Israeli ministers approve new restrictions on dovish groups

Israeli Cabinet ministers on Sunday gave preliminary approval to a bill that imposes new disclosure requirements on nonprofit groups that receive foreign funding – drawing accusations it is cracking down on pro-peace groups, rattling relations with Europe and deepening an increasingly toxic divide between liberal and hawkish Israelis. The legislature is expected to approve the bill as early as this week. The bill adopted on Sunday by the Israeli Cabinet’s Legislation Committee targets only the type of foreign funding that progressive NGOs receive, although these NGOs publicly state, in keeping with existing law, what the source of their funding is.

Representatives from such groups will have to a wear a tag while in the Knesset parliament.

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But for his part, Zionist Union party leader Isaac Herzog called the bill “a serious stain on democracy”, while his party colleague Nachman Shai warned that it would provide “ammunition to those calling for Israel’s isolation”. “Nonetheless, the fact that foreign governments, Palestinian foundations, and the European Union have chose to activate agents of change and organizations which act like moles in our midst in an effort to alter the country from within is chutzpah of the first order and certainly an undemocratic step”.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that the assailants were Mohammed Sabaaneh (17) and Nur Eddine Sabaaneh (23) from Qabatia near Jenin in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He said it was a black day for freedom of thought in Israel and that Israel’s enemies can thank the government for placing it together with some of the world’s darkest regimes.

“As someone who has worked all his life to improve the foreign relations of Israel, my conscience does not allow me to vote for the Bill”. The ambassador was reported as saying the bill is better suited for despotic regimes since it aims to discriminate against government critics. A spokesman for Faaborg-Anderson declined to comment on the report. The New Israel Fund, another group that supports liberal Israeli causes, said the bill would expand the “open season” on human rights activists.

Peace Now in a statement following the vote called the bill a “hate crime against democracy” and called on Shaked to “promote legislation requiring right-wing organizations to expose the millions they receive from private donors overseas and from the state budget”. They say the measure is a blatant attempt to stifle government critics.

On Saturday evening, dozens of left-wing activists protested against the bill across Shaked’s house in Tel Aviv, calling the bill a “witch hunt” that is aimed at silencing criticism on Israel by left-wing organizations.

On Friday, Israeli border guards shot dead a Palestinian woman who tried to ram a auto into them in the West Bank, shortly after a Palestinian was killed in clashes with Israeli forces near the border with the Gaza Strip.

“Instead of dealing with the violence of the radical right, they are putting up a smoke screen by picking on human rights groups in Israel”, he added.