David Ha'ivri
Yesterday at the central Sukkot event in Har Bracha in Shomron, celebrating the dedication of yet another new neighborhood for the community, I had the pleasure of hearing a speech from a bright young man, a 14 year old American boy who has come to Israel with his family as part of a group of Christians who are dedicated to expressing their support for Israel's rights in Judea and Samaria.
I must say from my experience traveling around on behalf of Israel, that such straightforward support for Israel is extraordinary. Unfortunately, even most pro-Israel groups are afraid of appearing not politically correct and lack the courage or understanding needed to support Israel's claim to its own heartland.
I would like to thank Josiah Hilton and the HaYovel group for their commitment to the Jewish people and the land of Israel. May HaShem show you the way and give you the platform to teach the nations love for Israel.
I would like to say "thank you" to Rabbi Melamed and the community of Har Bracha for allowing us to be here on this very special occasion.
My name is Josiah Hilton, and I’m 14 years old.
I’m here as a part of HaYovel, our group of Christian volunteers that have come from all over the world to volunteer in the vineyards and olive groves of Judea and Samaria.
I first came to Israel with my family when I was 11 years old, during the harvest season of 2010. Even though I was younger, and may not have grasped the entire significance of the volunteer work that we were doing, for me, there was a special connection to be made here. As a Christian, I have heard the stories of the Bible all of my life: about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. When I came here, I realized that this is where the history of the Bible all took place; this is the land of the covenants; this is the heartland of Israel.
Our group of 300 volunteers is here to serve you, the Jewish people and make a statement to the world. We believe that HaShem gave you this land as an everlasting covenant. No matter what international pressure you receive, we will stand with you. We feel that Christians have too long either stood by and been silent, or have helped in the evils that have been done against you. We are here to say "no more!" Today, whatever part we can have to help here in this Land, that is what we want to do!
Thanks to Rabbi Melamed, Gershon Mesika, Nir Lavi, Erez Ben Sa'adon, and many others, we have had the incredible honor to not only witness prophecies that were spoken 2,000 years ago, but to take an active part in their fulfillment! For us, as foreigners, this is truly an amazing privilege and honor. We cannot thank you enough!