by Mueller’s investigators earlier this month about this meeting with Veselnitskaya.
 

29. Chuck Grassley: Senate Judiciary Chairman, senior United States Senator from Iowa since 1981 " requested additional information from Kushner and accused him of not being forthcoming.

 Sen. Diane Feinstein, Democrat: former mayor of San Francisco,  requested additional information from Kushner and accused him of not being forthcoming.

30. Carter Page, former campaign adviser of Trump in 2016:   American oil industry consultant and former foreign-policy advisor  .met with House investigators in early November and contradicted earlier testimony given by Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions. "while he didn’t have any evidence of Russian meddling in the presidential election, he did take a trip to Russia during the campaign and “briefly said hello” to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich." 

Lisa Page: lawyer married to Joseph Burrow,  exchanged anti-Trump text messages with Peter Strzok, her FBI agent lover, was seen for the first time since the affair was exposed."

                                                    

31. Jeff Sessions, Attorney General: former Alabama senator, told lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee in July that he wasn’t aware if Page traveled to Russia, opposing Page who said he did know about it. Resigned 11/8/2018 at Trump's request. 

 32. Social Media:

    a. Facebook: "$100,000 in ad purchases connected to “inauthentic accounts” that violated its policies were uncovered as well as another $50,000 on “potentially politically related ad spending” that were in Russian."

    b. Twitter:  a group with “strong links to the Russian government” spent $274,000 in ads, and the social media site suspended almost two dozen accounts that were possibly linked to Russian officials."

    c. Google:  Russian operatives spent tens of thousands of dollars on ads on YouTube, Google Search products and Gmail regarding the election, Fox Business reported. 

33. The Law:  lobbyists in the United States who worked for foreign entities must register with the Department of Justice and disclose what they are doing.

Dan Rather, former host on CBS News,  is saying that with Flynn found guilty, this could be a bigger scandal against the Republicans than Watergate was.  Isn't that strange?  Hannity on Fox News said the very same thing about the Democrats with all their connections to Russia, before Trump even ran.  

Resource: Hannity, Fox News Oct 17, 2017
Hannity, Fox News, Dec 2017
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/17/politics/trump-mueller-very-upset-emails/index.html
https://muckrack.com/john-solomon
http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/02/15/dan-rather-trump-flynn-russia-scandal-could-be-bigger-watergate
Updates shown in blue:  12/19/17 
http://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2017/12/flynn-mueller-and-trump-investigating.html
Updates shown in red:  11/8/18 from American Pravda by James O"Keefe

Netanyahu's Opinions About Iran Deal on Fareed Zakaria's Program

Nadene Goldfoot                                                      

Fareed Zakaria from CNN went to Davos, Switzerland to attend a meeting there, the WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM,  and was able to interview Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel while there. Obama's deal with Iran was implemented just last weekend where they will now receive the billions of dollars held from them during the agreement talks about their ability to enrich uranium.
                                                                               

Fareed Zakaria's Sunday Morning Program on CNN

Netanyahu answered Fareed's questions by stating that his concerns were about Iran's ability to reconstitute whatever they had given up for now since the agreement ends in 15 years (2030-31) .  There is nothing in the deal to stop them from attaining their goals to wipe out Israel..  They will be able to resume their plans on a much larger scale and will enrich as much uranium as they want.

Netanyahu hopes to be wrong and that Iran will change to be a moderate country but he has his doubts.  Iran has not ever stopped its goal since the Ayatollas to eradicate Israel and deny that the Holocaust ever happened.  They show this by giving money to all the terrorist groups from Hamas to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Their goal always has been to wipe out Israel.

There is no symmetry in the goals between Iran and Israel.  Israel, even though it also has nuclear power, has never had a goal of wiping out any country or group whereas Iran has.  They are all about this.  Now Saudi Arabia and Israel find they have a common enemy, Iran.  This has caused a common alliance between the 2 people.

