The Gafni-Asher bill did not pass, but it shows what some Orthodox (Talmudic) Jews would like to see enacted.
Evangelism is still legal; though, some police, military and citizens harass those who tell people about Jesus in public in Israel.
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JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – Is it possible that the Israeli government this year could pass legislation making it illegal for people to share the Gospel message in the very land where Jesus was born, raised, preached, died, buried and rose from the dead?
Unfortunately, yes.
As Palm Sunday and Easter approach – the two most sacred days on the calendar for those who follow Jesus as both God and Messiah – two members of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) introduced a bill last week that would ban any and all efforts to tell people about Jesus.
The bill would send violators to prison. …
WHAT DOES THE NEW BILL ACTUALLY SAY?
The proposed legislation would outlaw all efforts by people of one faith who, in any way, want to discuss or try to persuade people of other faiths to consider changing their current religious beliefs.
The punishment for doing so would be “one year imprisonment.”
If the conversation is with minor – someone under the age of 18 – the punishment would be “two years imprisonment.” …
The bill does not only make a simple personal conversation about Jesus with another individual a crime.
It would also make it illegal for “someone who solicits a person – directly, digitally, by mail or online – in order to convert his religion.”
Thus, producing and publishing online videos explaining the Gospel to Jewish or Muslim people in Israel – and to those of any other religious faiths – would suddenly become illegal.
Publishing books, other printed literature, online articles, podcasts, or other forms of media that explains the life and ministry of Jesus and His message found in the New Testament would also become illegal. …
WHO WROTE THIS ANTI-CHRISTIAN LEGISLATION?
The authors of this legislation, Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Asher, are ultra-Orthodox Jewish members of Knesset. …
Gafni has a long history of opposing followers of Jesus.
He first introduced legislation to impose a legal ban on evangelism in Israel back in 1999.
His bill went nowhere, but Gafni has repeatedly re-introduced versions of his legislation ever since.