Oh Jericho! Israel's Jordan Valley Importance to Annexation Now

Nadene Goldfoot
                                                       

Looking at the Jordan Valley, an agricultural area of Israel

    

The Jordan Valley is the name of the Jordan rift from its sources near Dan to the southern end of the Dead Sea.  It is also called in Hebew, Kikkar ha-Yarden.  In a more restricted sense, the name is applied to a  plain of the River Jordan, south of the Sea of Galilee to Naharayim, bounded on the West by the Lower Galilean hills.  

Its area is about 20 square miles and its climate is tropical.  The Jordan Valley is the cultivated area and is irrigated. A tourist, a grower from an American nursery,  visited "Jordan Valley during his trip and saw how they grow Bananas, Lemons, Pink Grapefruit, Avocados and Mangoes. All of these crops are watered by using drip tape to conserve water due to the scarcity of water in that area."   He toured some farms and saw how they grow Cauliflower, Winter Wheat, Onions, Carrots, Olives, Broccoli, and of course Strawberries.  It is a rural district with local self-government.  

The Rutenberg power station called Tel Or, now in disuse, is at Naharayim in the Jordan Valley.  
                                                        

Many Israelis are for this area being annexed by Israel. It's the country-side,
the farming land, the eastern Oregon area of potatoes and onions for 
Portland.  

The 1995 Oslo II Accords divided the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) into areas A, B and C. 
                                               

Roughly 90% of the Jordan Valley, constituting approximately 30% of Judea-Samaria, is in Area C and under Israel’s control. The city of Jericho and its surrounding villages are part of Area A, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority; Israeli citizens are not allowed to enter or build in this area..

Jericho is 825 feet below sea level and goes back 5,000 years to the Neolithic Period.  This city was destroyed by Joshua, the Jewish leader in the Exodus.  (Josh.6).  It was then revived during the reign of King Ahab of Israel in 870 BCE. The city was destroyed by the Romans in 68 CE.  Balsam groves are found in Jericho.  

It's surrounded by orange groves and banana plantations.  
Jericho had 3,000 population in 1946, a place where Arab refugees in 1948 came to and numbered 61,000 in 1961.  Most of the refugees fled over the Jordan River before Israel troops arrived during the Six- Day War.  Some 8,500 lived in Jericho and another 2,000 lived in its vicinity at the time of the 1967 census.  

It looks like Israel will lose Jericho to the Palestinians or maybe even Jordan. 
                                               

Yigal Allon (1918-1980), Labor Minister after the 6 Day War, Deputy Prime Minister in 1968,  wanted to annex the Jordan Valley feeling it was vital for security as a buffer zone.
He wanted a strip about 10-15 km wide along the Jordan Valley.  An Allon Road was paved and the first Jewish communities were built along the Road 90 and the Allon Road. 

Resource:
https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/05/22/poll-israelis-favor-sovereignty-in-jordan-valley-judea-and-samaria/
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-settlements-in-the-jordan-valley
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://www.lassencanyonnursery.com/agriculture-in-israel-and-jordan-valley/

Annexation of Judea--Samaria Land

Nadene Goldfoot                                           
 

Judea's Jewish KFAR ADUMIM, east of Jerusalem about 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the northeast of Jerusalem
Population: 4,513

                                2025 Population: 5,138

Kfar Adumim is a mixed religious-secular Israeli settlement in the Judah. It is located in the Judean Desert, on the southern bank of Wadi Qelt, about 2 miles northeast of the town Ma'ale Adumim. It is at 367 meters above sea levelThe international community considers Israeli towns in the Judea-Samaria illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.  Kfar Adumim was established in September 1979. Its first settlers were 10 families that had seceded previously from the group which founded Ma'ale Adumim and had been living in Mishor Adumim.
Oslo agreement was in 1995. 

 Ma'ale Adumim 4.3 miles from Jerusalem was first a Nahal village established by the IDF.  Nahal is a corps combining military training with farm work.  Its members become farmers when their service ends.  They were first military points like any other unit of the IDF. 

