Two members of Israel's Knesset (parliament) recently introdcued legislation that would prohibit members of any religion from evangelizing, specifically trying to persuade or convert a person of a different faith, either through face-to-face conversations or through mail or online videos.
The bill specifically cites "missionary groups, mainly Christians," as part of the reason for the new prohibition.
According to All Israel News, the bill's primary objective "appears to be making it illegal for followers of Jesus ('Yeshua' in Hebrew) to explain why they believe that Jesus is both Messiah and God with the hope that Israelis might consider following Him."
The bill was introduced by Knesset Members Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Asher, who are ultra-orthodox Jews. The legislation, "Prohibition of Solicitation for Religious Conversion," would amend Israel's penal law from 1977 to say the following,
"(a) someone who solicits a person, directly, digitally, by mail, or online in order to convert his religion, the punishment – one year imprisonment; and if the person was a minor, the punishment – two years imprisonment.”
The proposal also says, "Recently, the attempts of missionary groups, mainly Christians, to solicit conversion of religion have increased.
"At times these attempts do not involve monetary promises or material gains and are therefore not illegal according to the current law, but the many negative repercussions, including psychological damages, warrant the intervention of the legislature.
"Therefore, it is proposed that alongside the prohibition of giving favors as an incentive to convert religion, also prohibited will be the act of solicitation to convert religion, when it is done directly to a person."
So, if a Christian or Muslim adult tries to convert a Jewish adult to their faith, they could be imprisoned up to one year. If this occurs with a minor (under age 18), the penalty is two years in prison.
Simply, Christians apparently would not be allowed to evangelize in the Holy Land.
"The bill does not only make a simple personal conversation about Jesus with another individual a crime," reported All Israel News. "It would also make it illegal for 'someone who solicits a person – directly, digitally, by mail or online – in order to convert his religion.'"
"Thus, producing and publishing online videos explaining the Gospel to Jewish or Muslim people in Israel – and to those of any other religious faiths – would suddenly become illegal," said the news outlet. That also apparently would apply to books, "online articles, podcasts, or other forms of media that explains the life and ministry of Jesus...."
The Knesset Members who introduced the bill are members of United Torah Judaism (UTJ). Gafni is the chariman of the Knesset's Finance Committee and is a member of the Foreign Affairs and Deffense Committee and the Joint Committee for the Defense Budget. Asher leads the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee.
According to All Israel News, "Gafni has a long history of opposing followers of Jesus," and he "first introduced legislation to impose a legal ban on evangelism in Israel back in 1999."
Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently has said nothing publicly about the legislation, All Israel News reported, "To his credit, Netanyahu has never allowed such legislation to advance or be approved in the past."
The news outlet also detailed Netanyahu's strong support for the Christian community in Israel and especially for Christian evangelicals in the United States.
"While he does not agree theologically with Evangelicals about who Jesus is, Netanyahu has long viewed the Evangelical community as a true blessing and a strategic asset to the State of Israel and to the Jewish people worldwide," said All Israel News.
The editor-in-chief of All Israel News is Joel C. Rosenberg, a Jew-turned- Christian who believes that Jesus is the Messiah as foretold in the Old Testament. Rosenberg, president and CEO of Near East Media and a New York Times best-selling author, lives in Jerusalem with his wife and sons.