Church Leader Says Israel Safeguards Religious Liberty

The Rev. Dr. Arnold T. Olson of Minneapolis, Minn., a national leader in the Evangelical Church in the United States and an acknowledged authority on Israel, declared that "the government of Israel is strongly committed to the safeguarding of the principal of religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all legitimate church agencies in Israel."

Dr. Olson expressed this in a statement following a meeting with Israeli Ambassador Simcha Dinitz to discuss "the findings" of his visit to Israel April 18-25 where he met with 21 political and religious leaders including the Ministers of Justice and Religious Affairs, the Attorney General, the Archbishop of Jerusalem and missionaries. The visit, his sixth, was initiated, he said, after consultation with officials of the American Jewish Committee.

Dr. Olson, president of the Evangelical Free Church of America which has approximately 300,000 members, and vice-president of the World Bible Society, said reports in America’s secular and religious press during the past few weeks have caused an "unfavorable reaction" among Evangelicals who have long been friendly to Israel.

However, he said, the Minister of Justice assured him that "there are no plans to amend the Law of Return which would bar Jews who converted to Christianity from settling in Israel and that the Declaration of the State of Israel of May 14, 1948 includes the guarantee of religious freedom for all." He added there is no "threat" that missionaries, will be expelled.

Dr. Olson also said that "there is intimidation of missionaries and Christians of Jewish extraction even though it is contrary to government policy," but "the authorities are hard at work" against groups such as the Jewish Defense League, small groups of students and religious extremists.