After celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles with the Worldwide Church of God in Jerusalem, in 1982, I continued on to serve as a volunteer at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan near Haifa in Northern Israel. Ramat Yohanan was the beginning of my kibbutz volunteer service, that ultimately included 8 kibbutzim, a moshav and precious months in Jerusalem! It was at Ramat Yohanan that I met Miriam Weiss, who "adopted" me and became my "kibbutz mother."
The following are pictures of my fellow kibbutz volunteers from Scotland, England, Sweden, France, Germany, the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, etc. at Ramat Yohanan, and on a trip to the Golan Heights, Akko, Rosh Hanikra; a few pictures of Worldwide Church of God member Simcha Gombo and her daughter, Michal, who lived nearby in Kiryat Ata, as well as pictures of Ilan Itzhayek and family (his mother baked a birthday cake for my 33rd birthday) from Kiryat Ata; pictures of Ilan and I in Jerusalem for Hanukkah (where I met Yitzhak Rabin), where, as *David Hoover, I was able to write the preliminary introduction to America Warned! - on the Temple Mount - that has since been published as Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall, as well as a picture of Ambassador College graduate Sylvia Owens, during a visit to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, and Jerusalem's Liberty Bell Park that includes The Children's Playground sponsored by the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation.
Additional reading:
Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God)
Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God Mentioned in Israeli Newspaper
*My name was David Hoover, but I legally changed it to David Ben-Ariel in 1989, as I testify in God-given Names and From Toledo to Jerusalem.
To check out the pictures, click here
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Not eligible for a visa until 2005
After my unjust deportation from Israel, the Israeli Embassy informed Senator Mike DeWine that I would not be "eligible for a visa until 2005" - even though false rumors would mislead folks to believe I can never return, which simply isn't true, as these official government letters prove:
Not eligible for a visa until 2005
Not eligible for a visa until 2005
Why Edward Abington, Jr. Must be Investigated!
Why Edward Abington, Jr. Must be Investigated!
"The American Diplomat in Arafat's Corner," published in The Jerusalem Report, came as no surprise to me. It was referring to Edward Abington, Jr., the United States' former consul general in Jerusalem who is now "guiding the Palestinians through the labyrinths of Washington. And his firm is being paid $2.25 million for his expertise."
Allow the following information to shed light on his less than faithful service to American taxpayers:
"Dear Congresswoman Kaptur: Thank you for your valuable assistance in my pursuit of justice! It's wonderfully refreshing to see some public servants truly helping out their fellow Americans.
It's obvious from Mr. Abington, Jr.'s letter to you that he has strongly held political views that prefers the continued occupation of JUDAISM'S MOST HOLY SITE -- the Temple Mount -- by militant Muslims. Such radical views enable the Muslim extremists to continue to pose a threat to religious Jews and Christians who merely hope to pray on the site...
However historically or biblically inaccurate Mr. Abington, Jr's views are, I believe he is entitled to them. I do not believe his personal views ought to interfere with his public duty. It appears he has DELIBERATELY IGNORED every relevant FACT that PROVED my arrest amounted to political and religious PERSECUTION.
As honestly reported in The Jerusalem Post article he referred to, I wasn't interrogated...by 6 different SECRET SERVICEMEN about the TEMPLE MOUNT because of an "expired visa!" I charged Ms. Leech (his assistant) with complicity in their unjust actions against me for going along with their lie that my visa was expired and for turning a blind eye to their undemocratic ways. I'd given her a letter for Mr. Abington, Jr. to PROTEST MY POLITICAL ABUSE AND RELIGIOUS MISTREATMENT. Since he never bothered to respond, I'm not sure he even received it.
It was difficult to deal with Ms. Leech...since she was quite antagonistic, contending that Israel wanted to deport me because "you wanted to blow up the mosque." When I protested that simply was NOT TRUE, she angrily ordered her assistant, "Go see what he's charged with." He came back and said, "Visa violation." So she KNEW the real reason I was in jail was for being a member of the Temple Mount Faithful, but later went along with their LIE about my visa...
