3 Yeshiva Teenagers Missing near Hebron: Kidnapping Suspected

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                    

Remember all the terrorist prisoners that Netanyahu was forced to free from Israeli prisons because Kerry said it was the thing to do to keep Abbas at the peace talk table?  Well, now we have 3 missing teenagers, 2 16 year olds and one 19,  Gilad Michael Ben Bat-Gallim, Eyal ben Iris Teshura, and Yaacov Naftali ben Rachel Devora. Frankel (American-Israeli.)   ( Ben means son of, and bat means daughter of).  One has American citizenship.  The US Ambassador to Israel has been told about it.
                                                                               

                                                      Gush Etzion
                                                                         

         Hebron, ancient city of Judah, 18 miles south of Jerusalem.  Abraham bought land, the Cave of Machpelah here to bury his wife, Sarah, in it.  Today a mosque stands on that site.  It was a Levitical city decided by Joshua and a city of refuge for the Jews.  Much Jewish history is here.  

They are Yeshiva students.  A yeshiva is a religious school.  They were hitch-hiking home from their yeshiva which is in Gush Etzion, to the north of Hebron, a Palestinian city today.  This is not unusual in Israel.  When I lived in Israel (1980-1985) all soldiers hitch-hiked to get where they had to go.  We gave plenty of rides, but to soldiers in IDF uniforms.   The military is conducting a widespread operation to find them.  They're patrolling Hebron today, since they went missing late  Thursday. The fear is that they have been kidnapped like Gilad Shalit was several years ago by terrorists.  House to house searches in neighboring villages is being done as well as having to put up road blocks.

Netanyahu said that he is holding Abbas's PA responsible for the safety of the 3, but their attitude is, why is it their fault?  They deny having anything to do with the abduction.  I have to laugh because no matter what happens in this world, every Arab state is used to blaming Jews or Israel for it.  Suddenly the PA doesn't like the same treatment.  However, Israel has every reason to think they are responsible when they openly have textbooks in schools that teach hatred and when they have citywide celebrations of people who have killed Jews and build statues of them.  There is no secret that they are doing everything they can, TV programs, talks, teaching their people to hate and kill Jews.  The difference between Fatah and Hamas is that Fatah teaches people to be hateful and Hamas is hateful and physically does things like shell Israel.  Besides this, Abbas demanded that criminals be let out of prison, and then he walked out of the talks when that was accomplished.  No?  He isn't responsible?  Ha!

Tzipi Livni is at a conference in London and Kerry spoke to her about it.  Netanyahu told Kerry that Palestinian militants have said that they want to kidnap Israelis to win concessions from the Israeli government.  Didn't the USA just release 5 very dangerous terrorists for one soldier?  One immediately said he was going back into the fight.
                                                                               

Netanyahu said that 1,027 Palestinian prisoners were freed in October 2011 for their one soldier who was held a captive for more than 5 years, Gilad Shalit. He was kidnapped on June 25, 2006. " Shalit was captured near the Kerem Shalom crossing in Israel, and held by Hamas as a hostage at an unknown location in the Gaza Strip.  During those 5 years plus he was held in isolation.  The prisoners released to save him " were collectively responsible for 569 Israeli deaths."  Gilad called his parents as soon as he was freed.  

 In 2013, an Israeli soldier was kidnapped and killed by a Palestinian who had lured him to Judea-Samaria.  The kidnapper wanted to use him to get the release of his brother, held in an Israeli jail.  Sgt Tomer Hazan, 20 years old was lured in Tel Aviv by Nidal Omar, 42, into a Taxi to drive to Judea-Samaria.  His body was found in a water cistern.  Omar had no work permit to be in Israel.  My next door neighbor was Harry (Eli) Hazen.  I hope this was not his son.  In Israel, every time you hear of a death, you take it as one of your own family.  We're a small group, and one mother's anguish is everyone's anguish.

Brigadier-General Motti Almoz has security agencies making a very large intelligence effort to find information about the boys.

