By Christian George
As Palm Sunday and Easter, two of the most sacred days in the Christian community approach, two Israeli lawmakers, last week, proposed a bill that would render sharing the Christian gospel illegal in the country.
The bill authored by Moshe Gafne and Yaakov Asher who are members of United Torah Judaism, a Haredi political party holding a total of seven out of 120 seats in the current Knesset, further moves to punish offenders with a jail term.
This has raised many concerns as Israel is believed to be the land where Jesus was born, raised, preached, died, buried and rose from the dead.
According to allisrael.com, the bill could create a major new headache for Netanyahu’s government by sparking a serious clash with Evangelical Christians in the United States and around the world who are among the biggest supporters of the State of Israel.
World Evangelical Alliance has it that there are about 600 million evangelicals globally and roughly 60 million from the United States alone.
The source added that the bill could also draw sharp criticism from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, in the executive branch, among U.S. governors and others who love Israel and have always stood with the Jewish state, but would fiercely oppose efforts to silence followers of Jesus in the Holy Land.
Former U.S. Ambassador of International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback who served during the Trump-Pence administration is the first American leader to publicly warn that this new bill poses a massive threat to free speech, human rights and religious freedom.
In response to the correspondent sent to Brownback, he said, “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.”
The bill stipulates a year jail term for anyone who tries to share religious beliefs either personally or online and is particularly geared towards Christians.
The bill’s primary objective, therefore, appears to be making it illegal for followers of Jesus to explain why they believe that Jesus is both Messiah and God with the hope that Israelis might consider following Him.
Fans have reacted to the post on Instagram by Praiseworld Radio.
Oluwatricia posted: “The gospel will saturate the prisons. The chains aren’t the physicalone the eyes can see. The chains in their heart will be broken. The prison walls mean nothing. The word will prevail, even in the prison. And from prison to the streets and to the homes.”
Wilzproductions posted: “Again I ask, can they try this with Islam?”
Drippygold_Photpgraphy said: “the days are here, the end times are here. Lord help us to stand for you.”