A lobby of MKs is working in the Knesset "to promote ties
with Christian communities around the world." The two
chairmen of the lobby are MK Yair Peretz (Shas) and MK Yuri
Stern (HaIchud HaLeumi). Recently, the two sent Israeli
parents letters inside of pen and pencil cases provided by
Christian organizations, claiming the gift was intended "to
build friendship between Christians worldwide and Israel."
The heads of the anti-missionary department at Lev L'Achim
were astonished to discover a Knesset lobby is actively
seeking to establish ties with heavily-funded, well-connected
Christian communities whose only aim is to induce Jews to
abandon their religion and faith.
The list of Christian organizations the lobby wanted to
promote includes Bridges for Peace, Christian Friends of
Israel, the Christian Embassy and the Assembly of the Peoples
of Jerusalem. These organizations, under the veil of peace
initiatives, constantly preach about conversion and hold
various wide-scale missionary activities in Israel.
One of the lobby's recent activities was to distribute pen
and pencil cases to school children at the beginning of the
Israeli school year. An attached letter signed by MKs Peretz
and Stern says the lobby and the Christian organizations
worked in cooperation "in an effort to build friendship
between Christians worldwide and Israel."
Lev L'Achim is calling on MKs, party heads and the Knesset
Chairman to announce the immediate disbandment of this lobby
and the severance of all Knesset ties and support of
Christian missionary organizations. Several efforts have been
made in recent weeks to make MK Peretz aware of the gravity
of collaborating with such dangerous organizations, but to no
avail.
Peretz claims the letters were indeed printed but not sent
out to parents. "I ask that the matter not be publicized so
that it is not discovered the letters were not sent," he
said, but an inquiry by Lev L'Achim's anti-missionary
department found the letters had been placed in the pen and
pencil cases and distributed to children at various schools
around the country.
