---
category: Other
location: Australia
summary: Australian member of the Church of God who carried out the 1969 arson attack
  on Jerusalem's El Aqsa Mosque, allegedly connected to the Jewish Defense League.
tags:
- Person
---

[Michael Dennis Rohan](/people/michael-dennis-rohan/) was an [Australian](/places/australia/) member of the Church of God. In 1969, he was a volunteer at [Kibbutz Mishmar Hasharon](/places/kibbutz-mishmar-hasharon/) in [Israel](/places/israel/), where he shared a room with [Ari Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/). [Rohan](/people/michael-dennis-rohan/) believed he was destined to be the king of [Israel](/places/israel/) and prepare the way for the return of Christ.[^1]

[Rohan](/people/michael-dennis-rohan/) was responsible for an arson attack on the [El Aqsa Mosque](/places/el-aqsa-mosque/) in [Jerusalem](/places/jerusalem/) in August 1969. He believed that destroying the mosque was necessary for the rebuilding of the Third Temple and the return of Jesus. He was reportedly involved with the [Jewish Defense League](/organizations/jewish-defense-league/) (JDL) in this act. [Ari Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/) played a role in his apprehension, reporting him to the [Israeli](/places/israel/) police.[^1]

[Rohan](/people/michael-dennis-rohan/) pleaded guilty at a public hearing, was declared mentally ill, and committed to a psychiatric hospital. He later escaped but turned himself in after speaking with [Ari Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/). He was eventually deported to [Australia](/places/australia/).[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.