Posted on 06/29/2020 9:25:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Israel has decided to remove the U.S.-based evangelical Christian station GOD TV from the Israeli cable television provider HOT due to claims that it was trying to evangelize Jews.
Asher Biton, chairman of Israel’s Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council, said he told the station last Thursday that it has seven days to halt broadcasting.
“The channel appeals to Jews with Christian content,” stated Biton, as reported by the Associated Press, claiming that the station’s “original request” was to be a “station targeting the Christian population.”
The GOD TV station for Israel, known as Shelanu, has denied that it is in violation of its terms. Ron Cantor, God TV regional director in Israel, told the Messianic Jewish news site Kehila News the allegations against the station are “simply not true.”
“From the first day we met with HOT, it was very clear what we wanted to broadcast: Messianic Jews sharing their faith in Yeshua in a variety of ways, from interviews, to music, to personal stories. And that’s what we do to this day,” stated Cantor.
“Our content providers are Israelis. Sabras. Serving in the Army. Paying their taxes. And we are people of integrity. If we really lied to get a license, of course we would have been caught. It does not make sense. It goes against everything we teach.”
In April, GOD TV launched a Hebrew-language channel on Israeli cable TV called Shelanu, under the condition that it not engage in missionary activities among non-Christian Jews. It had been given a seven-year license from the Israeli Communications Ministry.
Soon after it began airing programming, accusations were made that the station was trying to proselytize Jews, with GOD TV CEO Ward Simpson addressing the matter last month.
“The governing authorities that manage these things have been receiving numerous complaints about our content and about different things with the channel, especially as it relates to the rules and regulations of what can and cannot be said on TV in Israel,” stated Simpson at the time.
“As far as we have been told, the [Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council] would like to shut down the channel. We have a great team of lawyers over there, probably the best in Israel. So they are working with the council now to try and figure out what to do.”
Simpson insisted that the channel was not trying to convert Jews to become Christians. "Our attorneys and our staff over there have all told me that we are in compliance and that we are following the rules and regulations, that we are legal and that there is no way that they can really pull us off the air because we haven’t done it," he said then.
Back in the mid 90s, a friend and me saw a tractor trailer go down Cherry Road in Rock Hill, SC with “Guaranteed Overnight Delivery” with the first letter in bold.
I don’t think I saw another one since.
RE: If you don’t believe Jesus is the Messiah, what’s the Big Deal ??!! I don’t believe in the Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy or leprechauns, but I’m not offended by someone who does
Yep, this is the same as Atheists in the USA wanting to outlaw all faith expressions in our public spaces ( Schools, Courts, etc. ).
If you don’t believe in God or the Christian faith, no one is forcing you to believe or pray or participate in any faith based assembly.
I read plenty. The questions is: did you read the article?
The article is about a religious-neutral obligation on broadcasters Israel to forbid attempts to convert any person under the age of 18 to any religion.
The real reason for the obligation is because weird cults come to Israel and seek converts. Most notably, violent sects of Islam seek to radicalize Arab citizens of Israel.
But there are many others: weird anti-Zionist Jewish sects, fundamentalist Mormons, bizarre Nazarene cults, Scientologist, you name it.
Israel has freedom of religion. So, in order to pass Constitutional muster, the rule must forbid ALL religions’ attempt to convert those under age 18.
Are you angry that Nazarene’s are included in this ban?
Benny Hinn? What a classy TV station.
Even I know that fraud.
Would have been better off with Benny Hill.
LOL, they could have “Yakety Sax” playing in the background of the sermons.
Really? Thank you for explaining to me what I should and should not be offended by. I am always offended when ANYONE pushes their beliefs on people... ESPECIALLY fraudulently. Sounds like Israeli TV is on the ball and dumped them. It’s always about attraction, not promotion... Just be honest about it.
You owe me 15 minutes of my life.
I went down a serious duckduckgo hole looking at these idiots.
Apparently the founder of this channel cheated on his wife with a jazz singer, got a demon pushed out of him by Benny Hinn (ha).
I guess it came back because he ran off to South Africa to continue said affair with the jazz singer (who is a hard-looking blonde), and now lives in Germany with the jazz singer.
And this channel is directed to kids.
Classy people — and very good at manipulating people, too.
Look at the good Freepers falling for their “persecuted Christian” shtick right here on this thread.
You have the same spirit as the Left.
And the music over the closing credits could be another Boots classic, "Big Daddy".
You might want to read the thread.
You have the same spirit as e in NYC, and the Left.I read the thread.
You.
OK, so you are upset that a channel run by fraudsters and fronted by Benny Hinn runs afoul of a neutral law in Israel that prevents the targeting of children by cults?
Um, OK.
Your taking the time to comment on my words is, by definition, you pushing your beliefs on me. I don’t mind, and I’m not offended. I don’t see why you would mind either.
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