Baha'i Israel Relations

In some respects, Israel is a non-state to the Baha’is, because Israel is the only country in the world for which the Baha’i leadership has decided that no national Baha’i community must be formed. So, there are no Israeli Baha’is living in Israel, and the Baha’is abstain from proselytising in Israel. The Baha’i staff and their families are also not permitted by the Israeli authorities to do paid work in Israel (according to their visas, the staff are considered to be foreign “priests”).

As part of the agreement, the Baha’i World Centre has submitted a summary of the planned investment programme for the construction of the buildings in the Arc and the terraces of the Shrine of the Bab and for renovations and beautification of other Baha’i property in Haifa and Akko. Including the ongoing costs of the Baha’i World Centre operations, the total sum was estimated to be USD 166 million for the ten-year period 1988–1997. Because of its positive effect on tourism, this investment programme was classified by the Israeli government as an “Approved Project”, which entitled it to be exempt from customs and VAT. These benefits amounted to 18.8% of the money invested. In addition, the Israeli government noted that the Baha’i World Centre pays one third of the normal municipal taxes and found this to be a satisfactory arrangement

The Haifa office of Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed that they were very satisfied with the Baha’i mission policy in Israel, so this undoubtedly contributes to the smooth relationship with the Israeli government. This positive relationship has also been confirmed when Israeli prime ministers have made official visits to the Baha’i World Centre; for example, Yitzhak Rabin did so on 13 June 1994.

(Citizens of the World - A History and Sociology of the Baha’is from a Globalisation Perspective by Margit Warburg)