                                                                       
Three days before the last Israeli elections on April 6, Netanyahu made a speech about Judea and Samaria.  "I will not uproot a single settlement, and I will ensure that we’ll control all the area West of the Jordan river. Will we move to the next stage?   The answer is yes, we will move to the next stage—to the gradual extension of Israeli sovereignty in the areas of Judea and Samaria. I also do not distinguish between the settlement blocs and the lone settlements, every settlement like that is for me Israeli."  Netanyahu is a member of Likud, and they have stood with him on this ever since December 31, 2017.  They have a good majority in parliament.  
                                                             

Samaria is the top half, the northern part
Judea is the bottom half, the southern part

Judea and Samaria are divided into areas A,B, and C.  This annexation that is on the table only is applying to the section where Jews live.  A bi-national state is not what Israel wants to be nor was designed to be.  This has been the fear of many.  Area A since the Oslo decisions is not designated for the Jewish Israelis.  " Some right-wing politicians have also called for annexing all Area C lands—which represent most open land areas in the Judea- Samaria  and are sparsely populated by Palestinians.  
                                                   

Israel's highway connecting Judea-Samaria to Israel
in Area C. 

update: Area C is home to 300,000 Palestinians in 532 residential areas. It is also home to 389,250 Israelis, in 135 cities, towns and villages as well as 100 outposts unrecognized by the Israeli government. Area C forms a contiguous territory, administered via the Judea and Samaria Area administration.

    "Area C is the largest of the 3 areas, about 72to 74% of land, but the Jewish communities constitute a tiny fraction of area C.  Arabs, just like Jews in area C, must obtain permits in order to build residences.  "Arabs have been found building without permits, however.  Here is an example of what is happening.

"The illegal “building intifada” being waged by the Palestinian Authority on state lands in Area C of Judea and Samaria, (the West Bank), has become the latest battleground for the radical Left in conjunction with foreign-funded Israeli so called human rights NGO’s such as B’tselem and Bimkom.

This unlawful land theft is being carried out with the full support of the EU, foreign aid organizations and the UN."

Area A , about 18% of land, is home designed for the Arabs only; no Jews.  "Israeli citizens have the right to enter and pass through Area A unmolested, provided that they are not involved in illicit activity, in which case the PA can only temporarily apprehend them until they are transferred to the Israeli authorities. Joint Israeli-PA patrols were intended to handle these cases.

Area B is home "of less built-up areas, many of which shared their space with settlements created in the massive settlement drive in the 1980s launched by the Likud government. Area B comprises approximately 22% of Judea and Samaria.

In Area B, Israel and the PA share jurisdiction."

The Areas A and B were chosen in such a way as to just contain Palestinians, by drawing lines around Palestinian population centers at the time the Oslo Agreement was signed;

This plan has many problems.  Some will not be offered naturalization as a citizen and some will and both might live close to each other.  Oslo wasn't considering annexations.   Since Palestinians now living in A or B have been under the PA's Abbas, they are of the same mind pretty much as those in Gaza.   Israel " would exclude areas populated by Palestinians. This differs from the Golan Heights Law, which covered the whole geographic area of the Golan, including villages populated by Golan Druze (who held Syrian nationality)."  Israel is considering the 450,000 Jews living in Area C who want to be called Israelis and be under their protection.  

The Jewish Voice writers tell us that the USA is backing Israel if they annex any of Judea-Samaria as promised.  However,...there are always ifs-

However, the spokesperson did say that recognition would only be granted if Israel keeps its part of the deal, by holding talks with the Palestinians in accordance with measures set out by the deal of the century.

“The annexation would be in the context of an offer to the Palestinians to achieve statehood based upon specific terms, conditions, territorial dimensions, and generous economic support,” the spokesperson said.

I believe that Israel has been trying to do this ever since 1948.

Israel's long-time international law expert and  advocate on the subject of Judea-Samaria has been Professor Eugene Kontorovich who does live in Israel now.  Another international lawyer in Israel is :Professor Yuval Shany is the Hersch Lauterpacht Chair in International Law and former Dean of the Law Faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also currently serves as Vice President for Research at the Israel Democracy Institute, and as a member of the UN Human Rights Committee. Prof. Shany received his LL.B. cum laude from the Hebrew University, LL.M. from New York University and Ph.D. in international law from the University of London.
In early February of 2020, Kushner on Thursday said it will likely take “a couple of months” to complete work on detailed West Bank maps before Israel will be able to annex settlements and the Jordan Valley.
Update 5/31/2020: Response from Fatah is threatening. Posted text: “A statement from the Fatah Movement Jenin branch...

