Arthur Koestler a very famous Jewish thinker wrote the Thirteenth Tribe, a book saying the Jews of today originate from a mass conversion of the Khazars. Since then many scholars have continued this investigation, and many have been Israeli or printed in Israel.

Surprise surprise the Thirteenth Tribe is out of print.

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Posted on April 3, 2002

According to an article published at the World Zionist Organization’s (WZO) website:

“REMARKABLY, the Khazars, a people of Turkic origin, converted to the Jewish religion sometime in the 9th century, beginning with the royal house and spreading gradually among the general populace. Judaism is now known to have been more widespread among the Khazar inhabitants of the Khazar kingdom than was previously thought. In 1999, Russian archaeologists announced that they had successfully reconstructed a Khazarian vessel from the Don River region, revealing 4 inscriptions of the word “Israel” in Hebrew lettering. It is now the accepted opinion among most scholars in the field that the conversion of the Khazars to Judaism was widespread, and not limited merely to the royal house and nobility. Ibn al-Faqih, in fact, wrote “All of the Khazars are Jews.” Christian of Stavelot wrote in 864 that “all of them profess the Jewish faith in its entirety.” Click here to view the full article and links to the original source.

Source:

http://www.palestineremembered.com/Acre/Maps/Story800.html
More maps here:

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_khazar03.htm

And here are quotes from medieval times, from Jews and non Jews describing the Jews of Khazars and that they converted to Judaism.

http://www.khazaria.com/khazar-quotes.html

And here is an article from today 4 Feb 09 Israeli press showing archeological excavations of jewish capital in Khazar:

Found: Ancient Capital of ‘Jewish’ Khazar Kingdom

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Medieval Kingdom of Khazaria, 652-1016

Over a thousand years ago, the far east of Europe was ruled by Jewish kings who presided over numerous tribes, including their own tribe: the Turkic Khazars. After their conversion, the Khazar people used Jewish personal names, spoke and wrote in Hebrew, were circumcised, had synagogues and rabbis, studied the Torah and Talmud, and observed Hanukkah, Pesach, and the Sabbath. The Khazars were an advanced civilization with one of the most tolerant societies of the medieval period. It hosted merchants from all over Asia and Europe. On these pages it is hoped that you may learn more about this fascinating culture. –more–

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The other day a member of my extended family sent out the email at the bottom of this post to every other member of the family: “It’s our land, by Benjamin Netanyahu.”
I was shocked. I sent a note back on the spot to all the other members of the family saying I had traced my genetics to Kazakhstan so I wanted to move back there, but I needed numbers. [...]

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….The neocon interventionists of the last 15 years represent strong parochial, ethnocentric Zionist attitudes inside the American Jewish community. That’s why when the neocons plotted the Iraq war and lo and behold it came to pass (thru a variety of circumstances) the liberal Jewish community never really turned on them. They blamed Bush. That was the single-gunman theory of the Iraq war.

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Long before Iraq and Gaza exposed the vicious character of parochialism in my own community, I was uncomfortable with these attitudes inside the Jewish community. They played a part in my marrying out. After the Holocaust, we were all implicated in the question, Is it good for the Jews? I understand how it happened; but the consequences were tragic. Norman Mailer was eloquent on this theme: Hitler’s bitterest posthumous achievement was to flood Jewish life with “cheap religious patriotism” and the sole concern, Is it good for the Jews?  –more–

What a Chess Game.

NATO in Afghanistan cannot get a reliable overland supply route.

One day claiming Russian permission from the North, only to find the Russians denying this.

Now NATO is showing a possible welcome to Iran. Iran is not a  friend of the Taliban. But my enemy’s enemy should be my friend, I thought.

Is Russia pushing NATO to be dependent on Iran as a supply route? Nothing could upset the international apple cart more.

Perhaps Tehran would be happy to see the Taliban and NATO grind each other to exhaustion, and basque in security. If I were in Tel Aviv, London or New York, I’d get out of Afghanistan. When there is no ideology it is a losing slippery slope, exposed to leeching.

