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Amendment would disqualify NGOs that contradict Israel’s Jewish character
On Sunday March 2, 2014, the Ministerial Committee for Legislative affairs will review a bill tabled by MK Miri Regev – an amendment to the Non-Profit Organizations Law under which the state will be able to prevent an organization’s registration if any of its objectives contradict the definition of ‘Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.’ The marks a substantial departure from the current law, under which non profit organizations are prohibited from taking actions against the state’s existence or denying its democratic character.
Attorney Debbie Gild-Hayo, Policy Advocate for the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, sent the members of the committee a position paper today (December 26), explaining that the bill seeks to disqualify organizations on the basis of a vague ideological term whose interpretation depends on the political, social and religious worldview of the interpreter.
The bill would invalidate a giant swath of activities. In keeping with the different interpretations of the term “Jewish” in the law, a long list of organizations that could be disqualified would include: the Reform and Conservative (Masorati) movements, other Jewish pluralistic movements; organizations supporting full civic equality for minorities in Israel within the framework of a democratic government; organizations promoting the rights of Palestinians to be citizens of Israel; organizations dealing with the rights of refugees or labor migrants in connection with Israeli citizenship; companies or organizations that work on the Sabbath; organizations promoting freedom from religious coercion and women’s rights in the rabbinical courts, or assisting women who want to get abortions; human rights organizations for Palestinians in Israel, the Occupied Territories or Gaza; and education organizations whose activities include dialogue with the “other”, including recognition of its history and narrative; and many others.
Criticism, protest, defense of freedom from religious coercion, promotion of religious pluralism, the struggle for equal rights, protection of minorities’ human rights – all are activities that might be interpreted as denying the Jewish character of the state of Israel.
According to Attorney Gild-Hayo: “The existing law already sets certain limitations on organizations, including prohibitions on harming the basic existence of the state and denying its democratic character. It is no accident that the existing law does not reference ideological standpoints; indeed, the right to organize is necessary in society precisely so that other viewpoints can be promoted and acted upon for social change based on them. If this bill is passed, Israel will join a dubious list of countries in which there is no freedom of activity for civil society organizations. It appears that this bill seeks to exclude anyone whose outlook and actions are inconsistent with the positions of the present political majority.”
Related Materials
Information on other recent bills that limit freedom of expresison for NGOs.