O heroic Palestinian people, our battle with this greedy and hateful occupier is growing and heating up. The hated Israeli occupation has crossed all the red lines and gone too far in its evil way and its Zionist expansion ideology, out of hostility towards humanity and the international conventions...
Therefore, in light of the blatant and insolent arrogance of the Zionist occupation, which has publicly targeted the Palestinian struggle (our prisoners and Martyrs) [parentheses in source], and targeted the land of our Palestinian state whose capital is Jerusalem by announcing its determination to annex parts of our Palestinian state’s land... a strong and moving Palestinian response has arrived from the Palestinian people’s leadership and His Honor [PA] President of the State of Palestine leader Mahmoud Abbas, who in a resounding voice declared the release from all the agreements with the occupation state and the American administration...
We hold the Israeli occupation and the current American administration fully responsible for the explosion in the situation in the Palestinian territories, and say to them that the Palestinian people will defend its land and its right with self-sacrifice... We will not allow any occupying power to expropriate our historical Palestinian right, and we will all mobilize to fight with the sword of justice against the dark forces of occupation, until the occupation is defeated and independence is achieved...
Our people will continue on the path of struggle, not out of love for death, but rather in order to create a life for our children and the coming Palestinian generations, so that they will live with dignity in the lap of their independent Palestinian state...
As Palestinian poet Abd Al-Rahim Mahmoud said:
‘I shall carry my soul in my palm and toss it into the abyss of destruction
And then either a life that will gladden friends, or a death that will enrage the enemies’ (see note below –Ed.).”

[Official Fatah Facebook page, May 20, 2020] 

Resource: https://www.lawfareblog.com/israels-new-plan-annex-west-bank-what-happens-next
http://www.jewishwikipedia.info/west_bank_areas_a_b_c.html
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/op-ed-contributors/illegal-arab-building-defies-supreme-court-ruling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lXwBxtojzY
http://thejewishvoice.com/2020/04/us-gives-israel-blessing-to-annex-parts-of-judea-samaria/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_C_(West_Bank)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kfar_Adumim
Updated: https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-peace-plan-rolls-out-netanyahu-says-he-will-annex-jordan-valley-settlements/ from 1/28/2020 on Trump's plan
https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/05/22/poll-israelis-favor-sovereignty-in-jordan-valley-judea-and-samaria/

Israeli Leadership Leading up to and During Six Day War

Nadene Goldfoot

                                                                   

President was Zalman Shazar b: 1889-d: 1974
He was president from April 23,1963 to March 26, 1968
Belarus, Russia born, died in Jerusalem. He visited Palestine in 1911 but returned to Russia to serve in the army. In 1924, after his release, he immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine, settling in Tel Aviv, and became a member of the secretariat of the Histadrut.

                                                                               

Levi Eshkol of Mapai was Israel's 3rd Prime Minister and was serving during the Six Day War that is so important in our history.  He served from December 22, 1964, came came into the position when David Ben Gurion resigned.  He remained until February 26, 1969 when he died of a heart attack in Jerusalem. 
Levi immigrated to Palestine in 1914 and remained, and worked in farming.  He became a founder in the Labor Party that has been to the left of politics.  He was also a founder of Histadrut and Haganah.  
                                                         
                                                          

Moshe Dayan b: 1915 in Degania, Palestine -d: 1981
Haganah member, founder of the Palmah, lost eye in 1941 when
soldier in British army serving in Lebanon.

Just before the Six Day War, he joined the government as minister of defense.
 A Sabra (born in Israel), soldier and statesman who led Israel to dramatic victories over its Arab neighbours and became a symbol of security to his countrymen. 

A deceptive calm had been going on for the past 10 years. 
The UN Emergency Force remained in its position between Egypt and Israel.
The Frontier with Egypt was so quiet.  Other spots had problems occasionally.
It was an illusory calm.
The Arabs had not lost their hostility and hatred for Israel.
Egypt was the chief instigator and were showing it in their speeches.
                                                                                 

                                      Gamal Abdul Nasser b: 1918-d: 1970
                                              2nd President of Egypt 
   He was  head of the Arab coalition against Israel which decreed the closing of the Straits of Tiran to Israel shipping.  During the Six Day War he started, he
lost his air force and much of his army and well as the entire Sinai peninsua, he was rapidly defeated.  Russians supported him and he rearmed his forces rapidly. 
                                                             
"WE BELIEVE THAT THE EVIL WHICH WAS PLACED IN THE HEART OF THE ARAB WORLD SHOULD BE ERADICATED."Letter to King Hussein, from Naser, March 13, 1961

"THE PROSPECTS ARE FOR WAR WITH ISRAEL.  IT IS WE WHO WILL DICTATE THE TIME.  IT IS WE WH WILL DICTATE THE PLACE." Speech from Cairo, February 24, 1964.

