BICOM

The Knesset yesterday passed second and third readings of a controversial bill, which supporters say will increase the transparency of NGOs mainly funded by foreign governments, making them more accountable over influence from abroad.

Following an often heated six-hour debate, the NGO bill was approved by 57 to 48 votes. The new law, which was proposed by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, has the backing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It will require NGOs which receive more than half of their funding from foreign governments to state as such to the official NGO registrar and on all official publications, or else face a fine. The final version of the legislation omitted previously suggested measures, such as a special tag for NGO representatives when visiting the Knesset.

Netanyahu praised the new law, saying that it will “prevent an absurd situation in which foreign countries meddle in the internal affairs of Israel by funding NGOs and without the Israeli public’s knowledge”. Shaked similarly said that the legislation is a matter of national sovereignty, telling Reuters: “I expect countries (to) … try to influence Israel in a diplomatic path and not by funding millions of dollars or euros to NGOs that usually try to promote their views.”

The Justice Ministry estimates that the new law will apply to 27 NGOs, 25 of which are widely viewed as left-leaning human rights groups, which are routinely critical of government policy. It has led opponents to accuse the government of passing legislation which targets critics, rather than boost transparency. Meretz chair Zahava Galon said that the bill “isn’t enhancing the transparency” and that “the bill’s authors and promoters wish to shut the mouths of organisations that challenge government policy”.

One of the NGOs likely to be impacted by the new law, Peace Now, said that it would launch a Supreme Court appeal, noting that “pro-settler NGOs” receive “millions of dollars in donations” from private sources, but “will remain unaffected”.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) have released a statement opposing the passing of the bill, saying that the law “is intended to harm organisations that promote democracy”, and that whilst the language of the bill is less potent than the original draft, the “very existence of this law aims to harm and prevent a specific type of organisation from acting proudly for the sake of Israeli society”.