In Israel recently, a bill was put forward for consideration, the implementation of which would have had far reaching consequences for the land of Israel. It was to come into effect just days before Good Friday and the Easter weekend.
This bill—called Penal Law: Amendment—Prohibition of Solicitation for Religious Conversion—2023 was introduced by two ultra-Orthodox members of Israel’s Knesset (Parliament), Yacov Asher, and Moshe Gafni, who heads the Knesset’s Finance Committee, both of whom are in Netanyahu’s governing coalition.
The bill’s contents
What was proposed in the bill would make it illegal to share one’s religious or spiritual beliefs with any other person of another belief system with intent to convert, whether the person is a child or an adult, regardless of which religious or spiritual tradition one is a part of. The bill is not clear about how intent to convert is determined.
All forms of sharing your religious or spiritual beliefs, whether in personal conversation, the production of online content, in print, by text, or by mail would be illegal. Thus, for Christians and Christian ministries, talking about Jesus or His Gospel would be illegal. This, as you can imagine, would greatly impact ministries in the land, such as One forIsrael, and Tree of Life Ministries, and many others.
The punishments
According to the bill, the punishment for sharing your faith with intent to convert is one year imprisonment if sharing with an adult. If the one you are sharing with is a minor, the punishment is increased to two years imprisonment.
While the bill would apply to all Israelis and visitors to the land, in their official explanation of the bill, the two Israeli legislators specifically emphasised that “missionary bodies, mainly Christian ones” were their main concern in introducing the bill.
Several analysts have stated the bill would give Israel a very bad name, as they see it as restricting freedom of religious expression, which contradicts basic freedoms which are guaranteed in Israel’s Declaration of Independence, which says: “The State of Israel…will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens without distinction of race, creed, or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and Holy Places of all religions…”
Leaders’ opinions
Former U.S. Ambassador of International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback was the first American leader to publicly warn that this bill posed a massive threat to free speech, human rights, and religious freedom. He was joined in his concerns by leaders from other nations, including Britain, Norway, Finland, The Netherlands, and others.
The former ambassador had the following statement to say: “Free and democratic countries simply do not outlaw the free exchange of ideas and that includes religious beliefs and convictions. Article 18 of the Universal Charter of Human Rights—which Israel has signed onto—guarantees freedom of religion, including the right to decide your own faith beliefs.”
No plans to advance
Thankfully, the bill did not pass. On 22 March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would prevent the passage of the proposal by MKs Moshe Gafni and Yakov Asher, stating on Twitter: “We will not advance any law against the Christian community.” Gafni stated he had introduced the bill as a procedural matter, as he had done in the past, and there were no plans to advance it.
Israel has for many years welcomed Christians’ political and financial support, whilst shrugging off any concerns about any hidden religious agenda. But most Jews view any effort to convert them to Christianity as deeply offensive, due to past Christian persecution.
Our Fathers’ business
This bill is a reminder that at any moment the freedom we have enjoyed to preach the Gospel for so long can disappear quickly if we’re not careful, and should serve as a reminder to be about our Father’s business, before the night comes when no one can work.