Prayer groups for the boys recite chapter 20 of Tehilim on such an occasion, psalm 121.  This is Friday.  At sundown Shabbat starts and lasts until Saturday night when 3 stars come out.  No doubt the police and soldiers will have to continue their search for the 3. Women are urged to light a special candle for them in their prayers.

Who else had kidnapped people in Israel?  Palestinians.Update:  This time it is reported to be ISIS operating in Hebron.

Newest Update:  11:10am http://unitedwithisrael.org/idf-says-kidnapped-israeli-teenagers-are-alive-in-judean-hills/?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=%5BWATCH%5D+Mother+of+Kidnapped+Teen+Speaks+Out%3B+IDF+Says+Boys+Alive+in+Judean+Hills&utm_campaign=20140615_m120936586_%5BWATCH%5D+Mother+of+Kidnapped+Teen+Speaks+Out%3B+IDF+Says+Boys+Alive+in+Judean+Hills&utm_term=IDF+Says+Kidnapped+Israeli+Teenagers+are+Alive+in+Judean+Hills
Car found used in kidnapping, in Judean hills somewhere.

Update from Embassy of Israel: Since 2013, over 64 kidnapping attempts were foiled by the IDF & ISA, most of them directed by Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails.
Update: On Friday, 6/13/14 Reuter’s Jerusalem bureau fielded a call from ’Dawlat al-Islam,’ an ISIS branch operating in Hebron. The caller claimed responsibility for the kidnappings and said the incident was in retaliation for the killing of three of its members, Fox News contributor Lisa Daftari reported on her blog.
Update:  a mobile phone of one the missing boys has been recovered. Also, the car apparently used for the kidnapping was found. In the car authorities recovered personal belongings of the teens. One of the 16 yr olds is an American.  Sick fact is that the Palestinians are celebrating the kidnapping, passing out cakes because of it.  Sick society to do such a thing.  They did the same thing when the Twin Towers fell in New York.  
Resource:  http://www.jewishjournal.com/israel/article/yeshiva_students_missing_suspected_kidnapped_by_terrorists_video
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilad_Shalit
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/world/middleeast/israeli-soldier-is-kidnapped-and-killed.html?_r=0
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/breaking-idf-suspects-3-boys-have-been-kidnapped/2014/06/13/
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181681
http://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2014/06/shameful-hamas-no-honor-here.html

What The Colonies Are That Palestinians Complain About

Nadene Goldfoot
A gang of Palestinian Arabs protested when Obama came to visit Judea-Samaria, or as they call it, the West Bank.  They are angry because Obama didn't bring change.  They are living in colonies, they say, not their Palestine. They'd better have a talk with Abbas.

These young Arabs forget that where they are living was originally Jewish Homeland.  In fact, after WWI the British took back their promise to the Jews of their Jewish Homeland and gave away 80% of it to Jordan.  Right now Israel is about 80% Jewish and 20% Muslim with 1.4 million Arabs as citizens.  Judea-Samaria is made up of about 75% Muslims and 17% Jews and 8% Christians.  But Palestine is to be Judenrein, so they're planning  to kick out all but the Muslims.

 Where they are living and calling colonies are such cities as Ramallah  which is 6 miles from Jerusalem.  "Modern Ramallah was founded in the mid-16th century by the Haddadins, a Jordanian tribe of brothers descended from Ghassanid Christian Arabs. The Haddadins, led by Rashid Haddadin, arrived from east of the Jordan River near the Jordanian town of Shoubak. The Haddadin migration is attributed to fighting and unrest among clans in that area."

It is the capital of the Palestinian Authority.  27,092 live in this historically Christian city where the Christians are now a minority.  The British army lived here in December 1917.  It came into Jordan's hands when they attacked in 1948 until 1967.  Jordan had jailed many Palestinains.  In Israel's hands they could for the first time visit Israel and the Gaza Strip and deal in commerce.  However, they were leaders of the Intifada that started in December 1987.

