FREEDOM REPORT NO. 58

=====================                          February 14, 1999

* Israeli Ambassador:  "Shas Party Undemocratic"

* Coalition Agreement--Shas to Insist on Passage of Pinchasi Bill

* Invisible Persecutions



ISRAELI AMBASSADOR:  "SHAS PARTY UNDEMOCRATIC"

Israel's Ambassador to Germany Primor recently caused a major
controversy in Israel when the German daily Die Welt published his comments about
Israel's Ultra-Orthodox political parties and their relationship to Israel's
democracy.  As quoted in Israel's HaAretz daily, the ambassador, Avi
Primor, said of the powerful Shas party, "The Shas party is based on laws that
are not democratic. They depend on the laws of God and the words of the
rabbis."  He later added, "Shas is not the only party that does not follow
democratic and parliamentary principles. There are other Orthodox parties that are
based on non-democratic principles."  In spite of these facts, Primor
noted that, in Netanyahu's coalition government,  "the Orthodox have a lot of
influence, [and] are very demanding and aggressive."

Following the publication of the interview, Primor was summoned home to
Israel where he was reprimanded for inappropriate comments about
Israel's political parties.  His claims to have been quoted out of context were
largely seen as face-saving efforts in view of the Shas politicians'
calls for his removal from his position.  Member of Knesset Amnon Rubenstein,
of the left-wing Meretz party, concurred that Primor's comments were
inappropriate coming from Israel's ambassador; nevertheless, he called
those remarks about Shas "absolutely true."

COALITION AGREEMENT--SHAS TO INSIST ON PASSAGE OF
PINCHASI BILL

Shas MK Rabbi Rafael Pinchasi was visited recently by a Danish
Parliamentarian, who had arranged meetings both with Pinchasi and MK's
from two other Orthodox political parties, United Torah Judaism and the
National Religious Party.  Pinchasi is sponsoring the infamous anti-religious
freedom law here in Israel.  The Danish MP, Flemming Kofod-Svendsen, had come
into these meetings with the reasonable doubt that such a clearly anti-democratic
bill could be passed in the State of Israel.  However, he left believing
that, unless concerted action is taken to guarantee solid opposition to
the bill among the major non-religious parties, there is good reason to
believe that the anti-religious freedom bill will eventually become law.

MP Kofod-Svendsen reported on his meetings in an article published in a
major Danish newspaper.  During their meeting, MK Pinchasi plainly
declared that the Shas party wanted to see rabbinical law as the law of the Land
in Israel.  The so-called "anti-missionary" bill is a part of that effort,
which includes various legislative initiatives designed to strengthen
Orthodox Judaism's monopoly on religious and social life in Israel.
Pinchasi expressed his utter rejection of all efforts of evangelism
among the Jewish people and was particularly vehement concerning his
opposition to the Messianic Jews and their activities.  He made it plain that Shas
would insist on the passage of his "anti-missionary" bill as a part of any
coalition agreement following the elections in May 1999.  If Shas
achieves their goal of 15 seats in the next Knesset (they currently have 10
MK's), their leverage in coalition negotiations will be considerable.

Kofod-Svendsen's meetings with the other Orthodox politicians proved
just as disconcerting.  The United Torah Judaism party, whose former MK Rabbi
Moshe Gafni had sponsored the original anti-religious freedom bill two years
ago, pledged its full support for Pinchasi's bill, seeing the elimination of
the "missionary threat" as of the highest priority.  Even the National
Religious Party, which sees the blockage of the establishment of a Palestinian
State as its highest priority, indicated that they would support the
legislation to silence the voice of Evangelicals and Messianic Jews in Israel if the
other religious parties did.  Together with Shas, these parties will
constitute a solid block of up to 25 or more members in the next
Knesset, who will insist on the passage of this bill.

In the opinion of Flemming Kofod-Svendsen, the key to blocking the
passage of the anti-religious freedom bill will be to convince the Labor and
Likud parties not to buckle to Orthodox pressure in the coalition negotiations
following the upcoming elections.  Only if both parties will refuse to
support this undemocratic bill and refuse to give in to political
extortion in their drive to form the next government can the inevitable be
avoided.

But this will be an uphill battle.  A recent proposed Basic Law to
guarantee religious freedom in Israel was rejected on its preliminary vote when
the majority of the coalition MK's voted against it and many of the
opposition MK's absented themselves rather than take a clear stand against the
religious parties which fought the bill.

The strength of the Shas party in the present situation has also been
felt in the recent attacks on Evangelical and Messianic believers in Israel.
The hostile demonstration held outside the Beersheva congregation's meeting
place in December was sponsored by Beersheva's Chief Rabbi Yehuda
De'eri, brother of Shas party leader Aryeh De'eri.  Later Rabbi De'eri called a
meeting of religious leaders and activitists from around the southern
area of Israel to organize opposition to the "missionary threat."  He
declared ominously that they would fight "to the last drop of blood to rid Beer
Sheva and 'the Jewish State of the Jews' of 'missionaries.'" One man attending
the meeting was quoted in a "HaAretz" headline as saying "I Am Only Waiting
for the Rabbis' Approval to Kill Them."  In spite of the public incitement
to violence and the repeated examples of libel against the New
Testament-believing community in Israel, no action has been taken by the
authorities against the perpetrators.   Such action might jeopardize the
relations between Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Shas coalition
partners, a very impolitic move as we approach new elections.

INVISIBLE PERSECUTIONS

There are also developing oppressions that do not appear in newspapers. Our Committee hears of these incidents as individuals know that they can turn to the MAC, which is available to them. Take, for example, a professional counselor of school children. Chief Rabbi Deri in Beersheva is continually bringing pressure to get this person fired from his employment simply because he is a New Testament believer.

Similarly, there are new obstacles to non-Orthodox Jews seeking to immigrate to this country.  Non-Jewish spouses of Jewish immigrants are being denied citizenship and only given permanent residency status.  For others of Jewish descent, more stringent documentation is required.  One couple, for example, recently was told that their letter from a U.S. Rabbi was not satisfactory because he was a Rabbi of a Conservative congregation.  Another couple's application for citizenship is being delayed because they are suspected of being Messianic Jews.  They were informed that their application was referred to the Jewish Agency, which now has a special desk to review all citizenship applications of those who are suspected of believing in the New Testament.

Then there are the vigilantes.  During this past week when the above information was received, the Dugit Bible Bookstore in Tel Aviv received a clear threat that unless they closed down, they would be bombed out. Dugit' s personnel were told that this would also happen to other bookstores that distributed New Testament materials

To some, we are seen as a danger to the established society.  We are few and without power, but we have friends who read these reports.  You are appreciated more than you may realize.

____________________________________________

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."

*approximate value of US$12,000
____________________________________________

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

Wires: Account No. 500046, First International Bank of Israel, Rishon
LeZion
Branch No.32. NOTE: Please make wires and checks payable to "HaGefen
Publishing-Freedom".


____________________________________________

MESSIANIC ACTION COMMITTEE

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