Arrr, an American church crew be rescued from Israel by the aid o' a bold Benghazi hero!
2023-10-18
Avast ye scallywags! A band o' church mateys from North Dakota sailed to Israel, only to be cursed by war. They be forced to conjure up some mighty fine tricks to flee the land, lest they be caught in the tempest!
A group of U.S. Christians from North Dakota found themselves trapped in Bethlehem as a war broke out in Israel. The church group of about 84 people was forced to change their plans and find a way to the border of Jordan to escape the conflict zone. The tour group's first hint of trouble came when they were turned away from a site at the Jordan River, which was closed. They later learned about the outbreak of fighting. The group reached out for help from the State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, and North Dakota government officials. However, as the situation worsened, it became unclear if they would be able to find flights out of Tel Aviv. A Marine Corps veteran, Mark "Oz" Geist, provided reliable information to the group and advised them to travel to the border with Jordan for safety. The group finally boarded flights back to the U.S. by Thursday, but frustrations remained about the process. The State Department has stated that the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas is their top priority. They have been advising citizens to check the status of border crossings and flights before heading to the airport. The possibility of departing through a third country has also been suggested. North Dakota Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven worked to assist the group in finding a solution. The group expressed gratitude to everyone who helped in their evacuation.