 Headlines today say, " PA to impose a curfew on Ramallah during (Obama) visit;  Palestinian lawyers demand Obama's arrest for crimes US army committed. " Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the center of Ramallah on Wednesday to protest against US President Barack Obama’s planned visit to the city. "The protest was organized by the radical Islamist group Hizb ut Tahrir, which seeks the establishment of an Islamic caliphate." "

  Hebron was called Kiriath-Arba in the "Old Testament", or our Torah.  It is only 18 miles from Jerusalem.  Abraham bought a plot of land from the Hittites, the Cave of Machpelah so that he could bury his wife,  Sarah.   This is history both Jews and Muslims share.  That's where it ends.  

This ancient city was once a part of the Jewish state of Judah, a state created by the followers of King David.  It was one of the cities of refuge.  David reigned here for 7 1/2 years before moving his capital to Jerusalem. A Jewish community continued here through the Byzantine Period and under Arab rule.   It is one of 4 sacred Jewish towns;   Hebron, Tiberias, Safed and Jerusalem.  Jews lived here continuously.  By 1890 there were 1,500 Jews living there with established yeshivot and religious schools.  In 1925 the great Lithuanian yeshivah of Slobodka was brought there.

In 1929, when stocks fell in the USA, Arabs were all in an uproar and massacred many Jews of Hebron.  Survivors were forced to leave.  30 Jewish families returned in 1931.  The Arabs rioted again in 1936, when things were bad for Jews in Germany.

After the Six Day War of 1967, some Jews came back to Hebron, descendants of those who had to leave or die, and they established Kiryat Arba which is east of the main city.  3,700 lived there in 1988.

Bethlehem has been taken over by the Muslims.  It is only 5.25 miles away from Jerusalem.  This was the birthplace of King David where "the Book of Ruth" occurred.  Christians say this is where Jesus was born.  The Roman Emperor, Constantine and his mother Helena built the Church of the Nativity here in 330 CE. From 1948 to 1967 it was under Jordanian rule and came into Israel's hands from the Six Day 1967 War.  In 1948 there were 7,500 Christians living here and 2,500 Muslims.  By 1968  there were 32,000 people.

Nablus, originally called Shechem is one of today's  Palestinian "colonies".  It's so old its origins go back to the Canaanites with walls that date from about 2,000 BCE, and like others, was in Jordanian territory from 48-67 and now controlled by Israel.  It was under Egyptian control  back in their 12th dynasty.  Our biblical patriarchs camped under its walls and it was taken by Simeon and Levi (Gen. 34), 2 of the 12 sons of Jacob.  It became the territory for Ephraim, another of the 12 sons and their desendants.  It was a Levitical city and a city of refuge as well as the center of the House of Joseph.  Joseph is buried here. The Assyrians had attacked in 721 BCE and took many of the 12 tribal members, leaving Judah, Levi and some of Benjamin's descendants.   In 1967 it had 44,000 people, mostly all Muslims with a tiny Samaritan community and has for decades been a center of fanatical Arab nationalism.  A small Jewish community formerly existed here.

Jericho lies in the Jordan valley 825 ' below sea level, sort of like Death Valley in California. When we drove from Tsfat to Jerusalem we went through Jericho.   It is one of the oldest settlements in the world and its first city wall goes back to the Neolithic Period of 5,000 BCE and then destroyed by Joshua (Josh.6).  It was revived only during the reign of the Jewish King Ahab of 870 BCE by Hiel the Bethelite.  (I Kings 16:34).  When King Herod of Judea (appointed by Romans) ruled and built himself a palace there where he died.  The Romans then destroyed Jericho in 68 CE and it was later rebuilt where it is now.  It is now surrounded by orange groves and banana plantations.  3,000 lived there in 1946 and Arab refugees moved there in 1948, numbering 61,000 in 1961.  Most fled over the Jordan before Israel troops arrived during the Six Day War. and some 8,500 lived in Jericho and another 2,000 in its vicinity at the time of the 1967 census.

Jenin is mentioned as Gina in the Tel el Amarna tablets and is probably the biblical En Gannim (Joshua 19:21) , called Ginaea in Roman times and had a small Jewish community in the 17th century CE.  It was a center of Arab nationalist fanaticism in the 1930's and was part of Jordan from 1948-1967.  In 1967 there were 8,346 apart from 5,019 Arab refugees in the vicinity.