Mr. Abington, Jr. falsely accused me of being proud about my imprisonment. I'm not proud of it nor ashamed, but I do believe in making the most out of a bad situation...Why shouldn't I use my horrible experience to underscore and further the JUST CAUSE of the Temple Mount Faithful? How could anyone fail to understand this?...After all, it's the TEMPLE Mount, not the mosque mount!
Is it too much for an INNOCENT AMERICAN to expect his government to stand up for him? All I've requested from the beginning is for the Consul General to STRONGLY PROTEST my unjust imprisonment and deportation. They know what I say is the truth, but because of their hostile views, they're playing deaf, dumb and blind to the fact that I was a POLITICO-RELIGIOUS PRISONER.
Frankly, they're upset that I refused to go like a lamb to slaughter, but roared like a lion instead - exposing Peres' corruption and their complicity. I will continue to seek justice until it is found."
American Detained in Jerusalem's Russian Compound
Israel's Unjust Deportation of David Ben-Ariel
From Toledo to Jerusalem
"The American Diplomat in Arafat's Corner," published in The Jerusalem Report, came as no surprise to me. It was referring to Edward Abington, Jr., the United States' former consul general in Jerusalem who is now "guiding the Palestinians through the labyrinths of Washington. And his firm is being paid $2.25 million for his expertise."
Allow the following information to shed light on his less than faithful service to American taxpayers:
"Dear Congresswoman Kaptur: Thank you for your valuable assistance in my pursuit of justice! It's wonderfully refreshing to see some public servants truly helping out their fellow Americans.
It's obvious from Mr. Abington, Jr.'s letter to you that he has strongly held political views that prefers the continued occupation of JUDAISM'S MOST HOLY SITE -- the Temple Mount -- by militant Muslims. Such radical views enable the Muslim extremists to continue to pose a threat to religious Jews and Christians who merely hope to pray on the site...
However historically or biblically inaccurate Mr. Abington, Jr's views are, I believe he is entitled to them. I do not believe his personal views ought to interfere with his public duty. It appears he has DELIBERATELY IGNORED every relevant FACT that PROVED my arrest amounted to political and religious PERSECUTION.
As honestly reported in The Jerusalem Post article he referred to, I wasn't interrogated...by 6 different SECRET SERVICEMEN about the TEMPLE MOUNT because of an "expired visa!" I charged Ms. Leech (his assistant) with complicity in their unjust actions against me for going along with their lie that my visa was expired and for turning a blind eye to their undemocratic ways. I'd given her a letter for Mr. Abington, Jr. to PROTEST MY POLITICAL ABUSE AND RELIGIOUS MISTREATMENT. Since he never bothered to respond, I'm not sure he even received it.
It was difficult to deal with Ms. Leech...since she was quite antagonistic, contending that Israel wanted to deport me because "you wanted to blow up the mosque." When I protested that simply was NOT TRUE, she angrily ordered her assistant, "Go see what he's charged with." He came back and said, "Visa violation." So she KNEW the real reason I was in jail was for being a member of the Temple Mount Faithful, but later went along with their LIE about my visa...
Mr. Abington, Jr. falsely accused me of being proud about my imprisonment. I'm not proud of it nor ashamed, but I do believe in making the most out of a bad situation...Why shouldn't I use my horrible experience to underscore and further the JUST CAUSE of the Temple Mount Faithful? How could anyone fail to understand this?...After all, it's the TEMPLE Mount, not the mosque mount!
Is it too much for an INNOCENT AMERICAN to expect his government to stand up for him? All I've requested from the beginning is for the Consul General to STRONGLY PROTEST my unjust imprisonment and deportation. They know what I say is the truth, but because of their hostile views, they're playing deaf, dumb and blind to the fact that I was a POLITICO-RELIGIOUS PRISONER.
