(February 20, 2025)
Several anti-democratic bills passed on preliminary vote in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday, February 19. First, a bill proposal to heavily tax donations by foreign countries to NGOs in Israel. According to the proposal, authored by Likud MK Ariel Kallner, donations to NGOs from a “foreign state entity” will be taxed at 80%, but the finance minister, with the approval of the Knesset Finance Committee, can award a tax exemption in “special circumstances.” In addition, the law says the court system will not hear cases filed by NGOs whose “main funding” is from foreign state entities and who do not receive Israeli state funding.
Also, the Knesset advanced a bill on Wednesday that bans Israeli citizens, authorities, and public bodies from “cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
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According to Hadash MK Aida Touma-Sliman, “The legislative assault in Israel continues. The laws passed yesterday in a preliminary vote sanction people who cooperate with the ICC and limit the ability of human rights groups to petition the Supreme Court. They are withholding access to the court for the most vulnerable groups and leaving it open just for supporters of the regime. Netanyahu’s government is waging war on civil society and wishes to silence anyone who exposes its crimes. We will not be quiet.”