Banning All Missionary Activity Inside Israel

prevent hilonim from falling the missionary groups traps.

The best protection against that is Torah education and observance.

That’s an extremely complicated issue, with ramifications you probably didn’t fully think through.

Because such a ban would also prohibit all forms of “Kiruv”, which, as seen by the hiloni ruling class, involves socially undesirable Orthodox Jews conducting missionary activities aimed at non-religious Israelis. To most secular Israelis (who are atheists, and very committed to that belief), the Christian missionaries are non-threatening and more amusing and deluded than anything else whereas the frum “missionaries” have a serious record of causing many Jewish youth to go off the zionist derekh and embrace the “yoke of Torah and Mitsvos” (the “yoke” which the zionist anthem sings about being free of). We should remember that to frum Jews, who accept the existence of a creator, the Christians are at least “serious”, but to most secular Jews anyone supporting the idea of a “creator” or “ruler” of the universe is totally off his rocker.

There seems to be a belief that all non-frum Jews in Israel are atheists. But from my experience and from the number of Israelis who observe some mitzvos, that isn’t the case. For instance, the majority of Jews in Israel fast on Yom Kippur (see the YWN article on this last fall). The militant atheists are a small fraction of hilonim. Most fall into the “spiritual but not religious” classification, i.e. they believe in a Deity, in right and wrong, the existence of a soul, etc. but don’t affiliate with any established religion. In Israel, most identify as Jews and keep many traditional practices, but don’t care to join up to a fully-observant lifestyle. Take a look at how successful kiruv efforts have been, and how many children of non-chareidi parents are going to religious schools.

In fact, one could think that the strident, in-your-face attitude and political involvement of the most visible Hareidi groups might have some off-putting influence on Israelis, who for very good reasons are skeptical of politics in general. And looking down on them because “they’re all atheists” isn’t going to be much of a draw either.

And akuperman – the “yoke” in HaTikvah” isn’t the yoke of Torah, it’s the yoke of non-Jewish political domination and persecution. Get acquainted with modern Jewish history so you know what you’re being leitz about.

The most narrow question here is how does a democratic state which guarantees freedom of thought and expression implement a broad prohibition on what is “protected free speech”. To whom does it apply, under what circumstances, what is considered “missionary activity” versus simply expressing a view regarding religious beliefs? Not sure it is remotely feasible absent narrow cases of individuals needing protection (aka children, developmentally disabled etc.) who cannot decide for themselves.

Gadolhadorah – that is exactly the problem. How, in a democracy, do you enact laws that limit religious freedom in general, or for certain specific groups? Most democracies currently regard religion as an area that is strictly “hands off” for government regulation. The supporters of the missionary groups would be very quick to take action. Remember that we’re a tiny minority in the US, so we couldn’t count on the US Congress to help us.

And what about missionizing non-Jews? A Xtian missionizing a Muslim? Muslims missionizing Xtians? Either one trying to missionize a Druze? It gets very, very complicated.

zdad- Those Jews left practicing Judaism due to financial pressures, or a desire to join American/European culture, not an institutionalized antipathy for God and his Torah.