(03.08.2023)
Sponsored by a group of lawmakers led by MK Limor Son Har Melech, from the racist coalition faction Otzma Yehudit, and MK Yulia Malinovsky from right-wing opposition party Yisrael Beytenu, the new law marked a rare case of cross-Knesset alignment and passed 39 to 7 on its final reading.
Sharp criticism of the law quickly came in from Hadash-Taâal lawmakers and Israelâs rape crisis center umbrella organization, with both alleging the law improperly creates a ranking of the severity of such crimes. Hadash-Taâal MK Aida Touma-Sliman, a former head of the Knessetâs Womenâs Status Committee, told the Knesset: âDo not punish according to hierarchies and classifications.â âShame on these laws,â she continued, tweeting after the law passed, âDonât promote racism on the backs of victims!â