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The invoice was launched in January by a pair of ultra-Orthodox Jewish lawmakers, together with Moshe Gafni, who heads the parliament’s Finance Committee. It says soliciting somebody to transform their religion needs to be punishable by one yr in jail and solicitation to transform a minor can be punishable with a two-year sentence.
“Just lately, the makes an attempt of missionary teams, primarily Christians, to solicit conversion of faith have elevated,” it mentioned.
The invoice was by no means superior, but it surely drew widespread consideration within the American evangelical world this week after All Israel Information, an evangelical information web site, reported on it.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu introduced on Twitter: “We won’t advance any legislation in opposition to the Christian neighborhood.”
Gafni mentioned he had launched the invoice as a procedural matter, as he has carried out previously, and there have been no plans to advance it.
Evangelical Christians, notably in the USA, are among the many strongest backers of Israel, viewing it because the success of biblical prophecy, with some seeing it because the harbinger of a second coming of Jesus Christ and the tip of days.
Israel has lengthy welcomed evangelicals’ political and monetary help, and it has largely shrugged off issues about any hidden non secular agenda. However most Jews view any effort to transform them to Christianity as deeply offensive, a legacy of centuries of persecution and compelled conversion by the hands of Christian rulers. Partially, due to these sensitivities, evangelical Christians hardly ever goal Jews.
Joel Rosenberg, editor in chief of All Israel Information, welcomed Netanyahu’s announcement, which comes at a time of home turmoil in Israel over his plan to overtake the nation’s authorized system and rising tensions with the Biden administration over West Financial institution settlement actions.
“Netanyahu is a longtime and confirmed pal to the worldwide Christian neighborhood and his motion at this time — amidst all the opposite points on his plate — is additional proof,” Rosenberg mentioned.
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