14 January 1998
On December 10 1997, former Minister of telecommunications, Shas
(Orthodox religious) Knesset Member Raphael Pinchasi proposed to the
Plenum that it consider the presentation of a bill which would forbid
all forms of proselytizing in Israel, as well as conversion from any
Faith to another. The subject was referred for further consideration to
the Committee for Internal Affairs, which met yesterday, January 13.
The sum of its deliberations are as follows:
1) The Jewishness of the State of Israel is paramount to its democratic
commitments. Freedom to convert from Judaism is a threat to the
Jewishness of the State. The majority of the Committee members present
also agree that "Freedom of religion" means that all religions are free,
not religious persons. Religions should be free from challenge and
should not have to defend their positions. Individuals should not be
free to change their religion, and that all conversions should be
proscribed.
2) Missionaries are repeatedly accused of using illicit means to
procure promises of conversion, therefore restrictions must be imposed
on their freedom to present their message. The existing law which
forbids the offering of social and material benefits in exchange for a
conversion of
religion is insufficient. Many of the Committee members present agreed
that the freedom to proselytize should proscribed.
3) If a bill in the spirit of the discussion was presented to the
Committee, it would review it with favour.
4) The Committee will ask the Attorney General to advise it, in the
course of its next meeting on the subject, as to which steps it should
take and what form such a bill could and should take.
In other words, the Knesset is now to be asked to push Israel back into
the darkest of the Middle Ages, where today only nations like Iran and
Saudi Arabia are to be found, and where men and women are to become
prisoners of conscience because they dared brave the rancour of the
controlling religious and political powers. If such a bill - or
anything even remotely similar to it - is allowed to become law, Israel
will lose its right to describe itself as a democracy, and will lose the
support of many of its present friends.
Israeli politicians are convinced that the pro-Israel and evangelical
community will accept such a step with equanimity, even if there is an
initial protest. They are further convinced that the world will
understand such an act of "self defense" and quickly learn to accept it.
They do not comprehend the idea that religious matters are to be settled
by dispute, conversation and mutual challenge. Not do they believe
religious issues are determined by the relative spiritual, moral,
cultural and intellectual vigor each religion is able to display in
contrast to the other competing religious views - rather than by
legislation. They believe that they have the right to determine the
religion to which the citizens of their country should belong, and that
no man or woman has the right to contradict their decision.
We ask that you write again to your parliamentary representative,
attaching this letter, and asking him to intervene, to object
strenuously and to continue to do so at every opportunity. We ask that
you approach prominent Israeli visitors to your country and use every
opportunity you have to convey one simple message:
ISRAEL MUST REMAIN A TRUE DEMOCRACY - THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE ONE'S
RELIGION MUST REMAIN INTACT
Dear Friends in the USA,
Prime Minister Netanyahu is now on his way to the U.S. Please make
every appropriate effort to contact him and express your concern over
these two legislative actions be that by phoning his hotel or any other
appropriate means. You can also contact his entourage and the people he
will be meeting with.
We ask our supporters with Internet access to please consider e-mailing
your letters of protest to the Members of Knesset. You simply point
your browser to the following address:
http://www.knesset.gov.il./knesset/mk/14/mkindex_eng.htm
You then scroll down the alphabetical list of Knesset Members. Pick a
Knesset Member and open his file. At the bottom of the page, there is
an option to "write" to this particular Knesset Member. Then simply
paste your earlier-prepared letter of protest and send it off. This
takes literally seconds per Knesset Member. Please also forward us the
copies of the responses you will get.
Obviously, we are facing a long struggle rather than a minor but
important skirmish in the battle for freedom of expression and
conscience in Israel. We are not able to bear the burden on our own.
Thanking you,
The Messianic Action Committee
POBox 75 Rishon LeTsion 75100 Israel
Tel/Fax 972 3 966 1898
E-mail 100320.1324@compuserve.com
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