Frankly, they're upset that I refused to go like a lamb to slaughter, but roared like a lion instead - exposing Peres' corruption and their complicity. I will continue to seek justice until it is found."
American Detained in Jerusalem's Russian Compound
Israel's Unjust Deportation of David Ben-Ariel
From Toledo to Jerusalem
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Edward Abington, Jr.'s State Department letter
Due to persistent false rumors that I, David Ben-Ariel, was involved in a plot to blow up the mosques in Jerusalem, even by lying religious leaders like Gerald Flurry of the Philadelphia Church of God (not just enemies of the plain truth of the Bible), I present here the State Department letter from former American Consul General in Jerusalem, Edward G. Abington, Jr. to Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur. (Jr.'s hostility to the Temple Mount Faithful is explained in Why Edward Abington, Jr. Must Be Investigated! and his dubious character and conflict of interests in Something smells bad).
Edward Abington, Jr.'s State Department letter
Edward Abington, Jr.'s State Department letter
Not exactly laying low, is it?
Re: Is David Ben-Ariel a Terrorist?
Quote:
You and cause you're likely guilty of terrorism.
That's not true or the Israelis would have produced their evidence, charged and convicted me...but nothing of the sorts! Give up your detective work. You don't have a clue.
Quote:
Most physchologists I've read suggest that your flurry of denial is overcompensation.
So irrefutable FACTS that blast false accusations are "overcompensation"? Sounds like you had better quit reading quack psychology and just use some common sense.
Quote:
Someone who's not guilty would pass such claims off as rediculous and be done with it.
That's normally what I would have done too, but once they detained me in the rotting Russian Compound for weeks and engaged in their disinformation campaign against me, it demanded and received a proper rebuttal. Furthermore, what person would be involved in any such alleged plot (but never officially charged, which speaks volumes for those not hard of hearing) and then 1) write a controversial article published in Jerusalem and read throughout Israel (and now the world) about the Temple Mount and the nefarious intentions of the Germans and Jesuits toward Jerusalem?
Not only that, 2) the Israeli police knew all about my honest attempt to exercise my Christian religious rights (Israel professes to respect) upon the Temple Mount, several months prior to publication of said article, and how they removed me - rather than the threat - from the Temple Mount? They stressed they wanted me to know they were only protecting me. So much for laying low if I were involved in any such plot. In light of all these facts on the ground, it's crazy to even suggest I was involved in anything remotely suspect! But then, apparently facts don't matter to some, do they?
Exposing the German-Vatican Plot to Occupy Jerusalem
The one time The Traveller did run a political piece, it ruffled feathers with the local authorities. In 'Will Jerusalem become an international city?' by American writer David Ben-Ariel, readers were warned about a German-Vatican plot to take over Jerusalem, urged to take back the Temple Mount and dislodge 'as symbols of foreign occupation' Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
A House of Prayer For All Peoples?
Jewish guards prevent Christians and Jews from exercising their religious right to pray on the Temple Mount? That's right! Only Muslims have unlimited access to Judaism's most holy site. Only the Koran is permitted within. The Tanach (Jewish Scripture, known to much of the world as the "Old Testament") and Christian Scriptures (the New Testament) are forbidden. Yet Israel claims to respect the religious rights of all people.
__________________
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Quote:
You and cause you're likely guilty of terrorism.
That's not true or the Israelis would have produced their evidence, charged and convicted me...but nothing of the sorts! Give up your detective work. You don't have a clue.
Quote:
Most physchologists I've read suggest that your flurry of denial is overcompensation.
So irrefutable FACTS that blast false accusations are "overcompensation"? Sounds like you had better quit reading quack psychology and just use some common sense.
Quote:
Someone who's not guilty would pass such claims off as rediculous and be done with it.
