Observations of an Irishman: Concise and factual 4000 years of Israeli history

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” --- Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

This is a famous quote that perfectly sums up our world right now and especially the Middle East. Thousands of Palestinians have recently started a new protest along the borders with Israel. For the next six weeks, you are going to hear the same old phony narrative by the media, by the politicians and even certain religious leaders.

This narrative will promote every Palestinian as the victim of evil Israeli aggression and as a modern-day freedom fighter. You will either rarely hear about Hamas, or you will not hear about how they are a terrorist organization.

We are living in a world where we love to say "never again." How we love to think that Nazi Germany and a Holocaust could never happen. The truth is we have people on BOTH sides of politics who are anti-Semitic, who not only HATE Israel but will actively spread lies about Israel being evil and Palestine being good. To help counter this narrative, I wanted to share a brief history of Israel that goes back over 4000 years.

(NOTE: This article is NOT MY OPINION on Israel. IT IS FACTS and FIGURES, which you can research for yourself. Words in CAPS are key issues to this day and are highlighted to show how much history surrounds them.)

2000 BC: The first Jewish tribes and kingdoms settle in Israel.

1000 BC: King David unites all the Jewish tribes in a single Kingdom of Israel with Jerusalem as the capital. Around this time, King Solomon builds the first temple on the TEMPLE MOUNT.

930 BC: Israel splits into two kingdoms called Israel (north) and Judah (south).

586 BC: The Babylonian Empire conquers Judah, destroys the first temple and most Jews are expelled to Babylon for 70 years (Babylon is modern-day Iraq).

515 BC: Jews return from exile and seek to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem which is called the Second Temple.

330 BC: Alexander the Great (Greek Empire) attacks and conquers Judah. For the next 200 years, Greek and Syrian kings rule Judah.

140 BC: The Jews fight back and finally win independence. They form the Kingdom of Judea which is ruled by the Maccabean Kings.

62 BC: The Roman Empire attacks Judea and it loses its independence to the Romans.

A famous Jew named Jesus Christ is born in Bethlehem. He is eventually arrested, condemned to death and crucified by the Romans.

66 AD: Israel fights for independence.

70 AD: Romans invade Jerusalem and destroy the second temple.

73 AD: Jewish resistance starts in Masada and they succeed for a period, however, it is captured by the Romans after three years.

132 AD: This is the start of the second war of independence, also known as the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Initially, they are successful and have several victories, which lead to an independent Jewish State. It only lasts a couple of years as the Romans return and destroy the independence. The result of this defeat is many Jews are spread all over Europe and Africa, creating the Jewish Diaspora. Hadrian, who was the Roman Emperor, changes the name of Israel to PALESTINA, which is named after the Philistines long-time enemies of the Jewish people.

310 AD: The Byzantine Christian Empire begins to rule over Palestina. Christians start to refer to this area as the HOLY LAND.

600 AD: Around this time period, very few if any Arabs live in Palestina.

620 AD: Muhammad, an Arab tribal leader, is the founder of the religion of Islam in Saudi Arabia.

638 AD: Muslim armies invade and capture Jerusalem and all of Palestina. They rule for roughly the next 330 years. During this period, they build the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.

1100 AD: Muslims rob and kill Christian pilgrims in Palestina. Christians launch the first of four Christian Crusades with the aim of freeing the Holy Land. When they arrive in Jerusalem, they kill all the Muslim and Jewish inhabitants and rule for around 200 years.

1300 AD: Muslim Mameluks come from Egypt to Palestina and defeat the Crusade. After the defeat, most of the area we know as Palestina and Israel becomes depopulated and abandoned. There are small pockets of clans in some areas, but nothing compared to the past history.

1514 AD: The Ottoman Empire (Turkey today) invades and conquers Palestina and rules for roughly 400 years. There are pockets of Jewish settlements in some areas and they live in relative peace. They are allowed to live, follow their Jewish faith and customs, but they are second-class subjects under Islamic Law. Over the next 250 years, Jews start to return to Palestina in small numbers and they mainly return to Jerusalem, Safed, Hebron and Tiberias.

1864: A British Embassy census shows over 50 percent of the population in Jerusalem is Jewish.

1916: The SYKES-PICOT AGREEMENT, which would later play a larger role in the issues within the Middle East and would be opposed by groups like ISIS, is established between England and France. This agreement is responsible for the boundary lines in the Middle East that we are familiar with today.

1917: The BALFOUR DECLARATION is made by Britain to establish a home for Jews in Palestine when the Turks are defeated.

1918: Britain assumes control of Palestine. You may have heard it called British Mandated Palestine in the past.

1920: In April 1920 at the San Remo Conference, both Britain and France confirm the Balfour Declaration.