Netanyahu told Zakaria that the reason this has come about is because he sees the world as it is, not like he would like to see it.  Iran and ISIS are the enemy of Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Netanyahu attended a dinner in Switzerland and was able to speak with EU leaders from Brussels.  He now  felt that nurturing present relationships will solve the Palestine-Israel problem whereas they used to think that solving the Palestinian problems would solve world-wide problems.

Fareed Zakaria wanted to know Netanyahu's opinion of the Syria-Iraq war in attacking ISIS.  He asked what Israel has done to help out?  Netanyahu explained how they have given humanitarian help and had set up a medical station only 50 yards away from the border of Syria.  They have had thousands of patients there who were injured during attacks.  They take no photos since these same patients can be killed for getting attention from Jews.  He sees 2 enemies fighting each other and is trying to stay out of it and let them have at each other.

Israel also watches and interferes with Iran and Hezbollah's attempts to transport more ammunition through Israeli  land.  The IDF watches the Golan very carefully.

Netanyahu explained the differences between ISIS (Dash) and Iran.  He said that ISIS wants to establish a Caliphate NOW.  Their goal is for immediate paradise and those 72 virgins.  Iran is postponing gratification and is waiting for the Imam that is coming a little later. (One should read about their idea of the end of times and what is to happen according to the Shi'a ideas.  )

Netanyahu had to remind Fareed that he is not finished yet in his role as Prime Minister.  What he wants to be remembered for is as a PROTECTOR OF ISRAEL.  His father lived to 102.  In his day, they brought about the one and only Jewish state again.  Now Benjamin's job is to keep it safe.

I hope my readers understand this.  Israel is not out to take land away.  They are defenders of their own land.  Their land came to them through the only legal means available to them in the 1920's after losing it in 70 CE due to the Roman Occupation and destruction of their land when Jerusalem and their Temple were burned down.  The law to create Israel was used once again.  It  happened twice;  through the League of Nations in the 20s  and again through the new United Nations in 1947.   Since 70 CE, Jews have been stateless for the past 2,000 years until May 14, 1948, just 3 years after the end of World War II.  Since it was G-d who led them to their Promised Land through Moses, no other land can satisfy their needs.

Resource: CNN 1/24/16 Fareed Zakaria's program, 7:00am.

The UPs and downs of Judaism 597 BCE-- Return From Babylon

Nadene Goldfoot                                                             

In the days when Jews had been enslaved and taken to Babylon in 597 BCE by Nebuchadnezzar II and again in 586 BCE, they had survived there.  In those Persian times, about 200,000  Jews were living in Mesopotamia.  Cyrus II, King of Persia overran the Babylonian Empire which included Judah.  About 50,000 were anxious to return to their homeland and so made the 800 mile journey back to Jerusalem.

They were led there by Zerubbabel.(480 BCE) who was the grandson of King Jehoiachin. of Judah who ruled from 598 to 597 BCE.  Zerubbabel had been appointed to be the bodyguard of Darius according to Ezra's account in Persia.  Darius was king Cyrus II's son.  It was Cyrus who encouraged the Jews to go back to Judah in 538 BCE.

Zerubbabel  was the last satrap (subordinate official or ruler ) of the Davidic descent in Jerusalem and after his time, the high priest had more influence.    The Persians were fearful of restarting the Davidic dynasty.

  Darius was the king Cyrus's  son.  It is thought that  King Xerxes, son of Darius I and who ruled from 486 to 465 BCE  was actually the King Ahasuerus in the Jewish story of Queen Esther and Purim, making him Jewish.  Darius reigned from 522 to 486 BCE and inherited the throne of Cyrus.  It was Cyrus  who permitted Zerubbabel and the Jews to return to Jerusalem and start the reconstruction of the Temple. King Xerxes,  alias King Ahasuerus,  had married a 2nd time to Esther, who in secret was Jewish. It was Haman, King Ahasuerus's chief minister,  who wanted to kill all Jews in the empire. It's said that he was a descendant from the king of Amalek, Agag. It could have been a Holocaust to end all Jews, but Esther told her husband about Haman's scheme and he stopped it.  

