"Christian Jews Arrested, Persecuted In Israel" - Ted Pike

CHRISTIAN JEWS ARRESTED, PERSECUTED IN ISRAEL
By Rev. Ted Pike
18 Dec 08

The state of Israel says "GO HOME!" to Christian Jews who want to
become citizens or to live as authentic, Holy Spirit-led believers in
Israel. Israel prohibits Christian Jews from becoming citizens. It
also forbids any Christian - whether Jew or Gentile - from sharing
Christianity with a minor or even buying an adult Jew a cup of coffee
in the course of their religious discussion!

In Israel's latest act of official anti-Christianity, a Messianic
Jewish couple was arrested and detained for over eight hours - in what
the husband described as a "particularly dirty, smelly and
overcrowded" detention facility - because of their faith.

The Jerusalem Post:

A director of the US Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations and
his wife were detained Sunday at Ben-Gurion Airport by Interior
Ministry officials amid allegations he is involved in illegal
Christian missionary activity. It is illegal in Israel to proselytize
among minors.  It is also prohibited to engage in missionary
activities among adults when economic incentives are offered…

After over eight hours of detention, Jamie Cowen, a former
president of the union, and his wife, Stacy, were permitted to enter
Israel only after they agreed to sign a document that they would not
engage in missionary activities during their stay…The Interior
Ministry, which directed the police to arrest the Cowens, said they
had classified information regarding missionary activity.

Cowen, who is also a U.S. immigration lawyer, comments: "This type of
religious discrimination would be expected of Iran, not Israel…In the
US we imprison individuals suspected of terrorism. Here apparently one
can be jailed for his religious convictions. This is a case of blatant
discrimination against basic rights." ("Messianic Jews detained at
Ben-Gurion," The Jerusalem Post, Dec. 14, 2008)

To Obey or Not Obey in Israel

In the Book of Acts, apostles Peter and John were similarly detained
by Jewish authorities. Like the Cowens, they were warned that if they
continued to witness for Christ they would be flogged and imprisoned -
a much worse fate than simply being denied entry to Israel. Unlike the
Cowens, they did not agree to be silent and deny their Lord. They were
subsequently flogged and imprisoned. (Acts 4, 5) They would not insult
the Holy Spirit's right to guide their actions at any time, anywhere,
even in a land where it is illegal to witness for Christ.

Today, the government of Israel requires any Christian who wants to
live there unimprisoned to insult the Holy Spirit. That Christian must
ignore God's prompting to speak or teach. The Cowens were told to
leave their freedom of speech and the Holy Spirit at the Tel Aviv
airport. This is the worst moral assault on any true Christian -
assault on his conscience and openness to God's guidance. God's Holy
Spirit yearns to use the Cowens and all believers visiting Israel to
help save lost Israelis, young and old. Now such souls may go to hell.

For the privilege of entering the "holy land" and visiting their
daughters, the Cowens, like millions of visiting evangelicals every
year, agreed to Israel's anti-Christ terms of silence.

Colossal Ingratitude

Ironically, the Cowens aren't even racists or political subversives!
Hardly. They are dedicated backers of Israel with an impressive record
of support for Jewish charities. "Cowen said he had visited Israel
about 10 times, and had been active in social causes via the Knesset
Social Lobby. 'I've brought $100,000 in humanitarian aid to Israel.
We've provided lone IDF soldiers with about $50,000 in aid.' Of the
slap in the face which Israel gave him for his altruism, Cowen says,
'This is unbelievable.'"

The US Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, over which Cowen
formerly presided, "has 90 member congregations with membership
ranging between 50 and 400 per congregation . . ."  The government of
Israel understands Cowen's influence and that their harassment of him
could send shockwaves among evangelicals. Yet the Interior Ministry,
increasingly inhabited by ultra-Orthodox Jews, only cares about ending
Christian evangelism in Israel, not about world opinion.

The government of Israel, as well as local governing bodies, continues
to silently look the other way as Messianic Jews in Israel endure
continuous and increasing harassment, persecution and even violence.
Official anti-Christianity is documented via many graphic video clips
by the oppressed Messianics at their websites. [1]

Israel's mistreatment of the Cowens is a reminder that Israel, despite
its propaganda, is not a democracy. "Calev Myers, founder and chief
counsel of The Jerusalem Institute, which provides legal advice and
representation to messianic Jews, said, 'Israel is the only Western
country where basic freedom of religion is denied.'"

Israeli Thought Police

Many evangelicals, led by "Israel-first" fanatics like Pastor John
Hagee, believe (evidently like the Cowens) that tireless love,
blessing, and financial gifts will soften Israel's anti-Christianity.
The behavior of the increasingly Orthodox government proves otherwise.
Israel is developing into an anti-Christian police state, feeding on
tips from Orthodox informers. The Post quotes anti-missionary
spokesman Meyer Cohen saying the Interior Ministry now has its own
intelligence unit to spy on missionaries and Messianic Jews. Calev
Myers says, "anti-missionary associations such as Yad Le'achim often
tipped off Interior Ministry officials regarding messianic Jews
attempting to enter the country." Israel, taking off her smiling mask,
emerges as an ominous "speech crime" gestapo on the make.

In the United States and through world governing bodies, the
Anti-Defamation League, chief PR rep for Israel, works tirelessly to
conform the rest of the world to what they view as the Israeli ideal.
ADL wants to make the whole world like Israel - a place where it will
become a federal crime for anyone to witness for Jesus Christ in
print, on the airwaves, the internet, or just on the street corner.

ADL wants Christians in heartland America, as in Israel, to face
arrest and imprisonment for the "hate crime" of leading anyone to
Christ. When those converted are Jews, ADL ups the ante to the crime
of "anti-Semitism," a crime against the Jewish people which
conceivably could lead to deportation and imprisonment in Israel,
fulfilling Christ's prophecy (Luke 21:12). [2]

Holding the Holy Land Hostage

For millennia, the "holy land" has been viewed as owned by God, a
place for individuals of all faiths to find inspiration, to visit or
live in. Now Israel holds it hostage as if it belongs only to Talmudic
Jews.  The government legislates not only against Christians and
Moslems but even Jews who believe in Jesus. The Post says, "The
[Israeli] Supreme Court has ruled that Jews who embraced Christianity
are not eligible for Israeli citizenship."

When will evangelical visitors to Israel stop caving to Israel's
demands that they not witness?  When will Christians, like the
apostles in Acts, resolve to speak only as the Holy Spirit leads,
regardless of the price? After all, authentic Christianity is about
pleasing God alone, not man. If Christians do not defy Israeli law, as
did the apostles, even to the point of going to prison, Israel's
anti-Christian aggression will only increase.

It's time for Christians to do what has heretofore been unthinkable to
them.

Say to Israel, "We must obey God, rather than men." (Acts 5:29)


Endnotes:

1. See Lura Maimon Beckford's website at http://kingsmenarad.com/.

2. See ADL's Foxman: New Testament is Anti-Semitic at
truthtellers.org, February 15, 2006.


Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a
Christian/conservative watchdog organization.

TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this topic. Call (503)
631-3808.

National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas, OR 97015
http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/christianjewsarrestedisrael.htm
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