The Jews are and always have been God’s favorite children. But being a favorite child is often no fun at all. Major responsibilities and obligations ensue. The OT is the history of God choosing them and their trying to avoid their responsibility. God wanted them to be a light to the nations, a servant to all. God finally had to become incarnate in order to show how it should be done. Be that as it may, they are still the apple of his eye and always will be. But I am not jealous or resentful because the Father of a family has more love for all of the other children than they can possibly handle.
And many Jews would tell you they have often wondered why someone else wasn't chosen.
The descendants of Israel were the chosen people - so that included the northern tribes, not just the Judaeans.
And the northern tribes were dissipated in what is now Iraq, Syria, Iran, Armenia -- and Jews traveled and intermingled in Yemen, Western India, Iran, Egypt, East Africa, Europe etc. - a lot of people are descended from Abraham - even people we'd classify today as Indians, Iranians, Iraqis, Turks, Greeks, Egyptians, Arabs, French, English, Russians, Americans etc. etc.