Cyrus II died in 529 BCE.  He had overrun the Babylonian Empire, including Palestine.  His policy with people was certainly enlightened.  The Jews regarded Cyrus as a Divine agent.
                                                      ....................................
                                                                   

The city lay in ruins.  Hostile people from other lands had come to live there and settled throughout Judah.  The few Hebrews who had been able to stay and raise up families through the exile period had had to intermarry with these other people and actually were hostile to the returnees from Babylonia.  The nerve of them!  They claimed the right to rule over everyone!  No doubt this was when we added a few DNA Y haplogroups to our people.
                                                                               

The ones that returned got busy and started rebuilding.  In one year they laid the foundations for a new Temple.  then all work stopped for 5 years.  Possibly they were also having trouble farming on the hilly land outside the ruined Jerusalem, but it took 18 years before the people went back to work on the building.  It took them a total of 23 years to finish the Second Temple.  It had only taken 9 years to build Solomon's Temple.  This Second Temple was not as impressive as the first.  It was the prophets Haggai and Zechariah who had inspired and encouraged them to get back to work and finish the job.
                                                                                     

Things went from fair to bad.  The children of the returnees of course intermarried with the local non-Jews.  Jerusalem remained fairly uninhabited and defenseless.  The Priests of the Temple, the Cohens, were unable to lead these people and even became corrupt in doing so.  It had been 60 years after finishing the 2nd Temple and all of 80 years since the Babylonian exile had ended and Israel's community was ready to fall apart.  What had gone wrong?
                                                                               

They needed better leadership, and 2 great leaders had remained in Babylon; Nehemiah (5th century BCE) and Ezra (5th century BCE).  They hadn't gone on the trek because they had been holding positions of importance in the Persian capital, Shushan.  Nehemiah was an adviser and cupbearer of the Persian king  Artaxerxes.  You don't leave such positions of power.  But when he heard of the situation back in Jerusalem, he decided he had to leave the splendor and comfort of court life and return to the ruins of Judah. So the king appointed him as the Tirshata, the governor of Judah in 444 BCE.
                                                                     

     
He became their governor and the conditions changed quickly.  Before he had arrived, the men had tried to build up their defenses but their enemies had attacked and destroyed them before they had even finished.

Nehemiah had better ideas.  He divided the men up in 2 groups when he took over.  One group worked on the defenses,  a wall, and the other group stood guard while holding their weapons.  The walls were then finished in 52 days  and finally Jews were able to safely live in their city of David.

Now they were celebrating the holiday of the Feast of Booths, Sukkot.  This was the first time for them all as they never knew of this holiday before.  Nehemiah made sure that ethical laws were taught.  He discovered that poor Jews were slaves to rich Jews.  He set them free and taught that the society in Judah was to be rebuilt with the ethical principles established by Moses from G-d.  He even cancelled the debts of the poor.  Jerusalem was made more secure by having 1/10th of the population live within its walls.
                                                                           

He started a major educational program and imported scholars from Babylonia to teach Torah to these people of Israel.  Ezra read the Law of Moses in public assemblies.  This may be that he only had a few Torahs and because not everyone knew how to read.  Also, they had been living in Babylonia for so long and had learned to speak another language, and the Torah was in Hebrew, so most likely needed translation as he read it to them.  He couldn't have read the whole Torah in this one sitting, but must have read only certain parts he felt he needed to share.

At the end of the reading, the entire community subscribed to an oath, they were so moved.  ...to walk in G-d's law, which was given by Moses the servant of G-d, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our G-d, and His ordinances and His statues.  (Nehemiah 10:30).

Nehemiah returned to Susa after 12 years, but returned again to Jerusalem.  In 433-432 he tried to bring and end to mixed marriages with Ezra's help.  That means that in the last 200 years, people had been marrying non Jews.  Was it a wonder then that Judaism had been slipping into almost non-existence in the homeland?  If Jews had been marrying Jews only since Abraham's day, all the Jewish men would be carrying J1 or J2 Ydna, but that isn't the case as today's DNA testing shows a few others in the Jewish population; not many, but a few others.  We have a variety of Es, Gs that make up 7% of the Jews, and a variety of Rs, and Q1b1a which 5% of Jews have.

