Shin Bet And October 7th in Israel

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                    

According to the latest Central Bureau of Statistics figures ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Israel's population is at an estimated 10.305 million, with 7.828 million Jews and 2.173 million are Arabs. 

Breakdown of the Population

Male Population: ~49.8% of the total population.
Female Population: ~50.17% to 50.2% of the total population.
Sex Ratio: About 99.2 males for every 100 females.
Approximately 120,000 citizens turn 18 in Israel each year and reach the age to register for the Israel Defense Forces, (IDF) split roughly evenly between males and females.
Obligation: Compulsory service applies to Jewish men and women, as well as Druze and Circassian men. 
Exemptions: Non-Druze Arab citizens, certain religious women, married individuals, and those medically or mentally unfit are exempt.
Annual Intake: Recent draft data shows that active annual conscript intakes skew toward men (around 58% to 62%) versus women (38% to 42%). 
Active Service Age: The active draft age is typically 18, though new recruits can range from 17 up to their late 20s or early 30s depending on specialized programs or immigration status. 



In this day and age, the IDF is constantly on the front lines of a war. The IDF and Shin Bet report that they had destroyed three weapons depots and a rocket launch pit in Gaza, belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, that had been used to fire rockets at Israel during the war.
 A statement said, “The terrorist organizations stored dozens of different kinds of weapons inside the storage facilities, including rockets, Kalachnikov rifles, and additional combat equipment. 
Furthermore, the IDF identified that recently, Hamas terrorists have been arriving at the storage facilities and using the weapons stored inside them to establish control in the Gaza Strip and carry out operations."s

Ronen Bar, Shin Bet Chief, now clashing in court showroom
We know what the IDF is, and that we have been fighting in a defensive position, but Shin Bet?  What is that?  The Shin Bet (also known as the Israel Security Agency or Shabak) is Israel's internal security and counterintelligence service. 
Core Responsibilities of Shin Bet
Counterterrorism: Detecting and preventing terrorist networks, plots, and attacks within Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.(and of course the big questions is what happened to allow Oct 7th to happen?  Our guard was down.)According to AI, The [Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar knew an invasion was likely by 4:30 AM on October 7, 2023, but did not immediately wake Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or sound a wide alarm. 
Intelligence and Early Morning Failures
Late Warnings: The Shin Bet only updated the prime minister's military secretary minutes before the assault began. 
Ignored Plans: Internal agency investigations later admitted that the Shin Bet dismissed prior blueprints of Hamas attacks (such as "The Walls of Jericho" plan) and falsely assumed Hamas did not want an all-out war. 
Missed Signals: The agency suffered from gaps in human intelligence and failed to piece together tactical indicators happening hours and days before the invasion. (That's not like them).  
Counterintelligence: Protecting state secrets, uncovering foreign espionage, and preventing subversion.
Protective Security: Securing high-ranking government officials (including the prime minister), national infrastructure, embassies, and the national airline, El Al. 
Organization and Structure
Leadership: The head of the Shin Bet reports directly to the Prime Minister of Israel.
Community: It is one of the three main branches of the Israeli intelligence community, alongside Mossad (foreign intelligence) and Aman (military intelligence).
Motto: "Magen veLo Yera'e" ("Defender that shall not be seen" or "The unseen shield"). 

When Countries Do Join Together To Work Out Security: MEAD CONFERENCE

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

        Delegates from 24 countries including Israel, the United States and 12 Arab countries, including states that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, gathered in Washington on Tuesday for the fourth MEAD CONFERENCE, a closely guarded forum focused on regional security and cooperation.  

The event brings together political leaders, senior policymakers and other officials for discussions intended to strengthen alliances, encourage dialogue and develop strategic approaches to regional challenges.                              

Discussions cover security, intelligence, technology, business, energy, finance and governance, with a broader focus on strengthening  U.S.engagement in the Middle East and encouraging greater regional integration.  

This fourth annual Middle East–America Dialogue (MEAD) Summit took place on September 8–9, 2026 in Washington, D.C.. Because the summit is held under Chatham House rules of confidentiality, there are no official public resolutions or communiqués. However, the core outcomes and discussions focused on navigating regional security amidst the ongoing conflict with Iran.

 The 2026 summit achieved its largest international representation in history, drawing senior officials and representatives from 24 countries, including 12 Middle Eastern states. Notably, it brought together Israeli officials and delegates from Arab nations that do not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel, providing a rare backchannel for security cooperation.



 Amidst ongoing tensions, delegates heavily prioritized maritime security and arrangements for protecting strategic commercial shipping routes, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz. 
Conflict Resolution Frameworks: The closed-door sessions focused extensively on stabilizing the situation in Lebanon and exploring political and security structures for the future of Gaza. 