That's normally what I would have done too, but once they detained me in the rotting Russian Compound for weeks and engaged in their disinformation campaign against me, it demanded and received a proper rebuttal. Furthermore, what person would be involved in any such alleged plot (but never officially charged, which speaks volumes for those not hard of hearing) and then 1) write a controversial article published in Jerusalem and read throughout Israel (and now the world) about the Temple Mount and the nefarious intentions of the Germans and Jesuits toward Jerusalem?
Not only that, 2) the Israeli police knew all about my honest attempt to exercise my Christian religious rights (Israel professes to respect) upon the Temple Mount, several months prior to publication of said article, and how they removed me - rather than the threat - from the Temple Mount? They stressed they wanted me to know they were only protecting me. So much for laying low if I were involved in any such plot. In light of all these facts on the ground, it's crazy to even suggest I was involved in anything remotely suspect! But then, apparently facts don't matter to some, do they?
Exposing the German-Vatican Plot to Occupy Jerusalem
The one time The Traveller did run a political piece, it ruffled feathers with the local authorities. In 'Will Jerusalem become an international city?' by American writer David Ben-Ariel, readers were warned about a German-Vatican plot to take over Jerusalem, urged to take back the Temple Mount and dislodge 'as symbols of foreign occupation' Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
A House of Prayer For All Peoples?
Jewish guards prevent Christians and Jews from exercising their religious right to pray on the Temple Mount? That's right! Only Muslims have unlimited access to Judaism's most holy site. Only the Koran is permitted within. The Tanach (Jewish Scripture, known to much of the world as the "Old Testament") and Christian Scriptures (the New Testament) are forbidden. Yet Israel claims to respect the religious rights of all people.
__________________
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Why do people lie to their children for years about Santa Clause?
Re: Why do people lie to their children for years about Santa Clause?
Boy am I on a guilt trip...... I lied to my kid about the Easter Bunny too!
Did you also lie and say Jesus loves Easter ham? The kids must think it's His favorite food. Did you also lie and say the Sabbath was now Sunday? And other such Babylonian goodies? Tricks, not treats, offered by unclean Christianity.
Plea to Diehard Catholics & Protestants to Repent
-- http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Boy am I on a guilt trip...... I lied to my kid about the Easter Bunny too!
Did you also lie and say Jesus loves Easter ham? The kids must think it's His favorite food. Did you also lie and say the Sabbath was now Sunday? And other such Babylonian goodies? Tricks, not treats, offered by unclean Christianity.
Plea to Diehard Catholics & Protestants to Repent
-- http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God)
Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God)
I first met Elder Mordakhai Joseph in Jerusalem during my first Feast of Tabernacles in 1980.
Later, when I attended Sukkot/Tabernacles again with the Worldwide Church of God in 1982 in Jerusalem, I stayed on as a volunteer at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan near Haifa for five more months. Right next door in Kiryat Ata was where our only member in Israel Simcha Gombo (a Morrocan Jewess) lived with her deaf daughter, Michal.
During my initial search for Simcha's home on Hannah Senesh Street, I "just happened" to ask directions from a young Israeli reporter who helped me to find her place. Once there he started talking with her and revealed he was a reporter and wanted to write an article about her, since he found our beliefs fascinating, since sitting and listening to us talk. He was graciously waiting to help me find my way back to the kibbutz. She told him to write about me.
Ilan Itzhayek wrote a full length article that was published in the entire Galilee region. It was about my former drug addiction, wandering in different religions looking for the truth, and how by a series of miracles God brought me into the Worldwide Church of God, mentioning some of our beliefs about Europe, and how we considered Herbert W. Armstrong in the spirit of Elijah.
I was later interviewed by the local high school principal and Bible teacher about our beliefs, especially why we keep the Jewish holy days and believe we are Israelites. (I've since discovered Brit-Am Israel, a Jewish organization, also teaches the Israelite origins of the West).
