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

[Alain Berranger <alain.berranger@xxxxxxxxx>]

Klaus,

Agreed...just sent it out as an info piece only...

Alain

On Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 11:39 AM, Klaus Stoll <klaus.stoll@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> **
> Dear Friends
>
> So Israel is following the Ecuadorian model. NGO's all around the world
> are more and more in trouble. Question is if this particular piece of
> trouble is in the NPOC remit. maybe this has to be picket up by GKPF with
> NPOC as support.
>
> Cheers
>
> Klaus
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Alain Berranger <alain.berranger@xxxxxxxxx>
> *To:* npoc-voice@xxxxxxxxx
> *Sent:* Wednesday, November 16, 2011 10:37 AM
> *Subject:* [npoc-voice] Israeli Legislation Limiting Foreign Government
> Funding of NGOs Causes Stir
>
> 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
>
>


-- 
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