Israel Passes Law Targeting Human Rights Groups

[Tennis]

JERUSALEM—Israel’s parliament has passed a controversial law that increases the regulation of many Israeli human rights organizations.

The law approved by a vote of 57 to 48 on Monday targets groups that receive more than half their funding from foreign governments or political organizations. In practice, the law will affect liberal groups almost exclusively because hawkish groups in Israel largely rely on donations from wealthy individuals, which are exempt.

The law requires organizations to state that they rely on foreign funding in all communication with public officials and on television, newspapers, billboards and online. Representatives of these groups must also declare they depend on foreign contributions to the heads of parliamentary committees when participating in meetings. Failure to comply will result in fines.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly supported the legislation, saying there is nothing anti-democratic about requiring transparency so the public is aware of the role of foreign governments in funding these groups.

Opponents of the law argued that the Netanyahu government was trying to target liberal human rights organizations that are critical of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians.

Lawmaker Robert Ilatov of the hard-line nationalist Israel Beitenu party said he co-sponsored the law because “intervention in Israel’s internal affairs is not acceptable.”

Previous versions of the bill would have labeled the groups as foreign agents and allowed Israel to tax donations received from foreign governments. One particularly contentious proposal that was later dropped would have required representatives of these groups to wear identification tags while they were in Israel’s Knesset, or parliament.

During a debate late Monday that lasted several hours, Israeli opposition lawmakers heaped criticism on the legislation even though it had been toned down.

Opposition lawmaker Nachman Shai of the Zionist Union party said, “We will pay for this damage for many generations.”

Other opposition lawmakers compared the measure to authoritarian policies in Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The so-called NGO law was approved despite strong criticism from abroad.

German lawmaker Volker Beck, chairman of the German-Israeli Parliamentary Friendship Group, wrote on Facebook Monday that the law would “tarnish the reputation” of Israel.

Israeli media has reported that nearly all of the Israeli groups that receive more than half their funding from foreign governments are human rights organizations identified with the left.

The anti-settlement group Peace Now announced it will challenge the law in Israel’s Supreme Court.

“While the law will delegitimize left-wing organizations, pro-settler NGOs who receive millions of dollars in foreign donations without any transparency will remain unaffected,” the group said.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/israel-p...ups-1468311079

Wow this is beyond sad. It's time to start debating sanctions because it's really getting out of hand. Not even human rights groups are free from oppression now?

[Super Friendly Kitty Cat]

It doesn't surprise me.

Israel is wholly practicing genocide against the Palestinian people.

[Polyxo]

It doesn't surprise me.

Israel is wholly practicing genocide against the Palestinian people.

That's a little hyperbolic. It's not wholly genocide. They're not trying to wholesale exterminate Palestinians.

They are, however, absolutely guilty of Serbian style ethnic cleansing, where they're essentially purging and annexing territory piecemeal as they want to use it.

[oxymoronic]

It doesn't surprise me.

Israel is wholly practicing genocide against the Palestinian people.

wow.. made up things like this are allowed at mmoc? im shocked.

[chrisfover87]

This is their internal affairs. I am sure they dont give a shit about "criticism from abroad."

[Tennis]

It doesn't surprise me.

Israel is wholly practicing genocide against the Palestinian people.

Yeah. It's pretty sad what they're doing. Ridiculous how much land they've been stealing let alone talk about the blockages and human rights violations.

[Berengil]

Transparency is fine, but let's not kid ourselves about Bibi's motives.

[Julian5]

Am I missing something? Far as I can tell, the law just means you have to say you are funded by other governments if you indeed are. I don't see the issue with that?

[Zaydin]

This is their internal affairs. I am sure they dont give a shit about "criticism from abroad."

Now if only Israel would keep its nose out of other countries affairs.

See when Baby Netanyahu spoke before Congress to whine about how horrible it was to negotiate with Iran.

[Rennadrel]

It doesn't surprise me.

Israel is wholly practicing genocide against the Palestinian people.

Keep grasping for those straws.

[Tennis]

Keep grasping for those straws.

Are you going to address the article the OP posted or just not contribute to the thread and derail it?

[Super Friendly Kitty Cat]

Keep grasping for those straws.

So you are for Israel restricting and limiting Human Rights Groups?

[Rennadrel]

So you are for Israel restricting and limiting Human Rights Groups?

I am for Israel doing whatever needs to be done to protect their sovereignty. I am tired of little runts like you trying to make Israel out to be some big bad wolf meanwhile thinking it's OK for Hamas to continue firing rockets at Israel and murdering Jews.

[Polyxo]

I am for Israel doing whatever needs to be done to protect their sovereignty. I am tired of little runts like you trying to make Israel out to be some big bad wolf meanwhile thinking it's OK for Hamas to continue firing rockets at Israel and murdering Jews.

Are we really going to pretend Qassam rockets are an existential threat worth a major military? Western New York gets deadlier snowstorms a few times a year. We don't bomb Canada for their firewood and snow shovels.

[Theodarzna]

Good on Israel, I love that wonderful country, solid sexy ass people over there.



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Are we really going to pretend Qassam rockets are an existential threat worth a major military? Western New York gets deadlier snowstorms a few times a year. We don't bomb Canada for their firewood and snow shovels.

No other country would be asked to tolerate rockets randomly fired into their country. How about Israel just return fire, 1 shit rocket for shit rocket? Is that proportional for you?

[Super Friendly Kitty Cat]

I am for Israel doing whatever needs to be done to protect their sovereignty. I am tired of little runts like you trying to make Israel out to be some big bad wolf meanwhile thinking it's OK for Hamas to continue firing rockets at Israel and murdering Jews.

Your rhetoric sounds like you are for the genocide and oppression of a native people, the Palestinians.

Your statements seem really evil. I hope you see the light one day.

[Tennis]

I am for Israel doing whatever needs to be done to protect their sovereignty. I am tired of little runts like you trying to make Israel out to be some big bad wolf meanwhile thinking it's OK for Hamas to continue firing rockets at Israel and murdering Jews.

So you think it's okay for Israel to crush human rights group?

Wow!

[Independent voter]

We can't read the article since it's behind a paywall.

[Seranthor]

It doesn't surprise me.

Israel is wholly practicing genocide against the Palestinian people.

if they were trying to 'practice' genocide on the Palestinians then they aren't doing it very well... You would have thought that after everything that has happened to them they'd know damn well HOW to do it.

[araine]

Thats israel for you, not exactly surprised.

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So you think it's okay for Israel to crush human rights group?

Wow!

fascism have no limits on how much they are willing to do to destroy freedoms, fascism cant not live without destroying freedom