| Why would a blond, "non-Jewish" American want | | | | family's history.Having been to Israel so |
| to emmigrate to Israel? What's the | | | | many times, and written innumerable letters |
| connection? Especially when so few Jews in | | | | to The Blade (Toledo, Ohio's newspaper), and |
| the United States are willing to make the | | | | various articles in support of a Jewish |
| move. What force would drive someone to | | | | state, I never imagined that one day I would |
| travel to Israel 11 times, serve in 8 | | | | be deported from it!As reported on the front |
| kibbutzim and even stay there during the | | | | page of the Jerusalem Post (Jan. 8, 1996), |
| Persian Gulf War, complete with gas mask, | | | | the GSS (Israel's Secret Service) sought my |
| with his room designated as cheder atoom - | | | | deportation on the trumped-up charges of my |
| "sealed room" - that other volunteers had to | | | | alleged involvement in a plot to blow up the |
| run to whenever the eerie sirens sounded that | | | | Al-Aksa mosque. This travesty of justice |
| another Scud Missile was headed for the | | | | occurred during the "witch-hunt" that |
| Promised Land? Why would such an individual | | | | followed the assassination of Prime Minister |
| risk arrest, defamation and deportation to | | | | Yitzhak Rabin. The Israeli left was |
| participate in legal demonstrations in | | | | exploiting the death of Yitzhak Rabin to |
| Jerusalem?The first time I visited Israel was | | | | squash their legal opposition. Such Stalinist |
| with the Worldwide Church of God in 1980 to | | | | tactics were condemned by former Russian |
| celebrate Sukkot - the biblical Feast of | | | | refuseniks and "Prisoners of Zion." |
| Tabernacles. (Some Christians understand that | | | | Thankfully, the regime of Shimon Peres was |
| Israel's harvest festival foreshadows the | | | | toppled with the election of Prime Minister |
| peace and prosperity that everyone will soon | | | | Benyamin Netanyahu. Bibi (as Netanyahu's |
| enjoy under the Messiah's golden rule). But | | | | affectionally called) had also been branded |
| that whirlwind experience only whet my | | | | as an "enemy of peace" for opposing wholesale |
| appetite.I wanted to return for a closer look | | | | surrender to PLO demands. He promised the |
| at Israel than through a tour bus window. | | | | Israelis "peace with security."As a Christian |
| That's how I decided to return as a kibbutz | | | | member of the Temple Mount Faithful, I'd been |
| volunteer in the fall of 1982. A kibbutz is a | | | | privileged to participate in their legal |
| collective farm, although increasingly it | | | | demonstrations during my 10-month stay in |
| includes other industries as well. I | | | | Jerusalem awaiting citizenship. Israeli |
| initially served at Ramat Yohanan near Haifa, | | | | television often showed me with my Jewish |
| in full view of Mt. Carmel, famous for the | | | | friends carrying Israeli flags throughout the |
| fiery prophet Elijah's close encounter with | | | | Old City. I've also had letters published in |
| pagan Israelites.You could say I have a | | | | the Jerusalem Post, the Traveller and other |
| God-given love for the Jews and the nation of | | | | publications about the burning issue of the |
| Israel (Isaiah 62:6-7). That sacred bond has | | | | Temple Mount.Presently that most holy site is |
| been strengthened over the years by the fact | | | | under a militant Muslim occupation that |
| that I've been blessed to have lived all over | | | | forcibly forbids Christians or Jews from |
| Israel, getting to know its land and people | | | | praying or reading the Bible there. This |
| quite well. Apart from 5 months at Ramat | | | | despite the fact that both Solomon and |
| Yohanan, I've also stayed at Sdot Yam on the | | | | Herod's Temple stood there, and Jesus and His |
| Mediterranean, next to Caesarea, the site of | | | | disciples taught and prayed there. Israel has |
| my first ulpan (intensive Hebrew course), and | | | | a law against such violent religious |
| where Israel's heroine, Hannah Senesh, was | | | | discrimination, but apparently they're afraid |
| from; Regavim, near Zichron Yaakov, where I | | | | or unwilling to enforce it. Such shameful |
| continued my Hebrew lessons amid its rolling | | | | appeasement rewards the aggressors and |
| green hills; Reshafim, near Bet She'an, with | | | | punishes the innocent! The Temple Mount |
| Mt. Gilboa practically in our backyard, and | | | | Faithful boldly calls for an end to this |
| Jordan's mountains in lovely view out front; | | | | injustice.Within Beyond Babylon: Europe's |
| Adamit, on Lebanon's border, high up on a | | | | Rise and Fall, I've called for the Israeli |
