The Ministerial Committee for Legislation passed on Sunday two bills -
with a majority of eleven versus five - that will limit the ability of
foreign governments and international organizations to contribute to
Israeli NGOs.
One bill, proposed by Likud MK Ophir Akunis will
ban foreign governments or international organizations, such as the UN,
from donating over NIS 20,000 to political NGOs that seek to influence
Israeli policy.
RELATED:PM postpones vote on judicial selection reformLivni: Those backing 'NGO probe bill' are against IsraelThe second bill, proposed by Yisrael Beitinu MK Fania Kirschenbaum
will levy a 45 percent tax on donations from foreign governments to any
NGO in Israel.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyhau supported both bills. Also amongst the
11 in favor were MKs Gilad Erdan, Gidon Sa'ar, Limor Livnat, Moshe
Cahlon, Daniel Hershkowitz, Yitzhak Aharonovitz, Yossi Peled, Stas
Misezhnikov. Yuval Steinitz, and Sofa Landver.
MKs Benny Begin, Dan Meridor, Orit Noked, Michael Eitan, and Shalom
Shimhon opposed the bills, and Meshulam Nahari and Yaakov Margi
abstained.