"THE ARAB NATIONAL AIM IS THE ELIMINATION OF ISRAEL."Nasser's published statement with President Aref of Iraq on May 25, 1965.

Johnson was president from 1963 to 1969.
He was a Democrat from Texas
b: August 27, 1908-d: January 22, 1973

During his period Eshkol annulled military rule over Arabs.  President Lyndon Baines Johnson invited him to the White House, a first for Israel and the USA.    

"The special relationship he developed with President Lyndon Johnson would prove pivotal in securing US political and military support for Israel during the "Waiting period" preceding the Six-Day War of June 5, 1967.

The waiting period (Hebrew: תקופת ההמתנה‎,Tkufat HaHamtana) was a 3-week interval in the history of Israel, May 15 – June 5, 1967, between the Egyptian crossing of the Suez Canal into the Sinai Peninsula and the outbreak of the Six-Day War.

According to Michael Oren, Eshkol's intransigence (refusal to change his mind) in the face of military pressure to launch an Israeli attack is considered to have been instrumental in increasing Israel's strategic advantage as well as obtaining international legitimacy, yet at the time he was perceived as hesitant, an image cemented following a stuttered radio speech on 28 May. 

 The Egyptian President Nasser's ever more overt provocations, created diplomatic support for Israel. Eshkol eventually established a National Unity Government together with Menachem Begin's Herut party, conceding the Defense portfolio to Moshe Dayan."

Yes, Israel waited for 3 weeks, from May 15 for international action of UN to stop the escalation and remove the threat that had amassed in its borders.  The was Syria, Egypt and the Soviet Union who had spread false reports of concentrations of Israeli forces on the Syrian frontier.  They ignored the on the spot reports by the UN that no such concentrations existed.  

These false reports were used by Egypt as a pretext for concentrating the bulk of its army in Sinai;  90,000 men and 900 tanks.  

Egypt then demanded that the UN Emergency Force withdraw and stop serving as a barrier between Egypt and Israel.  The UN left the scene.   

Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to all navigation to Israel and called for war.

Egypt led the Arab States in forming a war pact against Israel. The armies of Jordan, Iraq and Syria began to concentrate their forces along the frontiers with Israel.  The Jordanian Army was put under the command of an Egyptian officer.  

Arab leaders said publicly their intention was to destroy Israel.  

"THE ARAB PEOPLE WANTS TO FIGHT.   WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THE RIGHT DAY WHEN WE WOULD BE FULLY PREPARED...RECENTLY, WE HAVE FELT STRONG ENOUGH TO TRIUMPH  WITH GOD'S HELP, IF WE ENTER INTO BATTLE WITH ISRAEL.  ON THAT BASIS, WE HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE THE ACTUAL MEASURES.  TAKING THIS STEP MAKES IT IMPERATIVE THAT WE BE READY TO EMBARK ON A TOTAL WAR WITH ISRAEL. " Nasser speech, May 26, 1967.

                                                     

Our soldiers seeing wall in Jerusalem, first for them

The miracle happened.  Israel destroyed the armies that had massed along its frontiers and menaced its vital centers.  Cease-fire lines were established along the Suez Canal, the Jordan River and the Golan Heights.  The Straits of Tiran were once again open to navigation.  Jerusalem was then re-united as it had been a divided city.  This enabled Jews for the first time to enter Jerusalem and pray at the Kotel (Wall).  Israelis had been kept out ever since 1948-19 years! 

Unfortunately, it was that after trying to eradicate Israel since 

1947-49, and 1956, and the 1967 and losing all three major wars, the Arabs did not take this well.  They met in Khartoum, Africa and came up with their 3 no's saying that they would never ever make peace with Israel.  

. 

Resource:
facts about Israel published 1973, by Ministery for foreign affairs, Jerusalem
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_Israel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalman_Shazar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Israel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Eshkol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting_period_(Six-Day_War)
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Moshe-Dayan

Who Lives in Judea and Samaria Today?

Nadene Goldfoot                         

Jewish Cities, Towns and Villages

                in Judea-Samaria  

Israel won the Six Day War in 1967, a war started by the aggression of surrounding Arab nations.  Chances of winning were nil so it was a miracle that they did.  Since then 53 years have gone by.  
Today there are in Judea and Samaria almost 200 cities, towns and a few villages that are populated by Jews; Jew who do care about their history, as this is the most historic area in Jewish history.  There are cities with the population of over 73,000 to villages of 150 population in Judea and Samaria.  These are lumped together by foreigners who call them all "settlements".  People don't realize the closeness that is going on in teeny Israel.  For instance, a "settlement" may exist only a few miles away from Jerusalem.  
                                              

        Update: 5/21/20 Area A:  Area A is the space in which the PA has political and military jurisdiction over its residents – all of whom are Arab.