And where would this leave Israel? Out in the dark barking about imagined Iranian Nuclear weapons. Worse than that is; maybe that is already the situation, for NATO to be publicising such a scenario.

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NATO seeks Iran help over Afghanistan
Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:12:18 GMT

General John Craddock

NATO says member states can use Iran as a safe supply path to forces in Afghanistan, amid increasing attacks on its routes through Pakistan.

“NATO is looking at flexible, alternate routing. I think that is healthy,” top NATO military commander Gen. John Craddock said, in response to a question about using Iranian territory for supply.

“Options are a good thing, choices are a good thing, flexibility in military operations is essential…What nations will do is up to them,” he added.

Craddock’s comments came as Pakistani militants blew up a bridge in northern parts of the country, cutting off the Khyber Pass, a key NATO route where up to 75% of the coalition’s supplies cross over to Afghanistan.

Last week, the chief of NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said West could only win the war in Afghanistan if it engages with all the countries neighboring Afghanistan, including Iran.–more–

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Also see very authentic Videos!:

Video: Interview with Taliban commander. British intel say war in Afghanistan unwinnable. Pres. Afghan says stop bombing!

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Video: Taliban (NOT mature) a lot of action, 7 Mins. has watermark. Had to edit out the ‘mature’ parts

Below are excerpts. But most importantly, these ‘divorced from reality’ attitudes extend far beyond the Arabs. They are everpresent for dissidents, free thinkers, and anyone wishing to view the world rationally. These attitudes manifest worldwide far far away from Israel and the Palestinians. The rules are steal from anyone for Israel, & I think I have just been a victim.

Leaving the question, ‘What has been given birth too?’ A nation of hubris and wanton acts.

[In a] study, conducted by … one of the world’s leading political psychologists, …

Israeli Jews’ consciousness is characterized by a sense of victimization, a siege mentality, blind patriotism, belligerence, self-righteousness, dehumanization of the Palestinians and insensitivity to their suffering. …

…widespread support for the official memory testifies to a lower level of critical thinking, as well as belief in traditional values, high identification with Jewish identity, a tendency to delegitimize the Arabs, and support for taking aggressive steps against the Palestinians. …

Israeli awareness … relies primarily on prolonged indoctrination that is based on ignorance and even nurtures it. …. with the exception of a small minority, … the general public is not interested in knowing what Israel did in Gaza for many years; … and whether it was possible to extend the recent cease-fire or even who violated it….

the public practices self-censorship and accepts the establishment version, … they don’t want to be confused with the facts. We are a nation that lives in …chronic closed-mindedness,” … [with] the willing enlistment of the media.

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Israelis & their Neocon backers are a law unto themselves. And I for one am on the wrong side of their zio nationalism, therefore fair prey to theft & all manner of skulduggery.

Barak calls for Palestinian tunnel linking Gaza with West Bank

By Haaretz Service and Reuters
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday proposed the construction of a 48-kilometer long tunnel that would connect the northern Gaza Strip with the southern West Bank, thus enabling freedom of movement between the two disjointed Palestinian territories.

While stumping on the campaign trail before students at Ben-Gurion University in Be’er Sheva, Barak said it was possible to dig the tunnel, which would remain under Israeli sovereignty while the Palestinians would maintain authority over the corridor’s traffic. The defense minister and Labor Party chairman said the project would cost between $2-3 billion, “a reasonable sum.”  –more–

The idea of connecting Gaza and the West Bank is not new. It is decades old, in the past an overpass was proposed.

Israel, PA Agree On Gaza-West Bank Passage

(July 5, 2005)

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Israel and the Palestinian Authority reached an agreement on the creation of an overland connection between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank following the disengagement. Under the agreement, Israeli security forces will escort convoys of Palestinian vehicles travelling between the two areas. In the future, Israel has proposed linking the two territories by railroad. The railroad would link the Erez industrial zone in the Gaza Strip to the Tarqumiyeh checkpoint near Hebron. –more–