1922: 51 countries from the LEAGUE OF NATIONS (which preceded the UN) vote to confirm British rule in Palestine and for Britain to take steps to set up a Jewish home there to encourage and facilitate Jewish immigration. That September, Britain allocates over 75 percent of the land an Arab state called Transjordan (modern-day Jordan) with no Jewish settlement allowed. The remaining 20 percent or so of the land west of the River Jordan is given to Israel. That land is made up of Israel and Judea / Samaria or --- as you may know it today --- the WEST BANK.

1920s: After this declaration, many Arabs sought to live in peace with the Jews. Some groups were not happy, however, and became militant --- attacking Jewish settlements and murdering several hundred people.

1920s - 1930s: Europe sees a rise in anti-Semitic behaviour in places like Russia and Ukraine. The result of this is many thousands of European Jews escape and arrive in Palestine.

1933: Hitler takes power in Germany.

1937: Around 1937, Jews are roughly one third of the population in Palestine.

1941 - 1945: Over 6 million Jews are murdered in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany. During this period, one “World Leader” met with Hitler to not only express support but planned on bringing the Holocaust to Palestine to further exterminate the Jews. That leader was Haj Amin al-Husseini who was the Palestinian Arab leader.

1948: On May 1948, Israel is declared an independent Democratic Jewish State. The very next day, it is attacked by armies of five Arab nations. Despite the long odds (with only a small army that had just formed, and very few arms) the IDF wins.

1964: The Arab League Summit is held in Cairo and witnesses the creation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) with the stated goals of liberating Palestine and wiping out Israel through armed struggle. That May, Egypt closes the Straits of Tiran as Egypt, Jordan and Syria plan an attack on Israel for the start of June. Israel decides to make a pre-emptive strike and wins in what we call the SIX DAY WAR. After this win, Israel takes control of the Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula and Judea / Samaria (West Bank). In September, Israel makes history by offering its first (of many) “LAND FOR PEACE” deals where Israel would return the lands it won in the Six Day War in return for a promise of peace. At the conference, Arab leaders unite and not only refuse the deal, but they say NO to peace, won’t have any negotiations with Israel and won’t even recognize them.

1973: If you know anything about the Jewish faith, you know Yom Kippur is a very sacred day. On this holy day in 1973, both Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack on Israel. Over 18 days of fighting and thousands of innocent casualties, Israel defeats Egypt and Syria.

1977: The Egyptian President Anwar Sadat gives a speech to the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) in Jerusalem.

1979: HISTORY is made as Egypt signs a peace treaty with Israel. The terms of the treaty are that Israel returns the Sinai Peninsula (won in the Six Day War), dismantles its settlements and hands over both oil rights and tourist resorts. Egypt agrees not to attack Israel again.

1987: The FIRST INTIFADA is an uprising by Palestinian groups against Israel-controlled lands.

1988: HAMAS, which is an Islamic terrorist organization, is founded. In its charter, it states “that Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors.”

1994: HISTORY is made for a second time as Jordan signs a peace treaty with Israel.

1995: Israel tries to negotiate another “land for peace” deal, this time with the PLO. Sadly, Hamas continues its terrorism and suicide bombings in the area, killing many Israelis.

2000: Israel offers yet another “land for peace” deal to the Palestinian leadership. Not only is this offer rejected, but terrorism goes to new lows and a SECOND INTIFADA starts.

2005: In a move seeking peace in the area, Israel agrees to remove all its troops from Gaza. Instead of peace, HAMAS takes over the area and uses it as a base to launch rocket attacks against innocent civilians. To date over 12,000 rockets have been fired.

2007: President George W. Bush is joined by both President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Yet another “land for peace” deal is rejected by the Palestinians.

2010: Israel offers to renew the moratorium of ceasing to build in settlement area in exchange for Palestinian Authority recognition of Israel as the homeland for the Jewish people. This is also rejected by the Palestinians.

Conclusion

In closing, I would ask you to consider several questions:

If Israel is the evil terrorist nation in the Middle East, why is it they have witnessed decades of peace with both Jordan and Egypt after signing peace treaties?

If Israel and the Jews are greedy, power-hungry people, why have they returned the land they obtained through war in return for nothing more than a promise of peace?

Where are the concessions made by Palestine?

Look at the history of concessions made by Israel to its Arab neighbors. Can you list the concessions made by other nations? Where are the concessions made by Palestine? Would you make as many concessions when a percentage of those neighbors not only doesn't recognize you but actively seeks to kill you?

Today, members of media and politicians love to defend minorities. Have you considered the difference in how such groups would be treated under Islamic rule?

Lastly, consider the outcome of two scenarios. Scenario one is you wake up tomorrow to the news Israel has decided to give up and put down all of their weapons --- what would happen?

The second is you wake up tomorrow and the Arab world has decided to give up and put down all of their weapons --- what would happen?

Think about it.

