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From: 	 heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: 	 Wednesday, June 18, 1997 1:07 AM
To: 	 Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: NETANYAHU WILL OPPOSE "ANTI-MISSIONARY" 


From:          "LaSarge, Paul A" <Paul.Lasarge@HSV.Boeing.com>
To:            "'heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com'"
Subject:       FW: NETANYAHU WILL OPPOSE "ANTI-MISSIONARY" BILL


I thought my fellow Rooters might be pleased with this article.

Shalom,
Paul LaSarge

>
>NETANYAHU WILL OPPOSE 'ANTI-MISSIONARY' BILL
>
>Christians concerned about a bill under Israeli Knesset consideration which 
>seeks to outlaw religious literature can rest assured -- Prime Minister
>Binyamin Netanyahu has undertaken to see it does not pass into law.
>
>In a letter written to an American Christian leader supportive of Israel,
>Netanyahu wrote on June 3: "It has come to my attention that a bill before
>the Israeli parliament concerning possession of missionary literature has
>created a stir among our many Christian friends in the United States.
>
>"... The government strenuously objects to this bill and will act to ensure
>that it does not pass."
>
>Up to now the government's position, stated through its diplomatic missions
>abroad,  has been that the bill was a private initiative and did not have
>government support.
>
>Opponents, however, pointed out that at least one cabinet member, Finance
>Minister Dan Meridor, reportedly supported the bill, and called for an
>unequivocal rejection by the Israeli government. Netanyahu's statement in
>the letter (a copy of which is in our possession) appears unambiguously to
>meet that requirement.
>
>Netanyahu also explained how the bill had passed its preliminary reading:
>"With fewer than 30 Knesset members present at the session, the bill
>succeeded in passing its preliminary reading in the Knesset. But to become
>law, it must pass three additional readings."
>
>Critics of the bill have argued that it is blatantly undemocratic and could
>lead to state-sponsored religious censorship.
>
>The preliminary reading proposed that it be made an offence "to hold,
>print, copy, distribute or hand out [any kind of literature] in which there
>is any form of an effort to persuade another to change his religion".
>Offenders would face a year in jail.
>
>

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