November, 1998

The following is excerpted from the latest newsletter of good friends who live in Israel:

MESSIANIC ACTION COMMITTEE UPDATE (excerpts from recent bulletins received from Israel)

FREEDOM REPORT NO. 54
=====================

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

* Rabbi MK Gafni is rotating out of Knesset seat,
automatically eliminating his proposed anti-religious freedom
legislation

* Wye Plantation Agreement and possible early elections
present twisting opportunities for anti-Messianic legislation.

* Ultra-Orthodox encroach on freedom of the press.

On October 20 the Knesset reconvened following its Summer recess
with a flurry of initial activity. Several important
developments are now being debated which may be have a
significant effect on the anti-religious freedom legislation.

GAFNI AND HIS BILL ROTATE OUT OF KNESSET

Some months ago MK Zvilli (Labor) withdrew his joint sponsorship
with MK Rabbi Gafni from a bill proscribing the mail distribution
of evangelical literature. The Gafni bill remained in the
Constitution, Law and Justice Committee without further
progress. MK Rabbi Gafni is a member of the United Torah Judaism
Party that has two factions: Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael.
By agreement, the length of the term of certain seats is split
between these factions. Gafni is being rotated out and replaced
by Rabbi Avraham Leizerson (Agudat Yisrael). The Office of the
Speaker of the Knesset has informed our Committee that a private
Member's legislation ceases to exist when the private Member is
retired from the Knesset, as is the case of the proposed
legislation of MK Gafni. The Speaker's Office received this
information from the Secretary of the Knesset.

FREE EXPRESSION

Another attack on democratic freedoms? Before the negotiations
in Wye and "Oslo IV" overshadowed all other news items, Knesset
members were carrying on a vigorous debate over a bill proposed
by the government which, opponents believe, would undermine
freedom of the press in Israel. The bill would allow a plaintiff
to sue a publication or writer for "libel" even if the "victim"
could not prove actual damages as a result of the publication of
the "libelous" article. Opponents fear that the bill, if passed,
would be used to stifle press criticism of government figures,
and that it constitutes but another attempt by the current
government coalition to undermine freedom of expression and of
the press in Israel.



SECULAR DEMOCRACY--DONKEY OF THE MESSIAH?

Also making waves in the Israeli media is the book "Messiah's
Donkey" authored by Seffi Rachlevsky, an expose` of the Israeli
religious nationalist movement's intent to replace the democratic
Jewish state with a rabbinic theocratic one. After several years
of exhaustive research, the author shows how the national
religious movement, inspired by the teachings of religious
Zionist icon HaRav Kook, views the secular pioneers and
politicians who established and built up the Jewish democratic
state as the Messiah's "donkey." The "materialists" (a play on
the Hebrew word for "donkey") have done the dirty work, so to
speak, and now the religious nationalist movement is destined by
God to take over the institutions of the state and transform it
into their own ideal "messianic" entity. While such aspirations
are not new, especially among the Ultra-Orthodox movements, the
high degree of integration of the religious nationalists in the
military, educational, and political establishments of Israel
gives these activists the platform for the implementation of
their ideals, using the institutions of Israeli democracy to
undermine and ultimately replace it.

GREATER ISRAEL MOVEMENT/ULTRA-ORTHODOX AXIS

The religious nationalist movement is also becoming increasingly
Ultra-Orthodox in their outlook, while the Ultra-Orthodox parties
(which have traditionally rejected the re-establishment of the
modern State of Israel as a divine act) seem to be opening up to
the possibility of "redeeming" the secular state for God. The
resulting religious coalition constitutes a powerful political
and social force in Israel today, one which sees traditional
democratic human rights such as freedom of religion and
expression as incongruous with the messianic/rabbinic theocracy
which they are intent on creating. It is not surprising that the
initiative for the anti-religious freedom bills and the intense
lobbying of the government on their behalf has come from the
various parties and movements within that religious coalition.

EARLY ELECTIONS AND COALITION POLITICS

It is the religious parties of the coalition that constitute the
weak link in Prime Minister Netanyahu's support today. This is
particularly felt in the aftermath of the Wye Agreement, which
will be brought for the approval of both the government and the
Knesset. In addition, a bill calling for early elections (as
early as March '99 instead of May 2000) constitutes a major
threat to the continuation of the present government. Netanyahu
desperately needs the support of the religious parties (National
Religious Party (NRP), Shas, and United Torah Judaism) if he is
to continue in power.

While the NRP has the strongest objections to the current
government's policies, which in their mind has sold out the "Land
of Israel" movement by the Wye accords, they are torn by their
fear that a Labor-led government might gain power if the current
government falls. In contrast, the Shas party appears more
willing to bargain with Netanyahu, offering support for the Wye
agreement and blocking early elections if the government will
deliver on their package of religious legislation (including the
Pinchasi bill).

Even if new elections are called, the leverage of the religious
parties will only be enhanced. First of all, the religious
parties all expect to gain seats in the next Knesset because of
the religious nature of the political debate even on issues such
as the Palestinian peace accords. Secondly, in the negotiations
to form a new coalition, religious legislation can be forced into
the coalition agreement as a prior condition for joining the
government. At that point, bills such as the anti-religious
freedom bill and other "religious establishment" legislation will
become government-sponsored legislation, enjoying the automatic
majority that the government maintains in the Knesset. The
implications clearly threaten the cause of democracy and the
protection of minority rights in Israel. ___________________

The Pinchasi Bill: (Passed preliminary reading on May 20, 1998)

"Prohibition on calling for a change of religion" 174c

Anyone who preaches with the goal of causing any other person
to change his religion is liable to three years' imprisonment or
a 50,000 Shekel fine. __________________

MESSIANIC ACTION COMMITTEE

Paul Liberman, Chairman
Noam Hendren
Charles Kopp
Marvin Kramer, Esq.
Nizar Touma
Daniel Yahav

P.O. Box 5462, Herzliya 46100 Israel Telephone/Fax:
972-9-951-6118 E-mail: themac@netvision.net.il

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See also:

AMFI's Religious Liberty in Israel Update Page

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