Ezra had been a member of the priestly family of Zadok and was a scribe working for the Persian government.  He had also received permission in 458 BCE from King Artaxerxes I (reigned from 465 to 421 BCE) of Persia to return to Jerusalem and lead a new party of 1,754 settlers there, but would be of more religious Jews and they would establish the Mosaic law.  He worked along with Nehemiah to encourage the people to keep Torah, observe the Sabbath and the sabbatical year which Israel is keeping  right now in 2014 CE.  They encouraged everyone to pay their Temple dues and to reject intermarriage with gentiles which was in 444 BCE.

The Talmud notes that Ezra reintroduced biblical law since it had all been forgotten in the last 150 years.  He started the introduction of the square Hebrew letters and other updated information.  The rabbis compared his spiritual level with that of Moses.

While the Jews lived in Babylonia, they may have longed to be back in Judah, but they hadn't lost their religion.  It had gone with such a large population.  The Persians had been our rulers for 207 years from 539 BCE to 332 BCE.  We had become one People.  Before we were Hebrews divided into tribes or rival kingdoms of Israel and Judah.  Now we were Jews.  Our religion is Judaism.  We would remain the people of the ONE G-D.  The past 1,000 years was one of idolatry, a constant problem in Jewish life.  We started with the golden calf while waiting for Moses to come down from his high mountain.  During this Persian period, idol worship was not a part in our Jewish life at all, but pagans were able to join with us.  Before this, they were unable to join with us.

The reason Nehemiah and Ezra were against intermarriage was because it endangered the very survival of Judaism.  They had forced the men to divorce their wives.  Later, somebody thought up conversion.  What a novel idea!  They realized then that through study, commitments, and ritual, anyone could choose to give up his former religion and join his future to that of the Jewish people.  Persian rule had been tolerant and enlightened but then the Persian kings became more dictatorial .  Alexander the Great defeated them and gave Jews a better life.
                                                                         

I wonder about the Jews taken away even before the Babylonian conquest.  The Assyrians had attacked in 722 and 721 BCE.  Those were really primitive days.  Amos taught that the G-d of Israel was the G-d of the Assyrians but that they just didn't know it.  He was the G-d of all people.  When King Solomon had died in 922 BCE, the land divided into Israel and Judah, Judah being the southern part of Israel.  The Assyrians had attacked and devastated Israel, taking its people to Mesopotamia where they had mixed with the native population and disappeared from our history as the Lost 10 tribes of Israel.  All this occurrence showed Amos that this was a sign of G-d's power, that a sign of G-d's weakness.  He had been determined to have the Israelites obey HIS laws of righteousness.  Assyria had become the instrument of G-d's anger.  The Assyrian warriors were fierce.

This made Isaiah to think of world peace, so he wrote:

And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war any more.  

                                                 (Isaiah 2:2-4).  

Yet today we are facing down Iran (Persia) and their Ayatollah Khamenei in a battle of uranium use in that they would like to make an atom bomb and destroy Israel today.  Several of Israel's neighbors have not ended their warring and are making even worse weapons, like missiles that can reach all of Israel.  

Some of the lost 10 tribes are being found and many are returning.  Israel has been reborn after a lull of 2,000 years.  Perhaps it takes all of the tribes to withstand the war mongols of the world with G-d's help, of course.  

To be Jewish is not to be faint of heart.  We've had our ups and downs.  Scientists in DNA now believe that the living Jews of today came from 4 women.  Ashkenazis are said to be from 350 men.  We've had our times of almost being wiped out in our history, and we've bounced back to create Israel once again.  The tide has turned.  

                                                           May G-d be with us.  

