Mohammed Mar'i Saudi Gazette RAMALLAH — Rightist Israeli Knesset members submitted a new version of a controversial bill that aims to limit foreign funding of left-wing organizations that support the prosecution of Israeli officers in international courts or campaign for boycotting Israeli institutions or products. The Israel Channel 10 television said that Ayelet Shaked of Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home) and Yisrael Beytenu faction chairman Robert Ilatov of Likud-Beiteinu submitted the bill to the Knesset Tuesday. The bill specifies a limit of 20,000 Israeli shekel ($5,500) in funding from foreign government entities if an NGO falls foul of certain limitations on its activities. According to the bill, NGOs may not receive contributions of over 20,000 shekel from a “foreign political entity” if the organization, its members, a member of its management or one of its employees calls for IDF soldiers to be brought to international courts, calls for boycotts, divestment or sanctions (BDS) of Israel or its citizens, denies Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state, incites to racism or support armed combat by an enemy state or terrorist organization against Israel. The bill, based on two proposals from 2011 that never made it to the Knesset floor, was inspired by reports from the Zionist advocacy NGO Im Tirtzu organization that revealed the extent of foreign state funding of NGOs which, among other things, advocate prosecuting Israeli soldiers and boycotting Israeli institutions and products. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman promised to revive the bills, but they never ended up getting passed. If passed in its current form, the law would forbid NGOs and their employees from directly or indirectly calling for the prosecution of soldiers in international courts; supporting boycott, divestment, or sanction measures against Israel and its citizens; rejecting Israel's character as a Jewish, democratic state; engaging in racial incitement; or supporting the armed struggle of an enemy state or terror organization against Israel. NGOs that cross the lines laid out in the suggested legislation would face a capping of financial aid from abroad. The report said that NGOs such as Breaking the Silence, Ir Amim, and many others currently receive millions each year from European governments. According to the report, Breaking the Silence reports anonymous testimony from Israeli soldiers accusing Israel of war crimes.