That same article was posted at the kibbutz in the communal dining room for all to see and read and led to an invitation for me to speak against drugs. I resisted, feeling most people have to learn for themselves, but when Ofrah, the volunteer leader, persisted saying perhaps it could help someone, I relented on the condition I could give God the glory and mention Him as the reason for my deliverance. She agreed and I spoke to over twenty young people from all over the world and mentioned how we're all missing something and try to fill it with this and that and only God and His Holy Spirit are the answer.
When Richard Frankel, a minister who used to live in Israel and served as the regular Feast coordinator for the Middle East, found out that this little ol' "shepherd boy" in the field was "making waves," he basically demanded that I return to America since he "trusts that God will get His message to the Jews through His apostle..." and how Mr. Armstrong had carefully built bridges with Israel over the years. (Acts 7:25, 35 flashed through my mind).
He said in no way was Ilan (the reporter) to consider himself a spokesman for the Church or me a representative of it! (The Worldwide Church of God always taught we are representatives of God's Church and Kingdom).
I wondered why Mr. Frankel didn't trust God to see that nothing could be done to undermine those bridges that God through Mr. Armstrong had built, besides Mr. Armstrong NEVER went to the average Israeli but only addressed leaders in Jerusalem. Nevertheless, I complied.
However, another article had been sent out by Ilan for possible publication that I did receive permission from Mr. Armstrong through Aaron Dean to go ahead with it. Obviously, Mr. Armstrong didn't feel threatened!
Mr. Richard Paige, then in charge of the Ambassador College digs in Jerusalem, met Ilan and I in Haifa for a pleasant visit, during his trip to make arrangements for the next archaeological dig. I humbly presented him with some grapefruits I had picked from our kibbutz orchard. He said he loves grapefruit and later reported they were the best!
I wanted to return to Israel to live, fulfilling a goal I had to live all over Israel, study Hebrew, learn the culture, etc., (which I've since done as mentioned within From Toledo to Jerusalem) but Mr. Frankel's influence required that I wait until I could have a minister over there to "supervise" my activities. (God had supervised them very well, thank you).
When Raymond Clore, a Consul General for the US was assigned by our government to work over there for four years (and with whom I briefly corresponded), I appealed to Headquarters again to move over there and was denied permission because they hadn't sent Mr. Clore -- the US government had! So I encountered petty politics from ministers I permitted to have power over my personal life. A local elder questioned whether they were setting an unusual precedent with me in deciding where a member can live.
During that time, Mr. George Kackos (Toledo, Ohio's wonderful minister, who was on the refresher program at Ambassador College) and Mordakhai Joseph both encountered the attitude that "we don't need him, we have plenty of AC students to send if we want." In fact, a female Ambassador College graduate from Oregon, Sylvia Owens (top of her class Mr. Paige informed me), was permitted to stay and live in Jerusalem (whom Ilan and I had arranged to meet and visited the Biblical Zoo with).
Mordakhai (Mark) Joseph encouraged me that Jesus' disciples also tried to stop someone from casting out demons in Jesus' name because he wasn't of their clique. He was later basically told to stay out of this situation! I still remember him fondly and what correspondence we've shared and wish him all the best with his new book on the Middle East. Meanwhile, I yearn to return to Zion.
I first met Elder Mordakhai Joseph in Jerusalem during my first Feast of Tabernacles in 1980.
Later, when I attended Sukkot/Tabernacles again with the Worldwide Church of God in 1982 in Jerusalem, I stayed on as a volunteer at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan near Haifa for five more months. Right next door in Kiryat Ata was where our only member in Israel Simcha Gombo (a Morrocan Jewess) lived with her deaf daughter, Michal.
During my initial search for Simcha's home on Hannah Senesh Street, I "just happened" to ask directions from a young Israeli reporter who helped me to find her place. Once there he started talking with her and revealed he was a reporter and wanted to write an article about her, since he found our beliefs fascinating, since sitting and listening to us talk. He was graciously waiting to help me find my way back to the kibbutz. She told him to write about me.
