Israel NGO bill, seen as targeting left-wing groups, becomes law

[Little Tich]

2. NGO bill’s hit list: 23 out of the 25 organizations are left-wing

Source: Times of Israel, June 2, 2016

No right-wing groups on list of organizations receiving foreign state funding, which does include B’Tselem, Breaking the Silence, Yesh Din

Out of 25 non-governmental organizations currently targeted by the so-called NGO bill making its way through the legislation process, 23 of them are left-wing organizations and two are non-affiliated.

The list includes prominent human rights groups such us B’Tselem, Breaking the Silence, Ir Amim, Yesh Din, and the Public Committee Against Torture. No right-wing groups are included in the list.

According to the bill, sponsored by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home) and which has already passed its first reading, any NGO receiving over 50 percent of its funding from a foreign government must include details of its funding in all official and promotional documents, including online. The legislation also demands that members of such groups wear tags identifying themselves when inside the Knesset.

Critics say the bill singles out left-wing groups, as right-wing organizations are primarily funded by private donors, and is a veiled effort to silence organizations that are often critical of Israeli government policy. The release of the list, on which 92 percent are left-wing NGOs, contributes to that suspicion.

Read more: http://www.timesofisrael.com/ngo-bills-hitlist-23-out-of-the-25-organizations-are-left-wing/