Jews discounting risks, moving to Holy Land

Chad Groening   (OneNewsNow.com) Friday, August 17, 2012

A Messianic Jewish leader believes a longing for God has led thousands of North American Jews to move to Israel this year despite the risks.

The Associated Press recently reported that 350 North American Jews landed at Ben-Gurion Airport to begin new lives in Israel. More than 4,000 immigrants have arrived in the Holy Land from the United States, Canada and Great Britain this year, at a time when Israel is believed to be preparing for a possible air strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, which could lead to a regional conflict.

Still, Jan Markell, founder and director of Olive Tree Ministries, points out that the Jewish people have not been deterred from relocating to the Holy Land.

"I think that we see in these Jews that are immigrating to Israel that God has put a longing in their heart that they need to go back there, no matter what," she observes. "Obviously, there's the eminent threat of war so catastrophic, [yet] some sort of a nuclear exchange coming from Iran is not keeping these people away." Meanwhile, Markell finds it unfortunate that many North American Jews have no desire to return to Israel "because they are so comfortable in the Western world, particularly in North America," she explains. "I think only some serious persecution, perhaps some serious anti-Semitism will get them to go back to the land."

Nearly 130 of the most recent arrivals came to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces.