Messianic Jews under great pressure Israel

In the declaration of independence of the State of Israel in 1948 one of the statements is that the State of Israel would guarantee freedom of religion. In reality however, life gets problematic when you openly confess believing in Jesus Christ. Many Jews will consider you a traitor of the Jewish faith. A well-know saying is: “Hitler physically killed Jews, while the Christians want to kill the Jewish soul”. If a Jew in Israel beliefs in Jesus (Yeshua), he does not become a Christian, but stays Jewish.

Many ‘messianic Jews’ testify about the richness they experience through the New Testament. Nowadays there are about 15.000 messianic Jews in Israel and over a hundred groups and congregations.

For most believers there are great consequences for confessing Jesus. By family and friends, in the workplace, at school and in all other areas of social life this is not accepted. There even is an organization nowadays, called Yad L’achim, of Ultra Orthodox Jews, that prosecutes the believers in Israel (see photo). They accuse believers of wanting to destroy the Jewish identity. In all parts of the country the conflict is intensifying. At some messianic churches, for example in Ashdod, Jerusalem, Arad and Beersheva, large groups of ultra Orthodox Jews gather to demonstrate, sometimes with hundreds of people at the time. Slogans are being shouted against the believers.

At first only individual believers seemed to be under attack, but lately it turned out that this organization is also tied to government-officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.  He is trying to fight against the prosecution of messianic Jews. A recently aired tv-program shows all aspects of these problems. Watch the program here. The author of this article is the chairman of ‘Comite Gemeentehulp Israel’.

1. A panel-discussion with advocates and opponents of these recent developments.
2. Who are messianic Jews?
3. What is Yad L’Achim?