Hotovely: Bill will stop foreign cash to political NGOs

[shira]

MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) commended Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday for supporting a bill she proposed with MK Ofir Akunis (Likud) and Israel Beiteinu faction chairman MK Robert Ilatov that would prevent Israeli NGOs from receiving funding from foreign governments and international organizations, such as the UN.

“The absurd situation in which foreign governments, mostly Europeans, try to influence policy in the State of Israel by funding organizations that act against the IDF and the state must end,” Hotovely said, following a Channel 2 report saying that Netanyahu will back the legislation.

“It would be better if each country dealt with its own internal matters, and not try to meddle in our issues without understanding the damage they cause,” she added.

“This bill could solve part of the problems with cash flow into the region.”

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http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=244723

[bemildred]

1. U.K. envoy cautions Likud MK on bill that would limit donations to Israeli NGOs

British Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould expressed concerns to Likud MK Ofir Akunis about a proposed bill that would limit the amount of money that Israeli political NGOs could receive from foreign governments and international organizations.

Gould told Akunis that the United Kingdom supports human rights work in a large number of countries and that its goal is to promote universal values. He also said that UK support for NGOs is not aimed against the Israeli government.

Gould cautioned Akunis that, if passed, the bill would reflect badly on Israel in the international community.

According to the bill, which was proposed by Akunis and has been backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, political NGOs in Israel would not be allowed to receive donations exceeding 20,000 shekels provided by foreign governments and international organizations, such as the UN and the European Union. According to the bill, "inciting activity undertaken by many organizations, under the cover of human rights work, has the goal of influencing political debates, and the character and the policies of the state of Israel."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-k-envoy-cautions-likud-mk-on-bill-that-would-limit-donations-to-israeli-ngos-1.394597

[Scurrilous]

2. ‘Leftist law’ a bad joke

Op-ed: How can we ban foreign funding for leftist groups while taking billions from US?

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4146164,00.html

<snip>

"Here are some projects run by Israeli non-profit organizations via foreign funding that will be gravely undermined should the despicable anti-funding law be implemented: An open clinic serving 8,000 refugees and work migrants in Tel Aviv, kindergartens in unrecognized Bedouin villages, democracy education in the Ethiopian community, legal aid to disadvantaged Israelis and community empowerment groups in development towns. No doubt, this leftist recklessness must be stopped.

While the person in charge of this law is Likud’s Ofir Akunis, the spirit is that of commander Netanyahu. The same prime minister who enjoys the traditional support of American billionaires, one of whom even set up a daily newspaper endorsing the PM.

In the previous Knesset session, Netanyahu complied with Minister Benny Begin’s request to delay the legislation in order to boost Israel’s image ahead of the United Nations showdown vis-à-vis the Palestinians. September ended peacefully, and now we can go back to uninterruptedly shattering Israel’s democracy.

The proposed law has been drafted carefully. It bans donations from foreign governments and from official foreign organizations, but does not ban donations from foreign private donors. Hence, the settlement enterprise in the occupied territories, ranging from Ofra to the last illegal outpost in Sheikh Jarrah, will not be harmed. Various billionaires and Israel-loving Christians would be able to donate to these causes with no interruption."