[npoc-voice] Israeli Legislation Limiting Foreign Government Funding of NGOs Causes Stir

[Alain Berranger <alain.berranger@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear NPOC Colleagues,
FYI, Best, Alain

Israeli Legislation Limiting Foreign Government Funding of NGOs Causes Stir

A committee of Israeli cabinet ministers has voted to back two bills that
would limit financial contributions to Israeli nonprofits by foreign
governments, government-supported foundations, and multilateral groups, the
*New York 
Times*<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/world/middleeast/israeli-government-backs-financing-limits-for-nonprofit-groups.html?scp=7&sq=israel&st=cse>
reports.
The Associated Press is
reporting<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45276498/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/#.TsF-A1YbSEw>,
however, that the bills have been put on hold after some cabinet ministers,
the attorney general, and foreign governments all registered objections to
the legislation.

Last week, the committee — which includes ministers from Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's center-right coalition government — voted eleven to
five in favor of the bills, in what was widely viewed as an attempt to
limit support for left-wing nonprofit groups, particularly those focused on
Palestinian rights and civil liberties. Human rights organizations have
denounced the legislation, which would levy a steep tax on and limit
contributions from foreign groups to about $5,000 a year, as violations of
free expression. According to the AP, an unnamed Israeli official said the
bill will now be referred to the full cabinet for debate rather than
proceeding directly to the Knesset for a vote. Legal experts said the bills
likely would be altered before reaching the floor of the Knesset and
ultimately could be struck down by the Israeli Supreme Court.

According to a Netanyahu official, the prime minister supports efforts to
limit donations from foreign sources but wanted the bills amended to have a
narrower impact. Although the legislation would be less likely to affect
right-wing groups, three prominent ministers from the prime minister's
Likud party voted against the bills, which also have been opposed by NGO
Monitor <http://www.ngo-monitor.org/> president Gerald Steinberg, who last
year campaigned in favor of a law that requires Israeli nonprofits to file
quarterly reports detailing financial contributions from foreign
governments. Stein said he believed the new legislation would damage
Israel's image and contribute to tensions with Europe, but added that he
didn't think the bills would survive in any case.

Not everyone agrees. Sari Bashi, director of Gisha <http://www.gisha.org/>,
an Israeli NGO dedicated to promoting free movement for Palestinians in
Gaza, expressed concerns that a watered down version of the bill would
become law. "While it seems likely that some of the most anti-democratic
aspects of the bills will be softened," Bashi told the *Times*, "that
actually could make the situation worse, because it would define political
speech in such a way as to silence some but not others and possibly allow
the bills to become law."

*Bronner, Ethan. “Israeli Government Backs Limits on Financing for
Nonprofit 
Groups.”<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/world/middleeast/israeli-government-backs-financing-limits-for-nonprofit-groups.html?scp=7&sq=israel&st=cse>
New
York Times 11/13/11.*

*Teibel, Amy. “Bills to Cut Foreign Aid to Israeli Doves on
Hold.”<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45276498/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/#.TsF-A1YbSEw>Associated
Press 11/14/11.*

-- 
Alain Berranger, B.Eng, MBA
Member, Board of Directors, CECI,
http://www.ceci.ca<http://www.ceci.ca/en/about-ceci/team/board-of-directors/>
Executive-in-residence, Schulich School of Business, www.schulich.yorku.ca
NA representative, Chasquinet Foundation, www.chasquinet.org
interim Vice Chair, NPOC, NCSG, ICANN, http://npoc.org/
O:+1 514 484 7824; M:+1 514 704 7824
Skype: alain.berranger