Christian Missionary Activity is Legal in Israel

י״ח לחודש השמיני תשע״ח

The Jewish Press: Bus Driver Waited Patiently for Passenger Who Was Removing Missionary Posters

David Israel - 16 Heshvan 5778 – November 5, 2017

The dissemination of missionary materials is illegal in Israel, but the country still experiences waves of this contraband content, most recently at the Savidor Central Train Station in Tel Aviv, according to a resident of Tel Aviv who reported it to Hakol Hayehudi.

The Jewish woman approached a bus station adjacent to the train terminal when she noticed missionary posters and pamphlets, and immediately began removing them and collecting the booklets.

But then her bus entered the stop’s bay and she had to stop and board the bus – when the driver, who had noticed her actions, turned to her and asked: “Is this missionary material?”

When she answered in the affirmative, the driver asked her to exit and continue the work of removing the material, and waited for her to finish.

“It was heartwarming to see the Jewish sentiment waking up against the missionaries,” the woman told Hakol Hayehudi.

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
While David Israel properly points out that Christian missionary activity is a problem in Israel, he incorrectly states that...

"The dissemination of missionary materials is illegal in Israel, but the country still experiences waves of this contraband content..."

Missionary activity in NOT illegal, according to the laws of the State of Israel, with a couple of exceptions, and is stated in the original Hakol HaYehudi article in Hebrew which Israel cites:

מדינת ישראל ממשיכה להיות כר פורה לפעילות מסיונרית של כתות נוצריות שונות, וזאת עקב הפרצות בחוק שאינן אוסרות פעילות מסיונרית אלא כשידול קטינים או שידול עבור כסף או טובות הנאה.

The State of Israel continues to be fertile ground for the missionary activity of various Christian sects, due to breaches in the law that do not prohibit missionary activity, except as solicitation of minors or solicitation for money or favors. (Fixed Google Translation)

HaKol HaYehudi's use of the word "breaches" is in criticism of the law, not in reference to the Christians' violations of the law. As far as can be told, these Christians were not violating State Law, only Torah Law. And we all should know by now how exactly the State regards Torah Law.

Even the left-wing, formerly a reliable ally in the fight against Christian missionaries, has adopted the attitude of "democratic freedom of religious expression." This attitude appears to have developed from the belief that if the State of Israel legislates against one group's beliefs, the left's secular and Torah-distorting elements could be the State's next targets, not to mention the beliefs of the foreign workers and fake refugees that Left has been filling the Land with.

I believe that the seeds of this attitude were planted by Christian activists themselves. I am sure that al the money they throw around in Israel didn't hurt their influence either.

But, I digress...

No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. However, suggesting that the State of Israel deserves credit for maintaining a sound and very important law, which in reality, it does not, misleads your readers into giving credit when it is not deserved.

And so, I ask The Jewish Press to issue a correction, or provide a reference to Israeli State Law legal, demonstrating that I have erred.  

(Did the Knesset actually do something right by repairing this travesty, while I wasn't paying attention? I sincerely doubt it.)