African Americans Built a Desert Kingdom in Israel In 1969, a community of African Americans led by Ben Ammi Ben-Israel arrived in Israel's Negev desert, claiming to be descendants of ancient Israelites. What followed was a five-decade legal battle that would transform their lives and challenge Israel's very definition of citizenship. The African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem settled in Dimona after a brief stop in Liberia, following Ben Ammi's vision from the angel Gabriel. Despite being denie