During the Six Day War, Jordan had attacked Israel despite a message sent to Hussein by PM Levi Eshkol that if she remained out of the attack she would not be attacked.  Israel's Jerusalem and border towns were heavily shelled by the Jordanians.  Later on June 5, Israeli troops began their moves against the Jordanian positions and cut off Jordanian "east"Jerusalem (including the Old City) which fell on June 7th.  The entire area west of the Jordan river, including Bethlehem, Hebron and Nablus fell to the Israeli army.

"King Hussein of Jordan signed on with Egypt to attack Israel.  He wrote:  The armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon are poised on the borders of Israel...to face the challenge, while standing behind us are the armies of Iraq, Algeria, Kuwait, Sudan and the whole Arab nation."  They had 465,000 soldiers against Israel who won against them all in 6 days.  

According to the UN statistics of 2010, The West Bank population is 2,568,555 and East Jerusalem has 192,800.  Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate claim 57,000.

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramallah
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bank
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_Palestinian_territories
http://wikitravel.org/en/Ramallah
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/67_War.html

Lies Palestinians Tell About Our City, Hebron-Holy Sites Closed Now to Jews

Nadene Goldfoot
Hebron has been a Jewish city  since the creation of Judaism by Abraham, who had bought the Mearat Hamachpela or Tomb of the Patriarchs.   This is recorded in  the Torah.  Thousands want to pray at the Meara.  David Wilder of Arutz Sheva writes about its history for this timely Shabbat Hevron.  Jews have lived there continuously for thousands of years, which is so sad considering that the Muslims have now grabbed Jewish religious sites  and are preventing Jews access. It is our ancient city in Judah and is 18 miles south of Jerusalem. 

Abraham had bought the Cave of Machpelah  from the Hittites so he could bury his wife, Sarah, and the tomb now has a mosque built over it, as that is what Muslims seem to do when they take someone's land, either right on or very near.    Hebron became a city of refuge under Joshua.

The Hittites disappeared along with many other ancient peoples.  Their main kingdom in existence from the 15th century BCE fell in  1200.  Smaller groups in N. Syria and around the Euphrates River were finally overrun by the Armenians and the Assyrians.  Jews are the only ones that remain.  Esau, the son of Isaac and twin of Jacob,  had taken wives from the Hittites.  They were one of 7 peoples that the Israelites had conquered in Canaan.  King David had Hittite warriors and his son Solomon had Hitttie wives, so one can say that some were integrated into the Jewish society after their kingdom ended.  They were not killed or necessarily exiled by the Jews. 

King David (1,000 BCE- 960 BCE) ruled for over seven years from Hebron before moving to Jerusalem..  For proof, archaeologists have found artifacts dating to the era of our Patriarch Abraham that are 2,700 years old inscribed with the word "Hevron" in ancient Hebrew.  (the b and the v are the same letter using the bet/vet.)  Along with Jerusalem, Tiberias and Safed, it was one of the four sacred towns for Jews. 

By 1890 there were 1,500 Jews living there with yeshivot and religious schools.  The great Lithuanian yeshival of Slobodka was transferred there in 1925. 

In August 1929, Arabs rioted against Jews suddenly, killing 67 and wounding 70 in a Jewish population of  700.  Survivors were then exiled from the city by the British, of all people, who held the reins then for the League of Nations.  In 1931  30 Jewish families returned, but there were more Arab riots in 1936, and the Jews were exiled again. 

Jews entered their city again after the 1967 War when Israel won over many Arab countries that had attacked them.  At that time the population of Arabs had grown to 38,310.  Jews were not occupiers, they were returnees to their homes after forcible exile of 38 years.  1968 was the year Jews koshered a kitchen in the Park Hotel when Jews had their first Pesach in decades at home. 

Moshe Dayan, Minister of Defense, must have been thinking of his defense problems because he told his people to live in the Hebron militry compound which was several kilometers outside the center of the city.  It had originally been a British police station, hardly homelike.  It was either live there or leave entirely, as he could not defend them in Hebron at that time.  So they lived in there for 2 1/2 years until they created the suburb of Kiryat Arba. 

People kept trying to return to the 450 year old Jewish Quarter of Beit Hadassah, but had problems.  In 1979 with Menachem Begin, Prime Minister, 10 women and 40 children set up housekeeping in the basement of the old medical center of Beit Hadassah in the very middle of the city.  The next year 6 men were murdered outside Beit Hadassah.  Then they were given the green light of official Israeli recognition of being there as a Jewish community.  By 1988 there were 3,700 Jews in Kiryat Arba. 

Hebron now has 1,000 plus of almost 100 families with a yeshiva for 250 post-high school student.  They'd have more but there isn't any more apartments available.  Thousands of Jews have been coming there to visit each year.  People come from all over the world besides Israel.  The total population of Hebron is 163,146 and is under the control of Abbas of the Palestinian Authority.  75% are Muslim, 17% Jewish and 8% Christians and others making up Hebron.  Altogether, there are 350,000 Jews living in Judea-Samaria and 210,00 Jews living in East Jerusalem. 

Jordan messed things up for us by illegally occupying Judea with Hebron from 1948 to 1967, a total of 19 years,  keeping Jews out but allowing Arabs to propagate.  The UN is against Israel in saying that Jews living here again is an illegal settlement.  Jews say they are only 3% of Hebron's population.  The land is divided into two areas; H1 and H2.  H2 is 20% with H1 being 80% of the land.  To protect the 3%, Israel is defending  H1 where it lies. 

The mayor is an Arab, Mustepha Natsche.  He told visitors that Jews were not allowed to pray at Ma'arat Hamachpela, the 2nd holiest site to Jews in the whole world.  He went on to tell them that it is a mosque, and only Muslims are allowed to pray there.  They have now claimed a Jewish site as a mosque!  Jews and Christians cannot pray at the Tomb of the Patriarchs either, because it is not a church or a synagogue, but is a mosque, and again, only Muslims are allowed there. 

To top off this horror, Israel has put Hebron on its list of Heritage Sites with UNESCO, and the Palestinians are claiming it as Muslim, which UNESCO goes along with.  We're fighting two battles here; constant missiles and mortars from Gaza and now the lies about our teeny land just claimed for the Muslims through downright detestable lying.  We have a Russian roulette situation with missiles raining down on Southern Israel from Gaza but how do we fight people willing to believe such lies:  only with education and the hope that people will be willing to learn.  Denying our presence in this Holy Land and right to our Jewish Homeland has already been decided in 1948.  We shouldn't have to keep reiterating our history as proof that it is our homeland over and over again because of others who covet what is precious to us.  Actually, they don't really want these places; they just want to keep us away and out of the country completely.  Otherwise they would continue sharing, like Israel does with Jewish religious sites. 

Resource Arutz Sheva news@israelnationalnews.com by David Wilder, Hevron
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia; Hebron
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judea
http://www.hebron.com/english/article.php?id=632
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bank

Premature UNESCO Vote in Palestine While They War Against Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Children can't go to school today in Ashkelon and some of southern Israel's schools still lack bomb shelters, but that didn't stop the brain-dead UNESCO members from voting in Palestine, a state not yet created, from becoming a full-fledged member.  Now they are the 195th member of an already heavily populated Arab controlled group.  The vote was 107 for, 14 against with 52 abstentions. Some  voting against were The Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Romania and Lithuania. Bosnia was one who abstained.  They were among those knowing that this is wrong to do until the involved parties return to the negotiation table as requested by the UN Security Council.  . Netanyahu has asked repeatedly for Abbas to sit down and talk, but he has just snubbed the offer.  Hamas and Fatah figure this is a shortcut to getting into the UN, and they just won this round.  The United States and the other 13 countries feel that this is not right to allow 3rd parties or international groups  to make decisions to receive full membership without being a member of the UN already. 

