Residents of the religious town of Hashmonaim, northwest of Jerusalem, found Christian missionary flyers in and around their mailboxes on Wednesday morning.
The flyers, which were designed to appear as newspapers titled "Important News", feature a mock news article reporting the return of "the Messiah" from the dead. Later on, the flyer continues to promise salvation for those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Both Hebrew and English versions of the flyer were found, though it is unknown who stands behind the flyers, it would seem that they know that the town is home to a large English-speaking population.
Christian missionary work is a common issue in Israel; pamphlets, flyers, booklets, and copies of the New Testament are commonly left in public places such as parks, bus stops, and even synagogues across the country. Many parents fear that their children may come across such material.
In January, anticipating that missionaries will be taking advantage of the fifth coronavirus wave to reach out to bored youngsters quarantined at home, Yad L’Achim distributed a special film warning parents to protect their children and monitor online materials they are exposed to. This came after Eitan Bar, one of the leading missionaries in Israel, openly proclaimed that it would be used to preach Christianity.
“Our government here in Israel announced another lockdown, a total lockdown of the country,” he said. “No one can leave his home, no one can go to work. All anyone can do, more or less, is to tune into YouTube and watch videos. This makes us very happy because we are on YouTube all the time spreading the Christian gospel.”