Israel’s crucial reputation for freedom of religion

The thing that stands out the most, when traveling to Germany, several years ago, were the many locals who, came up to my husband and me to apologize for the atrocities which were done to the Jewish people by their fellow countrymen, over 80 years ago. It was heartwarming to hear their deep regret and the pain which they still bore, as they realized how despicable the acts of their forebears were to an entire ethnicity.

Evan Bernstein, vice-president of the Jewish Federations of North America imparts just how crucial it is for the strengthening of Judeo-Christian relations in order to insure a united future. As he relates a journey taken with Christian student leaders, over Chanukah, he emphasizes their “commitment and deeply personal support” to our land and its people, ending his article by the citing the need to strengthen the relationships and shared values between the two communities.

Despite the undeniable fact that Israel is the Jewish homeland, it has also been home to three major religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Consequently, it has always been imperative to maintain an immensely tolerant position, which allows for each faith-persuasion to feel the freedom and right to exist, without persecution by others, whose intolerance and fear is threatened by those they claim are interested in converting Jews.

As an ex-pat American, I’m all too familiar with Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, knocking on doors of our homes, in the hope to be welcomed in to share their faith with families. Most of us did not agree to engage with them, feeling that we were not interested in buying what they were selling.

Likewise, here in Israel, a great many of us are confronted at traffic light intersections, by ultra-Orthodox individuals, who attempt to hand out their literature while people, in their cars, are waiting for the light to turn green.  For those not interested, they simply do not roll down their windows. Because, in the end, it all comes down to freedom of choice.

In the live and let live ideology, each person decides on what they want to hear and what sounds right to them, but no matter what they choose, it is never their intention to hamper or interfere with those whose faith doesn’t comport with their own.

This, however, has not been the policy of some ultra-Orthodox, who have made their way to Christian or Messianic Jewish gatherings to harass, threaten or disrupt an event. Such a happening took place back in May, 2023, when Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Aryeh King, accompanied by a group of young Orthodox activists, attempted to disrupt an outdoor prayer time by mostly Christian tourists, who had come to the land to show their solidarity and support. The protest became violent, knocking down one Israeli participant to the ground while others were spit upon, as they shouted, “Missionaries go home.”

It is that kind of intolerance and bigotry which does not enhance Israel, as a country that guarantees the right of freedom for all religions. Instead, rather than strengthening ties, it causes deep divisions and fear for those at the receiving end who simply want the same freedoms enjoyed by their persecutors.  

This is being brought to your attention, because another such protest is being planned for January 27th in front of the Knesset, where organized groups are attempting to mobilize as many as possible to come against the Messianic Jewish community in Israel, a message which was received in the Amharic language which ran on social media.

While it is the prerogative of any Israeli to strongly disagree with someone’s faith, if such a protest is permitted to take place, it will hurt Israel’s reputation of defending all faiths, distinguishing it from other democracies. Under the guise of referring to its adherents as members of a cult, there is no basis for such a claim since there is no singular leader nor any obedience pledged to a system, all earmarks of a cult.  While religious leaders say that this protest is as an act of preserving the values and spirit of tradition, there are many different traditions and interpretations of the Jewish faith which should be respected by all.

Jews, who suffered centuries of persecution, at the hands of those who saw them as “others,” should be the last people to demonstrate and protest against any religious group, unless they are found to be breaking the laws of the State or doing something, by force, against the will of people. But given each person’s choice to tune them out or choose to listen, it goes against the grain of free democracies to allow persecution or protestation against a certain religious persuasion so long as they are living in accordance with the laws.  

At a time when Israel is being terribly maligned, accused of genocide, merely by defending herself, and on the receiving end of a hateful public relations campaign, coming from so many who barely tolerated us to begin with, this is no time to display a show of bigotry against the beliefs of those with whom they may not agree. The world is watching, and the last thing we need is yet another accusation, portraying us as being small-minded, fearful or exclusive.

Israel must remain a well-represented tapestry of faiths, cultures, persuasions and styles, even if they are the minority in the midst of a Jewish-oriented homeland whose official language is Hebrew. If Orthodox Judaism cannot find a way to embrace the reality of these differences, allowing for them to exist peacefully, then it should not be the representative faith of a country who continues to demand tolerance and acceptance of all others.

This planned protest, scheduled for January 27th should be cancelled by those who are able to overrule individuals who care less about Israel’s reputation, on the world’s stage, than their own inability to absorb the differences around them.

It’s worth remembering that faith is a personal conviction, with which no one should interfere. It is an intimate choice made before one’s conscience and their God.  

Of course, anyone can register a complaint to authorities if they consider themselves the victim of coercion or force, interfering with their religious preferences, but if it’s just a matter of trying to silence a belief or exiling its adherents from their country, then they would be advised to adopt the “live and let live” policy, whereby each person decides to listen or simply not roll down their window.