| mountain, from where on clear days you can | | | | government to exercise its Jewish |
| see all the way to Haifa's Mt. Carmel; | | | | responsibility to build the Temple. I wrote |
| Shoval, a rose in the Negev desert, just | | | | that book in the United States before any of |
| north of Be'er Sheva; Dan, way up in the | | | | this trouble. The book clearly explains that |
| northernmost part of Israel, in between Syria | | | | I'm not calling for any individual to remove |
| and Lebanon, next to the majestic | | | | the mosques, but rather expecting the |
| snow-covered Mt. Hermon, where I was living | | | | GOVERNMENT to fulfill its historic |
| when "Operation Desert Storm" blew in; and | | | | obligations. I mentioned this to the police |
| Ha'On, with its campground and ostrich farm | | | | during my six and an half hours |
| on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee, | | | | interrogation. Later I was imprisoned in |
| across from Tiberias; and last but not least, | | | | Jerusalem's for three weeks until my |
| my beloved Jerusalem, next to my favorite | | | | heartbreaking deportation.As my attorney in |
| spot on earth: the Temple Mount.But why would | | | | Israel, Naftali Warzberger, has written, my |
| I leave the beautiful farms and magnificent | | | | future is linked with that of the Jews and |
| greenery of Ohio for a Middle Eastern | | | | Israel. That's why I'm confident justice will |
| country? (My ancestors sailed to America from | | | | prevail. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D. Ohio) |
| England, including John and Priscilla Alden | | | | has persistently presented this case of |
| on the Mayflower). Why would I legally change | | | | religious discrimination and political |
| my name from David A. Hoover to David | | | | persecution before our State Department. |
| Ben-Ariel? (Hebrew for: David, son of God's | | | | Senator Mike DeWine (R. Ohio) has inquired on |
| Lion - a nickname for Jerusalem/Isaiah 29:1). | | | | my behalf to return to Zion and was informed |
| Yes, why?1) Because I am a Christian-Zionist | | | | that the Ministry of the Interior "has made |
| who believes the rebirth of Israel is nothing | | | | the decision not to grant the visa and does |
| short of a miracle, and that all | | | | not offer any information behind their |
| Bible-believers must support this fulfillment | | | | decision." They've since written Senator |
| of prophecy or deny their faith.And 2) | | | | DeWine that I will not be "eligible for a |
| because I strongly believe what many are now | | | | visa until 2005!"Is it a crime to have an |
| discovering: the Israelite identity of the | | | | abiding love for Israel? To believe what's |
| peoples of Northwestern Europe. This | | | | written in the Law and the Prophets |
| awareness of our Hebrew roots and biblical | | | | concerning the Temple and our responsibility |
| responsibilities hastens the process of | | | | to construct it? To mourn that it hasn't been |
| redemption. Herbert W. Armstrong was one of | | | | done yet? As the Jerusalem Talmud states: |
| the greatest to restore this truth to | | | | "every generation in which the Temple has not |
| millions through The United States and | | | | been built is as if the Temple were destroyed |
| Britain in Prophecy, but I'm friends with | | | | in it...." Isn't Israel's state emblem a gold |
| Yair Davidiy in Israel, founder of Brit Am | | | | menorah in between two gold olive |
| Israel and author of The Tribes and Ephraim, | | | | branches?Must I remain in exile, banished |
| who represents a growing number of Jews who | | | | from the Land I love, because my hope, |
| are again accepting the revelation of their | | | | prayer, and dream is for Israel to fulfill |
| brother, Joseph - head of the northern | | | | what that symbol represents: the Temple and |
| ten-tribes of the Kingdom of Israel (distinct | | | | Israel's destiny to become a Light to all |
| from the southern Kingdom of Judah). Due to | | | | nations?David Ben-Ariel, a Christian-Zionist |
| my Anglo-Saxon heritage, as well as descent | | | | writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's |
| from the British and Scottish Royal Families, | | | | Rise and Fall, shares a special focus on the |
| I'm considered of the tribes of Joseph and | | | | Middle East, reflected in hard-hitting |
| Judah. (There are twelve tribes of Israel). | | | | articles that help others improve their |
| For people like me, Israel is also our | | | | understanding of that troubled region. Check |
| ancient Homeland. I truly feel my return to | | | | out Beyond Babylon. |
| Zion completes a historic circle in my | | | | |