Netanyahu shelves cabinet discussion on bill to limit foreign funding to NGOs

[Jefferson23]

Sources in prime minister's office say Netanyahu wants to mull over the proposal after Attorney General said he could not defend the bill in High Court; Britain says bill would undermine Israel's democracy.

By Barak Ravid

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided Wednesday to postpone the cabinet discussion on a bill aiming to restrict foreign funding to Israeli nongovernmental organizations, which was originally scheduled for next Sunday.

According to sources in Netanyahu's bureau, the prime minister decided to suspend the discussion following a warning by Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, who said in a letter to Netanyahu that he would not be prepared to defend the proposed legislation in the High Court of Justice should it pass the Knesset vote.

"The prime minister wants to think over the proposal in light of the letter he received and then decide how to move forward and handle this bill," an official in Netanyahu's bureau said Wednesday.

Over the weekend, Weinstein told Netanyahu in a letter that should the bill become a law, he will be unable to defend it against petitions that would be submitted to the High Court.

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/netanyahu-shelves-cabinet-discussion-on-bill-to-limit-foreign-funding-to-ngos-1.400184

[LeftishBrit]

1. Excellent news. Good for Weinstein!

[shira]

3. You think Israel should be able to directly fund AIPAC? n/t

[LeftishBrit]

4. Not specially, but I'd prefer that to a rerun of McCarthyism.

What bothers me most about the bill is that it's being used selectively against the left, and as an excuse to crack down on internal dissent. If it were being used equally to restrict any foreign funding of *any* Israeli organization - well, OK, up to them. But the way it's being done seems very suspect to me - and obviously not just to me, but to the Israeli Attorney General and Supreme Court members.

[shira]

5. Where do you find in the bill that only Leftwing groups are affected by government contributions?

Also, is there any law on the books in the UK that you're aware of that would prevent Israel from meddling with UK politics by directly contributing to political parties there?

In the US there is.

[azurnoir]

6. Israel's law only applies to left wing NGO's not all of them or JNF how many American donors

do those have? andhow many AIPAC funders hold dual Israel/US citizenship? albeit I would guess most of those are American by birth and Israeli by RoR,

[shira]

7. Which rightwing Israeli groups are funded by foreign governments?

We're all well aware that both left and right wing groups are supported by individual donors and organizations.

But governments?

:shrug:

[azurnoir]

9. but the law does not apply only to governmnts does it?

so your question has no application here

[shira]

10. AFAIK, it applies only to foreign governments. Where do you see it applying to individuals...

...and private organizations?

[azurnoir]

11. It says "foreign funding" which would seem to apply to all foreign funding of only left wing NGO's

n/t

[shaayecanaan]

8. Thats a PAC, not an NGO

an NGO in the US, UK or practically anywhere else can solicit funds from whomever they want, whether they are individuals, foreigners or corporations.

[azurnoir]

2. doesn't most of his coalition support this bill?

looks like Bibi is between a rock and a hard place

[Jefferson23]

12. Fitting advice

Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein's letter to Netanyahu is better late than never. Most importantly it is based on an in-depth understanding of democracy and freedom of expression.

Haaretz Editorial

The letter Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a bit late in coming, but it's a good thing it was sent. Apparently Weinstein, who had been wary about using harsh rhetoric or confronting the government, also understands that Netanyahu, his ministers and coalition have crossed a red line separating democratic countries and regimes that persecute their opponents.

"The attorney general's policy is to refrain as much as possible from declaring laws unconstitutional, out of respect for the legislative work of the cabinet and Knesset," Weinstein wrote in his letter, apparently trying to explain his hitherto cautious approach. In ordinary times, it might be important to be cautious like this, but the wild legislative initiatives from the current Knesset and certain ministers have rendered such caution dangerous.

Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein.

Photo by: Ofer Vaknin
Weinstein's reasoning is largely of a legal nature. He made it clear in his letter that he can't defend two bills that would limit contributions to human rights groups. "If these bills become law, I won't be able to defend them against petitions to the High Court of Justice," Weinstein wrote. The two proposals, one sponsored by MK Ofir Akunis (Likud) and one by MK Faina Kirshenbaum (Yisrael Beiteinu), have been shelved at Netanyahu's request. They are, as Weinstein put it, "flawed by their unconstitutionality" and are disproportionate.

But the most important part of Weinstein's letter deals not with legal standards or even constitutional pitfalls. It's based on an in-depth understanding of democracy and freedom of expression. Weinstein contends that, instead of permitting open discourse and a lively "marketplace of ideas," the two bills seek to stifle expression. The proposals, he wrote, would put Israel "on par with a handful of countries that have taken similar steps, and I doubt the State of Israel should envy these regimes or act like them."

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/fitting-advice-1.400275