Resource:  My People:  Abba Eban's History of the Jews Volume I, adapted by David Bamberger, p. 30-36
The New Standard Jewish encyclopedia

Facing 2014 With Problems of Iran, Palestinians, 2nd Temple Site

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                       

As we approach the New Year of 2014, the news only gets more depressing and revealing.  Iran is working hard on enrichment of their uranium and is even busy designing a new centrifuge that will speed things up in this department.  It seems that only Israel is really worried about this since they realize this spells out an A bomb intended for them.  Though the USA is also considered an evil state by Iran, it doesn't seem to phase Kerry in the slightest.  Maybe he thinks his country is too far away to be harmed.

At the same time, Kerry had forced Israel to agree to releasing people in Israel's prisons to satisfy Abbas, and so the time has come around again for a new batch of murderers to be freed.  This will happen Monday according to this disastrous August agreement.  All the men are in prison for murdering.  I'm sure that they would never be released in the USA.  It would be considered a mad thing to do.  Also, the first round released has not appeared to make a dent in the determination of the Palestinian Abbas and troupe to demand more and more and expect to gain Jerusalem as well as all of Israel eventually.

What is worrisome are the agreements Kerry has written out to bring about peace.  The thought of giving up more land to the Palestinians which is necessary for Israel's safety is high on the list for cause to worry.  Giving up part of Jerusalem to some international committee is another thing that just should not happen; not after all the deaths Israel has experienced to people who care less about it.  We know that the forces brought in to help enforce safety in Israel such as the United Nations are always first to give in to the attackers.  They have no stake in the defense of Israel.  Netanyahu knows all this.  I'm wondering what threats are being held over his head to get him to comply to this nonsense.
                                                                     

This leaves problems with the mosque with the golden dome one sees in pictures of Jerusalem. That's snow in the picture above.  Egypt received their first snow in over 100 years.  Jerusalem and Safed are high up, so have had snow previously, but it is fairly rare.  This is the Mosque of Omar, also called the Dome of the Rock.  It's built right in the very center of the Temple area.  It was Caliph Abd al-Malik that constructed it there in 738 CE to replace the temporary structure set up by Caliph Omar a century earlier.  It is situated on the traditional site of Mt. Moriah.  Omar was the 2nd caliph who ruled from 634 to 644 CE.  During his reign, several Jewish communities were conquered; in Palestine, Syria and Mesopotamia.  It was on his orders that most of the Jews from northern Arabia were expelled.

He had then made a covenant with Jews and Christians assuring them of protection in return for the payment of a special poll tax.  He included certain restrictions and disabilities  on them.  They could not run for public office, wear distinctive clothes, could not built new houses of worship, and many other things.  This is the dhimmis position Jews have had to live under in the Middle East for the past 2,000 years.

 Moshe Dayan made an agreement in 1967 with Jordan that their religious heads would hold reign in this site.  The Muslim religious leaders do not allow Jews to even nod their heads a little ways away in prayer when they look at the mosque, which is ridiculous.  This was the site of our 1st and 2nd temple of renown.  Since it sits in Jerusalem which is again the capital  city of Israel, one would think that Jordan's religious people would find it in their heart to be a little more gracious and be thankful that Jews also pray to our one and only G-d, but no.

 This has aroused the ire of our young Jews who weren't around during 1967 and didn't know Moshe Dayan, and they are angry about not being able to walk up the steps and stand on such an auspicious historical site and say a prayer.  I don't believe that the Muslims have to pay any such poll tax to continue to visit the mosque Omar or his successor built.  Nor do they have to dress as a Westerner.  The Muslims that are citizens have all the rights of any Jew in Israel.  The Rabbis however, have found a religious reason why Jews shouldn't be on the grounds today.  So this should remain a peaceful decision in this next year and not turn into a problem. Perhaps a 3rd Temple will be built anew at another site in Jerusalem someday.

Resource:  http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/third-round-terrorists-released-peace-talk-deal-despite-protests/?utm_source=Breaking+Israel+News&utm_campaign=b5f1417941-BIN+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d3627f72-b5f1417941-83518689