This includes all of the major towns and their immediate environs – with the partial exception of Jewish Hebron, which came under exclusive Israeli control in the 1997 Hebron protocol between Israel and the PLO. This area comprises approximately 18 percent of Judea and Samaria’s land mass.

Area B:  In Area B, Israel and the PA share jurisdiction.
                                               

Judea and Samaria's Area CArea C, controlled by Israel under Oslo Accords, in blue and redMOST OF geographic Judea and Samaria (60% of the area) is designated Area C, over which Israel has exclusive jurisdiction both administratively and in security matters.

Area C’s distinguishing characteristic is that it was sparsely populated – by Arab or Jewish inhabitants.

It's interesting the the some towns Arabs are living in have history as Jewish towns.  "One-quarter of the 584 Arab localities in Israel and beyond the Green Line have ancient Biblical names. For example, Sakhnin was a Jewish town during the Talmudic era, and Beit Lehem is the Hebrew name for the biblical city of Bethlehem."  Homes have been found to still bear very old Hebrew inscriptions on them.  

Most Arabs are as new in Israel as many of the Jews were for as researcher/journalist Joan Peters explained, came in following Jewish immigrants from surrounding areas to obtain jobs in building.  They were allowed to enter the country by the British who prevented Jewish immigration at the same time.  

The name Judea, when used in Judea and Samaria, refers to all of the region south of Jerusalem, including Gush Etzion and Har Hebron. The region of Samaria, on the other hand, refers to the area north of Jerusalem. East Jerusalem has been incorporated into the Jerusalem District and is under Israeli civilian rule, and is thus excluded from the administrative structure of the Judea and Samaria Area. 
Jerusalem is now a united city, no longer divided.
                                           

                     Yellow area is Israel includes all of Jerusalem
                      Red Stripes-Area C most likely
                      http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/227750
          West Bank is not just land along the Jordan River but the whole mountain range of Judea and Samaria.  It is simply the appetizer if taken over for the dinner of the USA if attacked by enemies.  Comment by Mark Langfan.  

Almost 450,000 Jews live in Judea and Samaria today. That's close to Portland, Oregon's population in 1990.  
There are about 2.5--2.7 million Arabs living there as well,
about the same population as Toronto, Canada was in 2016.  
The state of Israel now has a little over 6 million Jews and over 2 million Arabs, all who can vote.  Total as of today is
8,655,535.   

Israel's land size is 8,550 sq. miles
Judea-Samaria's land size is 2,270 miles.  
                  Total size:  10,820 sq. miles
Total size of Portland, Oregon is 145 sq. miles
Total size of Toronto, Canada is 243.3 sq miles

Israel was once compared to New Jersey's 7,439 sq miles, but Massachusetts might be as close with a listed 7,838 sq. miles.  Are they including the Dead Sea in Israel's measurements?  

"As we have made consistently clear, we are prepared to recognize Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty and the application of Israeli law to areas of the West Bank that the vision foresees as being part of the State of Israel," US State Department spokesperson says.
  
Resource:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Israeli_settlements
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/05/19/israel-west-bank-annexation-reshaping-middle-east/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-52680096
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israels-netanyahu-armed-with-a-new-mandate-sets-his-sights-on-west-bank-annexation/2020/05/12/1b363612-938c-11ea-87a3-22d324235636_story.html
https://www.timesofisrael.com/saudi-arabia-condemns-israeli-plans-for-annexation-in-west-bank/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/opinion/contributors/annexing-west-bank-israel-palestinians.html
https://apnews.com/48a4df69f8735ef54fdf356cd004ce1f
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3085463/china-voices-concern-over-israels-west-bank-annexation-plan

https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/04/28/report-us-prepared-to-recognize-israeli-annexation-of-judea-and-samaria/
https://www.jpost.com/blogs/the-zionist-advocate/occupied-territories-hebrew-origins-of-palestinian-arab-towns-in-judea-samaria-478675
https://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-true-legal-facts-on-green-line-near.html
https://www.jpost.com/magazine/knowing-your-abc-448963
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/arabs-outnumber-jews-israel-occupied-territories-official-180326181707023.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_Palestinian_territories
https://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2010/12/israel-judeasamaria-west-bank-and-gaza.html  in 2010

Judea-Samaria's History Held in Jeopardy Today

Nadene Goldfoot     
                                                        1205-1050 BCE
                                               from the Book of Joshua                     