Ilan Itzhayek wrote a full length article that was published in the entire Galilee region. It was about my former drug addiction, wandering in different religions looking for the truth, and how by a series of miracles God brought me into the Worldwide Church of God, mentioning some of our beliefs about Europe, and how we considered Herbert W. Armstrong in the spirit of Elijah.
I was later interviewed by the local high school principal and Bible teacher about our beliefs, especially why we keep the Jewish holy days and believe we are Israelites. (I've since discovered Brit-Am Israel, a Jewish organization, also teaches the Israelite origins of the West).
That same article was posted at the kibbutz in the communal dining room for all to see and read and led to an invitation for me to speak against drugs. I resisted, feeling most people have to learn for themselves, but when Ofrah, the volunteer leader, persisted saying perhaps it could help someone, I relented on the condition I could give God the glory and mention Him as the reason for my deliverance. She agreed and I spoke to over twenty young people from all over the world and mentioned how we're all missing something and try to fill it with this and that and only God and His Holy Spirit are the answer.
When Richard Frankel, a minister who used to live in Israel and served as the regular Feast coordinator for the Middle East, found out that this little ol' "shepherd boy" in the field was "making waves," he basically demanded that I return to America since he "trusts that God will get His message to the Jews through His apostle..." and how Mr. Armstrong had carefully built bridges with Israel over the years. (Acts 7:25, 35 flashed through my mind).
He said in no way was Ilan (the reporter) to consider himself a spokesman for the Church or me a representative of it! (The Worldwide Church of God always taught we are representatives of God's Church and Kingdom).
I wondered why Mr. Frankel didn't trust God to see that nothing could be done to undermine those bridges that God through Mr. Armstrong had built, besides Mr. Armstrong NEVER went to the average Israeli but only addressed leaders in Jerusalem. Nevertheless, I complied.
However, another article had been sent out by Ilan for possible publication that I did receive permission from Mr. Armstrong through Aaron Dean to go ahead with it. Obviously, Mr. Armstrong didn't feel threatened!
Mr. Richard Paige, then in charge of the Ambassador College digs in Jerusalem, met Ilan and I in Haifa for a pleasant visit, during his trip to make arrangements for the next archaeological dig. I humbly presented him with some grapefruits I had picked from our kibbutz orchard. He said he loves grapefruit and later reported they were the best!
I wanted to return to Israel to live, fulfilling a goal I had to live all over Israel, study Hebrew, learn the culture, etc., (which I've since done as mentioned within From Toledo to Jerusalem) but Mr. Frankel's influence required that I wait until I could have a minister over there to "supervise" my activities. (God had supervised them very well, thank you).
When Raymond Clore, a Consul General for the US was assigned by our government to work over there for four years (and with whom I briefly corresponded), I appealed to Headquarters again to move over there and was denied permission because they hadn't sent Mr. Clore -- the US government had! So I encountered petty politics from ministers I permitted to have power over my personal life. A local elder questioned whether they were setting an unusual precedent with me in deciding where a member can live.
During that time, Mr. George Kackos (Toledo, Ohio's wonderful minister, who was on the refresher program at Ambassador College) and Mordakhai Joseph both encountered the attitude that "we don't need him, we have plenty of AC students to send if we want." In fact, a female Ambassador College graduate from Oregon, Sylvia Owens (top of her class Mr. Paige informed me), was permitted to stay and live in Jerusalem (whom Ilan and I had arranged to meet and visited the Biblical Zoo with).
Mordakhai (Mark) Joseph encouraged me that Jesus' disciples also tried to stop someone from casting out demons in Jesus' name because he wasn't of their clique. He was later basically told to stay out of this situation! I still remember him fondly and what correspondence we've shared and wish him all the best with his new book on the Middle East. Meanwhile, I yearn to return to Zion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
