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GOD TV broadcasts spiritual content material in round 200 international locations (Representational)
Jerusalem:
Israel’s media watchdog stated Sunday that it had withdrawn the published licence from US-based evangelical community GOD TV, accusing it of searching for to focus on Jews with Christian content material.
Worldwide Christian community’s GOD TV launched its Shelanu (Hebrew for “ours”) channel on the finish of April on Israeli cable supplier Sizzling, describing it as catering to Christians.
However the channel provoked an instantaneous outcry in Israel, with then-communications minister David Amsalem accusing it of being a “missionary channel” searching for to transform Jews to Christianity.
The Cable and Satellite tv for pc Broadcasting Council launched an investigation to find out if GOD TV had misrepresented its content material when it utilized for a licence.
Council chairman Asher Bitton stated on Sunday that following the probe and a listening to, he had knowledgeable Sizzling that Shelanu broadcasts should be eliminated inside seven days.
“The channel is aimed toward Jews with Christian content material, in distinction to the unique broadcast request, which said it was designated for Christians,” Bitton stated in a council assertion.
It stated {that a} Christian channel for Jews wouldn’t be robotically disqualified sooner or later, however that it must search council approval, which Shelanu had not finished.
Sizzling might file a brand new request for Shelanu that would come with “a truthful and detailed” characterisation of the channel, the assertion added.
A spokeswoman for Sizzling stated that the corporate was “cooperating with the council and can act in accordance with its choices on the matter”.
In a single promotional clip for Shelanu, GOD TV director Ward Simpson tells viewers, “we’re going to evangelise the Jewish Jesus to the nation of Israel… they’re going to listen to the gospel introduced to them of their native tongue”.
In a separate on-line video response to the criticism, he acknowledged that “proselytising in Israel is a really sensitive topic” however went on to say that preaching about Jesus was a mission.
GOD TV broadcasts spiritual content material in round 200 international locations and claims to have a number of hundred million viewers.
Israel enjoys vigorous assist from evangelical actions in the US however retains a lid on missionary work within the Holy Land.
Whereas Israeli legislation solely expressly forbids the giving of cash or items to encourage conversions to a different faith, missionary actions normally are carefully monitored by the authorities and are offensive to many Israelis.
Based on Israeli authorities knowledge, round two % of the inhabitants is Christian, primarily Arabs.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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