Strategic Security Alignments: Participants actively explored new regional security frameworks, assessing greater defense, intelligence, and energy cooperation as strategic imperatives rather than purely economic concerns. Riyadh Arabs would be Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain.  
Policy Anticipation: The timing of the discussions allowed leaders from across the Middle East to gauge the trajectory of future relations ahead of upcoming elections in Israel and the U.S. midterm elections. 
Reference:

Europe Led By Great Britain Attacks Israel With Lies and Trade

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

        Europe is attacking Netanyahu directly and Israel while they're at it for their right to use Area C of Judea and Samaria, the Jewish eastern side of this land once all part of the Israel Empire as outlined in the Bible (Torah).  Great Britain has also had the nerve to include  the individuals Bentzi Gopstein, Baruch Marzel, Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Avichai Suissa and Eliav Libi, calling them "extremist settlers."                       

Twelve countries, including major European nations and Canada, announced a trade boycott against goods from "illegal" Israeli settlements in the West Bank as reported by 12 countries who announce boycott of goods from settlements.

Participating Countries

United Kingdom: Led the recent trade ban announcement.
France: Joined the import ban and pushed for wider European Union action.
Spain, Ireland, and Norway: Voiced strong opposition and restricted settlement goods.
Other Nations: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and Canada.

Key Details

The Action: Banning trade with Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The Reason: Nations state that settlement growth harms peace and a two-state solution. (The 2-state solution is a dead subject as far as October 7th had closed the door on the idea) 
Israel's Response: Israel closed the British consulate in  East Jerusalem in retaliation. 
After October 7th, 2023, Israel must feel adamant about refraining from any thought of an Arab Hamas terrorist-Hezbollah sponsored Palestine in their back yard, on the boundary of Israel so they can use hand guns to shoot Israelis with.  How is it that no matter what, Europe keeps thumping for a Palestine?  Could it be that they want to rid themselves of the many immigrants they now have? Have they forgotten the Oslo Accords so fast?  
 Palestine Arabs already living in Judea and Samaria work in Israeli factories.  This will bring an end to their jobs.  It's only going to hurt Palestinians, the people Europe want to be able to take over the factories by force and take the land;  land that was the origin of the Jewish people.  So Europe, once again, has shown their true colors as to the Jewish people, their anti-Semitic actions in the past down to the Holocaust and now, in my opinion.   
 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has initiated immediate, hardline diplomatic retaliation.
Israeli Countermeasures and Diplomatic Retaliation
Because the United Kingdom led the formulation of the multi-nation settlement trade ban under its new Labour government, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, operating under Netanyahu's administration, instantly deployed aggressive countermeasures aimed primarily at the UK: 
Consulate Closure: Israel ordered the closure of the British Consulate in Jerusalem. 
Expulsion from Command Centers: British representatives are being removed from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, which coordinates post-war humanitarian and stabilization efforts.
Ending Military/Security Training: Israel is terminating all British-led training operations for Palestinian Authority security forces within Judea and Samaria. 
Entry Bans: The government has issued entry bans blocking 12 British elected officials and other prominent public figures from entering Israel. 
In response, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, the removal of British representatives from the Gaza coordination headquarters in the southern city of Kiryat Gat and an end to British involvement in training Palestinian Authority security forces in Ramallah. Israel also barred 12 Britons from entering the country, accusing them of involvement in antisemitic and anti-Israel activities and of denying Israel’s right to exist.
Strategic Limitations and Dilemmas
While Israel struck back forcefully at the UK, the coordinated involvement of 11 other governments has complicated Netanyahu’s long-term strategy: 
The "Crisis" Calculation: Israeli security and diplomatic officials are actively debating how to handle the remaining 11 nations.
 Completely severing parallel ties or replicating identical, sweeping diplomatic expulsions against all 12 major partners (many of whom are EU member states) risks triggering a much deeper, unmanageable international crisis.
Defiant Stance on Settlement Expansion: Domestic political pressure from Netanyahu's right-wing coalition demands complete defiance.
 Netanyahu recently reaffirmed at a regional summit in Judea and Samaria that the territory "will remain ours," signaling zero intent to stall community expansions or back down to international economic pressure. (Israel is an independent country with leaders from their own people who know, especially after a Holocaust and an October 7th Attack, what is the best decisions to make and not be crucified by Europe! 
Backing from the United States
While relations with Europe have soured to a historic low, the Netanyahu government relies heavily on backing from Washington. 
Trump administration representatives and officials, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, confirmed that the White House strongly opposes the European bans and will not match the UK's measures. 



US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee went further, warning that individual US states and the federal government would likely retaliate, causing a "huge economic impact" on British businesses that enforce anti-settlement boycotts. 
Edit: 9/10/2026 12:43pm, and 9/11 at 6:05am
 East Jerusalem in retaliation.