Judah had a population of 76,500
     Dan had 64,400
                             Issachar had 64,309 (Mt Tabor to Jordan)
                         Zebulun had 60,500 (Valley of Jezreel)
   Asher had 53,400
Manasseh had 52,700
Benjamin had 45,600
Naphtali had 45,400
Reuben had 43,730
    Gad had 40,500
                 Ephraim had 32,500 (hill country)
Simeon had 22,200

At the end of the Exodus with Moses in 1271 BCE, Joshua helped the 600,000+ population of 12 tribes to settle in the land they had walked and rode  for 40 years to settle in;  Canaan.  This was land they had left during a terrible famine for Egypt.   They were given explicit directions and instructions from G-d about this according to our Torah of who would settle where.  
                                                         

The tribe of Judah, the largest and the one we Jews are from, was given the southern portion of land.  Each tribe had their name for their section.  All 12 tribes together created Israel.  Hebron is in Judah, 18 miles south of Jerusalem.
Abraham had bought the land holding the Cave of Machpelah so he could have a place to bury his wife/niece, Sarah.  Today a mosque stands on the site and the Arabs have taken over the city. 
It looks like Jerusalem was actually in Benjamin which was the northern tip of Judah.   
                                                           

When King Solomon died in 920 BCE, a Civil War ensued between the North and the South, and the Temple, which was in Judah, was the most important to the people of Judah.  We were soon to see that the tribe of Judah was the final tribe left after Assyrians  had their way with Israel.  Israel lasted for 351 years before leaving Judah.  

Then the Babylonians took Judeans away forcefully to Babylonia where they lived in 597 BCE and again in 586 BCE, large numbers were deported.  This was 323 years later from the death of Solomon.  Judeans had lived in their own land of Judah for 685 years.  This is as if Americans from 1776 could continue on their land until the year 2461.  

 Luckily, most returned when King Darius allowed them with the admonishment of telling them to rebuild their temple, and they did!  Not all returned, however after this interlude of time.  There's always those who couldn't or wouldn't return and settled into the ways of Babylonians gladly.  
They had only been gone either 48 to 59 years, about 2 generations from the kidnapping.  

Romans came along and occupied Judah in 63 BCE  , then they burned Jerusalem and the Temple down in 70 CE, killing and taking people as slaves for markets to be slaughtered in their circuses with lions, or fodder for the army, etc.  The Romans took the land and gold from the Temple and changed the name to Judea.  Jews had lived in Judah up till this for the past 1,341 years. Jews almost got it back permanently but it lasted only for 4 years when General Bar Kokhba fought for Jerusalem's return in 132-135, with Romans winning.  They then renamed it as Palaestina after the worst enemy Israel and Judah had had, the Philistines.  Romans had been rebuilding Jerusalem as a Roman Colony and they had prohibited the act of circumcision on Jews.  This was 62 years after the burning of Jerusalem.  

Judea.  The Roman Stamp.  Again, not all Jews were dragged away or even escaped.  Some remained in hiding in their land that was full of hiding places.  They stayed until this very day.  True children of Judah.  Oh, but the geneticists would love to test them!  

We must remember that Abram-Abraham, born in the 2nd millennium BCE or about 1948 BCE,  had entered Canaan from the East around the Euphrates River area.  He had come with his father, Terah,  in a group of people.  His birthplace had been the city of Ur of the Chaldees and when they came they put up their tents in a land already populated by Canaanites and Philistines.  Ur is actually an ancient Babylonian city.  The city was highly civilized in Abram's time and showed archaeologists evidence of an extensive flood at an earlier date.  So these people were really roughing it in their trek to come across the land of Canaan and put up tents.  One wonders what forced them out of Ur?  Abram visited Egypt and then returned to live in Hebron.  Abraham's Y haplogroup (male line) is J1) since Moses and his brother Aaron through Aaron carry this Cohen haplogroup.  It's also shared with many Arabs, proving our history of being cousins.    

Jews who came again in a needed time of return to Eretz came from Eastern Europe and Russia via the Sea and they built Tel Aviv in 1909. Tel Aviv, the Hill of Spring, was the title of the Hebrew translation of Herzl's novel, Altneuland.  They were able to live in places according to the rules of the Ottoman Empire in the 1880s and onward.  That's why they didn't get to settle back into Judea and Samaria easily.  

Judea and Samaria.  What is Samaria?  Where is Samaria?  

Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel after Solomon's death when they had lost the use of Jerusalem as their capital.  It was founded in about 880 BCE by the then king Omri on a hill bought from Shemer as told in detail in Kings 16:24.  The site was 7 miles NW of Shechem (today's Nablus) and was on an isolated elevation dominating a wide countryside.  The city was on 25 acres.   It fell in  721 BCE to Sargon II of Assyria who resettled it with Cutheans who intermingled with the remnants of the former Israelite population.  "The Cuthites were a people living in Samaria around 500 BCE, and were to blame for the postponing of the 2nd temple, in the reign of Cyrus the Great. They did this after the Jewish people returned from Babylonian exile, and first agreed to help them, but after the Jews refused, they lied to king Cyrus who postponed the building process."

The name, Samaria, also includes  the entire northern region of the central highlands of Palestine.  
                                                           

We come to the end of World War I when the Allies promise Jews a Jewish Homeland out of the area known as Palestine/first known as Palestinian Syria.  Palestine was only a piece of land, not a country belonging to anyone except at that moment, the Ottoman Empire who also just owned it for collecting taxes.  It was part of their empire, named by the Romans in their anger. Their intention was to minimize the Jewish association with the area.   The Allies won over the Axis which included the Ottoman Empire and gave a 30 year mandate to Britain to keep order.  Within a short time, this was sliced apart with a huge chunk given away by Britain to a prince of Saudi Arabia who created Trans-Jordan, that became Jordan.  Britain happens to be the Muslim country's greatest trader.  Whether it's that or oil, Britain was not about to be their enemy.  They had fought against the German invaders of gaining the Middle East even though the Ottoman Empire was on Germany's side.

Jordan's land given them by Britain was annexed by them in 1950. This annexation was considered illegal and was recognized only by Britain, Iraq and Pakistan.

Israel was in  a war started by its Muslim neighbors in 1967 which Israel won, so they occupied Judea and Samaria, called the West Bank as it was on the West side of the Jordan River, a border-line.  Jordan called it the "West Bank" in order to minimize the Jewish memories of ownership.  
                                                          

Israel's piece is the pale yellow color which includes parts
of Jerusalem.  How terrible to cut a city in parts east and west.
Today it is a whole city as it should be.  Arabs were not  moved.
Notice that Israel got the Negev Desert.  Boy!  

"The Oslo Accords, signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, created administrative districts with varying levels of Palestinian autonomy within each area. Area C, in which Israel maintained complete civil and security control, accounts for over 60% of the territory of the West Bank.

Abbas of the PA has said that their Palestine will have absolutely no Jews in it.  Judea and Samaria has Jews now living there.  They will be kicked out.  There are 3 areas making up the land according to the Oslo agreements;  A, B, and C.  This would all be discounted.  As a state, they would be receiving weapons.  Gaza does, but illegally so.  So the world is expecting Israel to be attacked not only from Gaza but right next door-even from Jerusalem's east, to be attacked.  

                                                         

Jerusalem, center of 3 religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam
with Jordan given rights on Temple Mount
Who suffers?  Jewish worshippers who aren't allowed near Muslim sites-
not even allowed to be seen moving lips.
Perhaps they can during Coronavirus days wearing masks? 

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has a land area of 5,640 km² plus a water area of 220 km², consisting of the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea.  As of July 2017 it has an estimated population of 2,747,943 Palestinians, and approximately 391,000 Israeli settlers, and approximately another 201,200 Israeli settlers in East Jerusalem. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this."  Professor Kontorovich defends Israel's interpretation as he is an inter-
national law expert.  

" The International Court of Justice advisory ruling (2004) concluded that events that came after the 1967 occupation of the West Bank by Israel, including the Jerusalem Law, Israel's peace treaty with Jordan and the Oslo Accords, did not change the status of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) as occupied territory with Israel as the occupying power."  Logic makes this impossible, but one finds such courts always siding 

against the Jewish State.  

UPdate-5/21/20 From Kontorovich: " Today, the prevalent approach is that even though the land did not belong to Jordan, it was “Jordanian enough,” and therefore the laws of occupation and the Geneva Convention apply to it. "

"This is nonsense, because even if we assumed this was correct, the Geneva Convention no longer applies when there is a peace treaty, and there has been a peace treaty with Jordan since 1994. It has to be either one or the other: Either it belonged to Israel all the time and Israel liberated its own territory in 1967, and you can’t occupy your own territory. Alternatively, it was “Jordanian enough” in 1967 for the laws of occupation to apply. In that case, the peace treaty with Jordan nullified the Geneva Convention. The Oslo Accords even took it a step further and granted local self-government." 