Jonathon Dunne is an Irishman with a lifelong dream of becoming an American citizen. After waiting for over 13 years, Dunne received a job offer from Glenn Beck so he could achieve his dream, but unfortunately, he did not meet the requirements to apply for a visa. Unless laws change or Dunne decides to break the law (he won't), his American dream is dead. Despite this setback, he still loves America and seeks to be a positive influence on society by promoting the idea of America and God-given freedoms. Tune into Dunne's free weekly podcast, "Freedom's Disciple," on TheBlaze Radio, available on SoundCloud, iTunes, iHeart Radio, Google Play and Stitcher.

Who is Pam Bondi, Trump's new AG pick?

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With Matt Gaetz out of the picture, President Trump has already named former Florida AG Pam Bondi as his latest pick as his US Attorney General.

As US Attorney General, Bondi will be placed at the head of the Department of Justice, the most crucial role in Trump's plans to root out the deep state. As Glenn discussed on his radio show, the Biden White House has weaponized the Department of Justice, against President Trump in an attempt to thwart his 2024 re-election. The Department of Justice is crooked to the core, and it will take a herculean effort to bring enduring reform to this pivotal government agency.

Does Pam Bondi have what it takes to lead the Department of Justice? What does her resume look like? Does she have any skeletons in the closet that the Democrats could use against her? Here's everything you need to know about Pam Bondi below:

Bondi's Resume

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Bondi started her career as a prosecutor working for the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office where she handled countless cases that ranged from domestic violence to murder. In 2010 Bondi made history by becoming Florida's first female attorney general. She spent her time in office fighting back against Florida's opioid crisis and openly challenged Obamacare.

Bondi worked with the first Trump administration, using her experience fighting the opioid crisis in Trump's Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission. After Trump was impeached for the first time, Bondi joined the team of defense lawyers fighting back against the prosecution's allegations.

Bondi has spent the last four years working for a Florida-based lobbying firm, but she still showed support for President Trump by making appearances alongside him during the New York City hush money trial.

Bondi's Dedication to fix the DoJ

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Judging by her track record and the testimony of her colleagues, Bondi is more than capable of tackling the Department of Justice. Bondi has a record of following and enforcing the rule of law and has spent much of her career making communities safer. Bondi has firsthand experience with political elitists and corruption, having worked at nearly every level of the government from the bottom to the top.

Bondi stood by Trump as he faced impeachment and stayed by his side as he faced waves of lawfare after 2020. It's clear that Bondi has great respect for President Trump and is deeply familiar with the weaponization of the Department of Justice. It seems like she has what it takes to fix the system.

Bondi's Potential Controversies

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The Mainstream Media wasted no time digging up dirt on Bondi, looking for anything that might stand between her and a Senate confirmation.

The biggest story circulating the media involves a 2013 case about "Trump University," a now-defunct company that offered courses in real estate, entrepreneurship, and other similar courses. In 2013, the New York Attorney General's office went after Trump University due to reports that the program was a "scam." Bondi began a similar investigation, which allegedly came to a halt after she received a $25,000 check from the Trump Foundation for her re-election campaign. Bondi has never been formally accused of illegal activity, but now that she is under the national spotlight, she could face serious scrutiny.

Bondi's tenure as a lobbyist has also been called into question. She was registered as a lobbyist for several foreign and corporate entities, which could be seen as a potential weakness or conflict of interestor at the very least bring her dedication to fighting corruption into question.

Glenn has repeatedly warned about the dangers artificial intelligence poses to humanity. Yet, it seems like every week, some new AI project seems to inch us closer to that worst-case scenario.

It's not all bad. Even Glenn could resist the urge to buy an AI-powered, flamethrower-wielding, robotic dog to accompany him on his ranch. The future is here, and these are threeinsane new ways the power of AI is being harnessed — for better or worse.

AI Jesus

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Many have wished to have a face-to-face conversation with Jesus, but this probably isn't what anyone had in mind. A church in Lucerne, Switzerland recently teamed up with scientists and computer experts from the nearby Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts to create a digital duplicate of Christ designed to listen to confessions and give scripture-supported advice to those who ask. The computer even creates a hologram image of Jesus that talks to people in real time. The AI was trained with the New Testament and "religious information found online," and is fluent in over 100 languages.

While some are impressed with his answers to moderately complex theological questions, many are skeptical, claiming that giving a machine the face and name of God is a form of idolatry. Others worry that it will turn Jesus into a "woke warrior."

AI Coca-Cola Ad

The holiday season is upon us, and Coca-Cola has released its newest Christmas ad campaign. These latest commercials feature shiny, Coca-Cola red semi-trucks driving through an idyllic winter wonderland on a mission to deliver soda to a festively decorated town — standard holiday ad fare. But this year, Coca-Cola decided to put a "futuristic spin" on their ad campaignthe commercials are all AI-generated. It doesn't take a detective to spot the tell-tale AI hallmarks, from truck wheels that don't spin as the truck is driving to the eerie expressions of the people in the ad that twist and contort in creepy ways. The holiday magic is lost.

