The Finance Committee held a discussion this morning (Tuesday) to approve NGOs for tax-deduction status on donations under Israel's Section 46 (the approximate equivalent of the USA's 501c3). As part of the discussion, a list of NGOs that were to receive the benefit was reviewed.
Among the NGOs was the organization The United Middle East, which defines among its objectives the promotion of Messianic Judaism. Following a petiton by the organization B'Tsalmo, Finance Committee chairman, MK Hanoch Milwidsky (Likud), ordered that the NGO not be brought to the agenda, and it did not receive approval.
Yesterday B'Tsalmo's CEO, Shai Glick, sent a letter to the committee chairman and its members, in which he strongly opposed granting the benefit. The letter stated that this is clearly missionary activity, indirectly funded by public money.
In his letter Glick emphasized that the NGO's objectives include, among others, "spreading the Messianic gospel". He claimed that an examination of the NGO's bylaws shows that Article 5 of its objectives explicitly states "spreading the Messianic gospel according to the Scriptures", as well as establishing prayer communities and producing educational materials identified with Messianic Christianity.
The petition wrote, "The State of Israel, as a Jewish and democratic state, should not grant an economic incentive to an organization whose declared purpose is religious proselytizing and conversion". B'Tsalmo emphasized that granting a tax benefit constitutes an indirect subsidy of activity that offends the sentiments of the majority of the public in Israel.
The letter recalls that over the years the Finance Committee unanimously opposed granting tax benefits to missionary NGOs. Glick quoted remarks from a similar debate in 2020, in which opposition leader Yair Lapid said, "this tax exemption is approval of funding" for organizations whose purpose is to induce Jews to abandon their faith, and also quoted MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ), who said that the committee opposes approving concessions for missionary NGOs.
It was also noted that the Knesset legal adviser previously supported denying the benefit due to a "deep public controversy."
Following these statements committee members announced that they would vote against it. The committee chairman announced the withdrawal of the vote regarding the NGO.
Shay Glick said, "I thank Committee Chairman and MK Gafni who worked tirelessly to cancel the tax benefit for this NGO. The State of Israel is committed to fighting for its Jewish identity. Those who harm that Jewish identity and work to spread Messianic Judaism do not deserve to receive benefits and gifts from the State of Israel."