c. 1998 Religion News Service
JERUSALEM _ Christian groups worldwide are mobilizing to protest a new initiative in Israel’s parliament to outlaw missionary activity in Israel, even though government officials say the legislation has virtually no chance of becoming law.
The new controversy surfaced in late May when the Knesset (parliament), with the okay of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, gave preliminary approval to a bill submitted by ultra-Orthodox Knesset member Raphael Pinhasi to impose a three-year prison term and a fine of up to $14,000 on anyone found”preaching with a view to changing another’s religion.” Netanyahu and his aides later issued disclaimers saying, in effect, the preliminary vote was”automatic”and”inconsequential”and the proposed bill would not receive the government’s support in any final vote. Aides indicated the preliminary vote was necessary to consign the measure to committee _ from which it will never emerge.”It is still unacceptable to us,”wrote Netanyahu, in a June 3 letter to Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, noting the government’s opposition to a previous attempt to outlaw missionary activities.”Israel will pass no laws which limit freedom of religion and contravene the international conventions to which it was signatory,”Netanyahu said.
Despite those assurances, the government’s support for the bill in a routine, preliminary vote has triggered reactions worldwide _ from rank-and-file church leaders to heads of state, such as the president of Norway. “I’m not reassured at all,”said the Rev. Charles Kopp, who heads the United Christian Council in Israel, representing 26 Protestant church groups.”I’m concerned it (the bill) could pass in some form.” In a June newsletter, Kopp called on Christians around the world to e-mail Israeli Knesset members in protest and to lobby their own governments to protest the proposed legislation.
Such campaigns are unusual for evangelical groups that consider themselves staunch supporters of Israel. In fact, Kopp, in his appeal, urged Christians to express their concerns”in a way that it will be evident that you protest as a friend of Israel.””We never want to put a negative spin on things,”said Clarence Wagner, Jerusalem director of Bridges for Peace, an evangelical group with theological views that largely coincide with Netanyahu’s hawkish political outlook on retaining West Bank land.
Wagner does not believe the anti-missionary bill will gain the votes needed to become law. Still, he said he was”astonished”it garnered support from Netanyahu and members of his ruling coalition in the preliminary voting.”By and large, the Christian communities are not running around trying to convert a lot of Jews in a coercive manner,”Wagner said, adding, however, that the proposed anti-missionary law”would not even allow the legitimate exchange of ideas _ it could even limit legitimate interfaith dialogue.” Wagner said”currently, the ultra-Orthodox parties have a great deal of control within the coalition and they are expressing their world view. Not only is it affecting Jews _ as reflected in the conflict raging between the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform movements _ but also Christians in the Holy Land.”
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