Mention Jesus and go to jail – Israeli lawmakers
An African man has taken to Facebook to talk about a new law that Israel is about to enact, which would ban people from talking about Jesus Christ.
In the video, the man explains that Israel has either passed or is about to pass a bill that would prohibit people from discussing Jesus Christ, preaching about Him, or even posting about Him on social media. Those who violate this law could face imprisonment.
“This is happening in Israel, not Africa,” he emphasizes, before addressing Christians in Africa who may carry religion on their head but still commit sins in its name.
On March 24, 2023, two Israeli Knesset members introduced a bill seeking to ban any efforts to tell people about Jesus. According to All Israel News, those who talk about Jesus in Israel would face at least one year in prison. If the conversation is with a minor, someone under the age of 18, the punishment would be two years imprisonment.
The bill’s primary objective 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. The bill would not only make a simple conversation about Jesus with another individual a crime but would also make it illegal to solicit someone to convert his or her religion, whether directly, digitally, by mail, or online.
As a result, producing and publishing online videos explaining the Gospel to Jewish or Muslim people in Israel, as well as publishing books, other printed literature, online articles, podcasts, or other forms of media that explain the life and ministry of Jesus and His message found in the New Testament, would become illegal. It would also be illegal to discuss the Gospel message via email, text messages, written letters, and/or on social media, including answering questions initiated by people who don’t follow Jesus.
The bill could spark 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. It could also draw sharp criticism from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, the executive branch, U.S. governors, and others who love Israel and have always stood with the Jewish state, but who 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 the new bill poses a massive threat to free speech, human rights, and religious freedom.