Right now Israel has on their table, laying there since the end of the 1967 War 

which they won, the annexation of Judea-Samaria.  Jordan is in an uproar.  Iran

is threatening destruction of Israel.  The decision may come soon.  

What is happening?

"On 16 September 2019, in an interview with Israeli Army Radio, Netanyahu said "I intend to extend sovereignty on all the settlements and the (settlement) blocs," including "sites that have security importance or are important to Israel’s heritage," including the settlements in Hebron.

The application of Israeli law in the West Bank settlements has been described by commentators as "creeping annexation."

Update 5/20/20: To annex or not, that is the $64 question with so many American Jews against it.  Wouldn't it be fair to say that only Netanyahu's government has the obligation to decide such a decision?  We can put forth our opinion, but in the end, it is their right to decide.  I remember that Truman wanted to recognize Israel and all his men advised against it, but he did it anyway.  It was the best decision for the Jews of Palestine, even the ones living in the United States, and not bad at all for the USA.  Israel's big brother has benefited.  This annexation of Judea and Samaria is looked upon by the Israeli government as them being 53 years in arrears for the act.  It should have been done at the end of 1967's War.  They've given the Arabs every chance to be peaceful people, but it hasn't happened.  It hasn't yet.  

Update: 5/20/20:  "During the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured East Jerusalem, a part of the West Bank, from Jordan. It has remained occupied until the present day. On June 27, 1967, Israel unilaterally extended its law and jurisdiction to East Jerusalem and some of the surrounding area, incorporating about 70 square kilometers of territory into the Jerusalem Municipality. Although at the time Israel informed the United Nations that its measures constituted administrative and municipal integration rather than annexation, later rulings by the Israeli Supreme Court indicated that East Jerusalem had become part of Israel. In 1980, Israel passed the Jerusalem Law as part of its Basic Law, which declared Jerusalem the "complete and united" capital of Israel. In other words, Israel purported to annex East Jerusalem. The annexation was declared null and void by UNSC Resolutions 252, 267, 271, 298, 465, 476 and 478.

Israel and the territories Israel occupied in the Six-Day War.

Jewish neighborhoods have since been built in East Jerusalem, and Israeli Jews have since also settled in Arab neighborhoods there, though some Jews may have returned from their 1948 expulsion after the Battle for Jerusalem. Only Costa Rica recognized Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem, and those countries who maintained embassies in Israel did not move them to Jerusalem. The United States Congress has passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which recognizes Jerusalem as the united capital of Israel and requires the relocation of the U.S. embassy there, but the bill has been waived by presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama on national security grounds. President Trump has begun the controversial process of moving the United States embassy to Jerusalem, but has not recognized the annexation of East Jerusalem."

"Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas ends security agreement with Israel and US"                           

Rockets shot from Gaza

    I haven't seen any security from Gaza at all which is in cahoots with Abbas.  Gaza is the PA's strongarm.  They have constantly been shooting mortars, missiles and rockets at Israel.  

"Declaration follows the creation of a new Israeli government which is officially contemplating annexation of some areas of the West Bank."  

Israel is made up of over 20% of Arabs who have equal rights with Jewish Israeli citizens.  

Gaza is ruled over by Arabs for their Arabs.  They swore to not have peace at the Khartoum Conference after 1967's loss in the war.  Israel had first cleared all their own Jewish citizens out of Gaza in order to give them more room, which was very hard on their citizens for sure!  They had to leave businesses that the Gazans destroyed.  
                                             

Being nice only got Israel snipers and bombers, people fighting with fire in kites, Tunneling to kidnap Jews better, every sort of hateful act.  And the world continues to harp on having a Palestinian State on Judah's remains, a sliver of land that the Jews finally held in their hands of the pie they were promised.  80% of their land had first gone to Jordan!  They were left with 20% now being harped up as sliced to make Palestine-leaving what?  10% of the original piece?  

Resource: 
https://jcpa.org/why-israeli-rule-in-the-west-bank-is-legal-under-international-law/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bank
The New Standard jewish Encyclopedia
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/20/palestinian-leader-mahmoud-abbas-ends-security-agreement-with-israel-and-us
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_Israeli_annexation_of_the_West_Bank
https://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-true-legal-facts-on-green-line-near.html
Tanakh, Stone Edition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation
Update: 5/21/20: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/FMfcgxwHNVzMTxVwhKzcJSWkwWkXzbrR-Victor Sharpe Essay