Whitney Houston Dead, Israel Black Hebrews Mourn Diva's Death (PHOTOS)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's Black Hebrew community is mourning the loss of Whitney Houston, who famously visited them in 2003.

Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, the leader of the 2,500-strong group of vegan polygamists, told Channel 2 TV Sunday that he considered Houston his "spiritual daughter."

In 2003, she visited the Black Hebrews in the desert town of Dimona. The group moved to the Holy Land from the U.S. decades ago. They believe they're descendants of a lost tribe of Israelites.

Houston was found dead Saturday in a Los Angeles hotel room. She had struggled for years with drug and alcohol abuse.

Ben-Israel — a former Chicago bus driver — said Houston was a source of pride for his community. He said he recently invited her back to Israel "to help her overcome her problem."

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Comments

[TheFabOne]

05:18 PM on 02/14/2012

Only a bus driver from Chicago could brainwash all those people to think they're Israelites.

What's next, a chicken shack fry cook from Cleveland?

[dil123]

04:26 PM on 02/14/2012

My godmother is a vegan black Hebrew, she's not a polygamist, but she is a lesbian. She lives in Brooklyn.

[ramz1976]

01:25 PM on 02/14/2012

Vegan polygamist Israeli black Hebrew.......

That doesn't even fit on business card.

[cdncommentator]

02:56 AM on 02/14/2012

I love it. Just another part of the diversity of Israel.

[Daniel Alman]

08:41 PM on 02/13/2012

How do you think they would fare in "Palestine"?

[emncaity]

06:16 PM on 02/13/2012

Come on. Tell me that doesn't sound like the start of some comic's joke at the Improv: "Vegan polygamist Israeli black Hebrew walks into a pay toilet, and..."

[ussuri]

05:49 PM on 02/13/2012

Black Hebrew polygamist from Chicago ...wow!

[Cibeles]

04:03 PM on 02/13/2012

Ben-Israel — a former Chicago bus driver... ROTFLMAO

HP really is a trip sometimes.

[eva07]

07:58 PM on 02/13/2012

Why? I doubt HP made it up..

[foxfury]

01:35 PM on 02/14/2012

You can't make this stuff up!

[cheechazteca]

02:44 PM on 02/13/2012

She might be alive today if she accepted their invitation for help back then.

[VA Jill]

12:26 PM on 02/13/2012

Was it really necessary to put the words "Vegan" and "Polygamist" on the headline page? Sometimes I swear HP headline writers must have started out at a Murdoch rag!

[miz mendo]

01:50 PM on 02/13/2012

Agreed.

Stay classy, HP.

[George Garros]

12:15 PM on 02/13/2012

Vegan, polygamist, black Jews? Talk about a stereotype...

[Franco Vutera]

10:15 AM on 02/13/2012

Jesus, you just can't make this stuff up!

[Chaiya Eitan]

07:53 AM on 02/13/2012

I think her daughter should go there....to get some peace and quiet....and get away from the papparazi!

[bcamp]

07:09 AM on 02/13/2012

I saw a news segment on her trip there at the time. The group is known for their program to help addicts. She was invited there and went for that reason. One highlight for her was being rebaptised in The River Jordan, because that is where the Bible said Jesus was Baptised by John the Baptist. So she was trying.

[RubalKhali]

03:07 AM on 02/13/2012

They better take care which part of town they go to...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sv14Kwuk-8&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n-y24SzbCY


It is ironic how racist and intolerant these people are to their neighbors to the South, as most Israelis are fairly new residents of the land themselves, considering it was just settled.

[phuqabolic]

03:58 AM on 02/13/2012

the money US send to israel is partly tax payers money some of it paid for by black people...the irony of it all

[Gui Montag]

09:37 AM on 02/13/2012

Haters like Rubal Khali gotta hate.