Some people from Israel have a major issue in converting Jews to Christianity. They are trying to pass a bill that criminalizes Christian evangelism that will punish Christian preachers for one year in prison. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed the bill and said they would prohibit law against Christian evangelism.
Israel's New Bill on Criminalizing Christian Evangelism
Moshe Gafni, a veteran lawmaker who has repeatedly submitted similar legislation over the last couple of decades, and Yaakov Asher, a relatively new member of the Knesset, were the ones who initially proposed the measure. Christianity Today reported that the bill's English translation states, "Recently, the attempts of missionary groups, mainly Christians, to solicit conversion of religion have increased." There are occasions when these attempts do not entail monetary promises or other tangible rewards; as a result, they are not criminal according to the law. Yet, the numerous adverse effects, including psychological harm, require the legislature's intervention.
The proposed bill would have also made producing Hebrew-language online videos that taught about Jesus illegal. It was done out of worry that Jewish children would watch these videos. Israel already has laws to prevent Christians from proselytizing children in the Jewish majority of the country. Anyone who encourages Jewish people to become Christians by offering financial incentives faces the possibility of going to jail.
A best-selling author from the Evangelical Christian community in the United States named Joel C. Rosenberg, who also holds Israeli citizenship, warned that the legislation would generate a major new problem for the administration of Netanyahu by igniting a heated conflict with evangelical Christians in the United States and around the world, who are among the biggest supporters for the country of Israel.
Moreover, on Wednesday, Mar. 23, the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed his objection to legislation presented by members of the United Torah Judaism party that would impose a one-year prison sentence for proselytizing among Christians by posting a tweet translated into both English and Hebrew. "We will not advance any law against the Christian community," Netanyahu tweeted. In addition, for 25 years, Gafni has started every Knesset with anti-missionary laws. The bills never garnered enough support, and only ultra-Orthodox Knesset groups backed the bills.
As per Haaretz, Netanyahu's public comment is remarkable for several reasons. One is that he responded publicly and forcefully to the legislation causing concern among the evangelical Christian community. Still, he did not respond publicly or forcefully to some proposed legislation causing a major outcry among the American Jewish community. It involves modifying the Law of Return to remove the eligibility requirement that requires at least one Jewish grandparent to immigrate to Israel and gain automatic citizenship, as well as a second bill that would have removed recognition of Reform and Conservative conversions made in Israel for the sake of obtaining citizenship in Israel.
Christianity in Israel
According to the annual report on the community released by the Central Bureau of Statistics, the number of Christians in Israel increased by 2% in 2021 to 185,000 persons, representing 1.9% of the state's total population, The Times of Israel Reported.
The study's findings, published on Christmas Day, revealed that more than three-quarters of Israel's Christian population is Arab, making up almost 7% of the total Arab population of the country.
As mentioned, 70% of Israel's Christian population is concentrated in the country's north, primarily Nazareth and Haifa. Around 13,000 reside in Jerusalem. The average size of a Christian household was 3.06 individuals, comparable to that of a Jewish household (3.05) but smaller than the average size of a Muslim household (4.46).
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