Like Hitler said that he wouldn't invade Poland, Riad al-Malki, Foreign Minister of the "Palestinians"  praised the Paris meeting and said that this act will be the best step toward peace and stability and added that it wasn't linked to their request to join the United Nations at all.  How can he dare speak of peace when Hamas is raining missiles down on Israel and everyone at this meeting is fully aware of it?   The one good thing out of this is that the United States will not even pay this month's  22%  to their coffers and will no longer continue doing so.

The"Palestinians" now want UNESCO to recognize Hebron as a World Heritage Site which would take it out of Israel's hands.  Israel provides the protection for this holy site.  This includes the Tomb of the Patriarchs, a sacred place of much visiting of Jewish people. 

Hebron, called Kiriath-Arba in the Bible, is an ancient city of Judah, one of two ancient Jewish states.  It is 18 miles south of Jerusalem.  Abraham had boughtr a plot of land which had the Cave of Machpelah so that he could bury his wife, Sarah, there.  Today there is a Mosque on this site.  Joshua had assigned Hebron to Caleb and it became a levitical city and a city of refuge.  King David reigned there for 7 1/2 years before going to Jerusalem.  A Jewish community continued there and in 1890, there was a Jewish population of 1500 with yeshivot and religious schools.  In 1925 the great Lithuanian yeshival of Slobodka moved there.  However, 1929 was not only a bad year for the USA but there as well.  The Arabs had one giant pogrom and massacred many of the 700 Jews living there, scaring away survivors.  In 1931 30 Jewish families returned, but the Arabs kept slaughtering them.  After 1967 Jews returned, establishing the Kiryat Arba quarter east of the city.  In 1988 there were 3,700 Jews. 

There is no valid reason for changing the status of Hebron, except for the Palestinians to take something most dear away from the Jews.  Under Israel's  watchful eye, no one is kept from visiting the tomb unless they are carrying bombs.  They haven't been able to scare away Jews with their missiles, so this is just another way to stab them in the heart. 

Resource: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/world/middleeast/unesco-approves-full-membership-for-palestinians.html
Oregonian Newspaper Palestinians gain UNESCO entry; US funds end page A6
The Standard Jewish Encyclopedia: Hebron

Israel's Size Among Others

Nadene Goldfoot Hebron

Israel is one of the smallest nations on the face of the earth. It consists of 8,367 square miles. In comparison, Oregon, a state in the USA could hold 12 Israels. Oregon is 98,380 square miles in size. The Balfour Declaration had in mind that it would have been much larger, but we took what was finally offered. Every inch of Israel is precious. The rebirth of Israel meant 2,000 years of waiting. Such people as Nostradomas and Isaac Newton had prophesized its creation again, but most people paid no attention, except the very religious. This little state usually has more newspaper reporters stationed here than in any other place. Citizens must feel like "big brother" is watching them constantly for a slip-up of some sort.

Saudi Arabia could hold 90 Israels while Iran could hold 76. Yet the Muslim population, which makes up 25% of the population on earth, is demanding along with the Muslims in Gaza and Judea-Samaria and East Jerusalem, another Muslim state in these three places. Their state will have no Jews. Jews make up 0.2% of the world population, so we're outnumbered in our opinions, and the opinions of the world are not benefiting Israel.

We have 300,000 Jews living in Judea-Samaria and 200,000 Jews living in East Jerusalem, our capital which had been divided when Jordan held it before 1967. I feel the mistake the world made then was in not recognizing Jerusalem as our capital. They stood by and let all the Arab states attack little Israel and to all's surprise, Israel won the battle. That's when Jerusalem was opened to all religions and there was freedom. The city, the City of David, precious to Jews, finally came into our hands, and we're not about to let it go because the Palestinians covet it.

We still have Jews living in the town of Hebron in the hills of Judea, where Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried along with the rest of their family. It had become a town belonging to the tribe of Judah. What other towns or cities can claim a 4,000 year old period of living in it? Abraham lived here first and it is the oldest Jewish community.

Next door to Hebron is the Jewish community of Kiryat Arba which has 6,000 Jews. This was the original name of Hebron. Hebron's Jews suffered a slaughter in the riots of 1929, but have made a comeback since 1948.

Resource: http://www.lookisrael.com/files/justbig.php

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/hebron.html