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Israel shuts down missionary news channel

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
Israel orders Evangelical GOD TV off air

Israel's media watchdog said Sunday that it had withdrawn the broadcast license from U.S.-based Evangelical network GOD TV, accusing it of seeking to target Jews with Christian content.
International Christian network's GOD TV launched its Shelanu (Hebrew for "ours") channel at the end of April on Israeli cable provider HOT, describing it as catering to Christians.
But the channel provoked an immediate outcry in Israel, with then-communications minister David Amsalem accusing it of being a "missionary channel" seeking to convert Jews to Christianity.
The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council launched an investigation to determine if GOD TV had misrepresented its content when it applied for a license.
Council chairman Asher Bitton said on Sunday that following the probe and a hearing, he had informed Hot that Shelanu broadcasts must be removed within seven days.

To missionaries I say: we didn't wait nearly 2000 years to return to our land and live freely as Jews, only to have other religions attempt to turn us away from our religion.
 

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
To missionaries I say: we didn't wait nearly 2000 years to return to our land and live freely as Jews, only to have other religions attempt to turn us away from our religion.
Are Israeli Jews really that inclined to go Christian, that a TV channel can cause mayhem?

Maybe the problem is too much influence from the USA, overall? Aren't the Jews now naming cities and streets after Christian Americans?
Tom
 

Terry Sampson

Well-Known Member
From OP's link:
"Israel's media watchdog said Sunday that it had withdrawn the broadcast license from U.S.-based Evangelical network GOD TV, accusing it of seeking to target Jews with Christian content."

LOL! Gee, what blew its cover? GOD TV's "Mission Statement" maybe?
  • "This ministry exists to enable every television household to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ so that they may believe in Him, call upon His name, and be saved."
http://www.god.tv/about/thestory
 
Last edited:

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Israel has the right to determine who has a broadcast license.

As long as we feel the same way about Israel denying God TV from broadcasting as we would when Iran or Saudi Arabia do the same thing, my lips are sealed.
 

Debater Slayer

Vipassana
Staff member
Premium Member
Jewish, especially Zionist, nationalism and tribalism bear a striking resemblance to their Islamic and Christian counterparts. Replace "Jews" in the quote in the OP with "Muslims" or "Christians" and "Christian content" with "non-Islamic" or "non-Christian" content and you have a headline most befitting of a theocracy or dictatorship like Iran, Saudi Arabia, or Russia.

Israel is increasingly practicing what it pretends to oppose most in its neighboring states, from human rights abuses to religiously inspired censorship.
 

danieldemol

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Israel has the right to determine who has a broadcast license.

As long as we feel the same way about Israel denying God TV from broadcasting as we would when Iran or Saudi Arabia do the same thing, my lips are sealed.
Mine aren’t, just cause it may not be hypocritical doesn’t make it correct.
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
Are Israeli Jews really that inclined to go Christian, that a TV channel can cause mayhem?
The answer is two-fold:
a. Want of protecting the Jewish identity of Israel. As it says in the article, when the channel declared at first that it was aimed at Israeli Christians, no one said anything. Now that it turns out to be aimed at Jewish Israelis - that can cause problems for the Jewish identity of Israel. For this, Israel has some anti-missionary laws, but not enough, in my opinion.
b. Children in particular are easy targets and they may not necessarily change the channel. Likewise, I sometimes get missionary ads on YouTube. Easily impressionable children won't mute the ad or skip right over like I do.
 

Shaul

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I’ve heard they don’t allow pornographers to broadcast to their children either.
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
Jewish, especially Zionist, nationalism and tribalism bear a striking resemblance to their Islamic and Christian counterparts. Replace "Jews" in the quote in the OP with "Muslims" or "Christians" and "Christian content" with "non-Islamic" or "non-Christian" content and you have a headline most befitting of a theocracy or dictatorship like Iran, Saudi Arabia, or Russia.
I see. So ethnic groups don't have a right to self-determination? Or is it only allowed when their views are in line with yours?
 

danieldemol

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
The answer is two-fold:
a. Want of protecting the Jewish identity of Israel. As it says in the article, when the channel declared at first that it was aimed at Israeli Christians, no one said anything. Now that it turns out to be aimed at Jewish Israelis - that can cause problems for the Jewish identity of Israel. For this, Israel has some anti-missionary laws, but not enough, in my opinion.
b. Children in particular are easy targets and they may not necessarily change the channel. Likewise, I sometimes get missionary ads on YouTube. Easily impressionable children won't mute the ad or skip right over like I do.
(a) Is oppression.
(b) If you are allowing TV (or the internet) to raise your children by letting them watch unsupervised you have bigger problems than Christianity.
 

Debater Slayer

Vipassana
Staff member
Premium Member
I see. So ethnic groups don't have a right to self-determination? Or is it only allowed when their views are in line with yours?

It is only allowed when it doesn't encroach on the rights and freedoms of anyone, including minorities. The "self-determination" in this case merely consists in curtailing others' freedoms to be in line with the majority's beliefs--which I don't see as something any free country should do.
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
I see you're against free speech.
Tom
Yes, when it's a danger to the Jewish identity of Israel. Likewise, against people shouting "itbakh el yahud" and "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free".
 
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