U.S. Report Cites Religious Intolerance in Israel

The U.S. State Department’s 2010 International Religious Freedom Report, released November 17, found numerous violations of religious freedom in the State of Israel. While the Israeli Basic Law on Human Dignity and Liberty affords the protection of religious freedom to all individuals, the report cited a continuance of governmental and legal discrimination against non-Jews and non-Orthodox streams of Judaism.

The report cited cases handled by the Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) concerning illegal exclusion of citizenship and immigration rights to Jews holding Messianic convictions as well as attempts made by the Ministry of Interior (MOI) to deny services to and/or revoke the citizenship of persons adhering to such beliefs. The report highlighted the MOI’s blatant refusal to comply with an April 2008 High Court ruling, which granted citizenship to three Messianic Jews (a refusal which was overcome this year by a Contempt of Court Petition from JIJ).

In addition, instances of individuals being interrogated, detained and denied entry at the Ben-Gurion airport solely for religious reasons or on suspicion of so called "missionary activity" were also cited, while the report asserts the existence of MOI watch lists containing names of suspected individuals.

The report maintained that religious minorities, including, Evangelical Christians and Messianic Jews, continue to face harassment, assault, abuse, and persecution by radical Jewish activists and organizations, such as Yad L’Achim (anti-Missionary organization). Among the examples cited was the desecration of a Messianic congregation in Be’er Sheva along with the assaulting of its members by hundreds of Orthodox Jews.

Evidence of connections between Yad L’Achim and the MOI was found and cited within the report. “Yad L'Achim pressured landlords, employers, and MOI officials to assist its campaign against groups it deemed ‘dangerous cults,’" the report stated. Furthermore, the report reveals that Jewish terrorist, Yaakov (Jack) Teitel, who was arrested and charged in the bombing of the Ortiz residence, was indeed a member of Yad L’Achim and targeted the Ortiz family due to their Messianic beliefs.

With the increase of violations of religious freedom in the State of Israel, Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) plays a vital role in the fight against religious intolerance and discrimination of religious minorities. Having now handled over 390 cases including 17 Supreme Court victories, JIJ helps to combat the ultra-Orthodox hegemony in Israeli society and to advance Israel’s fledgling democracy. We believe that by doing so, we help to legitimize the Jewish State in the international community. Accordingly, while JIJ fights to preserve civil rights and religious freedom within the nation, it likewise continues to advocate for the State of Israel and enhance her foreign relations and public diplomacy worldwide. After all, regardless of the need to improve in areas of religious freedom, Israel is still the only democracy in the Middle East.

To access the U.S. State Department's 2010 International Religious Freedom report on Israel, press here.