AI Grandma

A British telecom company, Virgin Media O2, unveiled Daisy, an AI chatbot designed to scam the scammers. Daisy is designed to sound and talk like an elderly woman and is tasked to deliberately connect with telephone scammers (who typically target older people) and waste their time with heaps of meandering chatter so that scammers have less time to target real people. Daisy has already proved capable of fooling scammers into long phone conversations, which ultimately end up fruitless. Can you think of a better use of AI?

The THREE ways RFK Jr. will Make America Healthy Again

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One of President Trump's most popular campaign promises was to "Make America Great Again," and he has employed the help of his former opponent, RFK Jr., to make that promise come true.

In an interview with NPR, RFK Jr. revealed the three directives Trump has tasked him as the new head of the Department of Health and Human Services. These directives aim to cut out the "cancer" that Glenn exposed in his latest TV special that has spread throughout theentire federal government.

Here are the three directives Trump gave RFK Jr.:

1. Rid health agencies of corruption and conflicts.

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It is no secret that the departments that fall under the HHS, such as the FDA, NIH, and CDC, are rife with corruption. After the COVID lockdowns raised suspicion that these federal agencies did not have the American people's best interests at heart, Americans have been increasingly distrustful of these institutions. Glenn exposed several instances of corruption across the HHS, from Dr. Fauchi's Covid powertrip to the insidious relationship between private entities like Big Food, Big Pharma, and the federal agencies that regulate them.

RFK Jr. has been one of the most vocal critics of the corruption that has turned these federal agencies against the very people they were created to protect and is the best person to reform these institutions.

2. Return agencies to the gold standard of empirically based, evidence-based science and medicine.

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Under Biden, the HHS has degraded even further than it had before. Scientific methodology and empirical data are no longer the backbones of these institutions. They have been replaced with DEI and other woke agendas. The Department of Health and Human Services is the second largest federal agency, only behind the Pentagon, with a budget of 1.7 trillion dollarsand over 83 thousand employees. The opportunity for waste and negligence is monumental.

Biden appointed former California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, to the head of HHS, along with Rachel Levine, a transgender woman, as the Assistant Secretary for Health. Before long the second-largest federal agency started looking like a university DEI office, with hundreds of DEI hires adding to government bloat. Instead of battling the diseases and sicknesses that plague our country, the HHS spent the past four years going after pro-life investigators who were exposing how Planned Parenthood sells body parts of aborted babies, opposing the merger of religious-based hospitals to protect transgender and abortion "rights," and wrestling over Obama-era contraceptive mandates with a group of Catholic nuns. This is quackery and waste on an unprecedented scale.

RFK Jr. is tasked with rooting out the corruption that sprang forth with the Biden administration's DEI agenda and put science back in our health policy.

3. End the chronic disease epidemic with measurable impacts within two years.

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Today, despite our modern technology, Americans are sicker than ever before. 129 million Americans have at least one chronic disease, 42 percent have two or more, and 12 percent have more than five. Life expectancy is at a twenty-year low despite the fact that we are spending more than ever on health care. Even our children are sick, with a staggering 40 percent of school-aged kids having at least one chronic disease. One in nine kids has ADHD, and one in 54 has autism, both representing a steep increase over past decades.

America is sick, and Big Pharma is just rolling in the profits. This is where RFK Jr. comes in. He aims to find the cures and preventions to these diseases and make Americans healthy instead of lifelong patients.

POLL: Is Matt Gaetz in trouble?!

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Trump is assembling a dream team to take on the deep state that has burdened the American people for far too long.

It's no surprise Democrats have been pushing back against Trump's nominations, but one person in particular has been experiencing the most resistance: Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump's pick to serve as his Attorney General. The controversy centers around a years-long House ethics probe regarding sexual misconduct allegations made against Gaetz several years ago. Despite the FBI conducting its own investigation and refusing to prosecute Gaetz, his nomination re-ignited interest in these allegations.

Democrats and some Republicans demand the House Ethics Committee release their probe into Gaetz before his Senate confirmation hearing. Conveniently, earlier this week, an anonymous hacker obtained this coveted report and gave it to the New York Times, which has yet to make the information public.

Glenn is very skeptical about the entire affair, from the allegations against Gaetz to the hacker's "anonymity." Is it another case of lawfare by the Democrats?

Glenn wants to know what do you think. Did Gaetz commit the crimes he's accused of? Will he still be appointed attorney general? Let us know in the poll below:

Is Matt Gaetz guilty of the crimes he is accused of committing? 

Will Matt Gaetz still be appointed to Trump's cabinet?

Was the "hacker" really some Democratic staffer or lawmaker?