The Constitution Committee chaired by MK Simcha Rothman on Monday held a tense initial hearing on a bill proposing an 80% tax on donations to NGOs from foreign political entities and a ban on court access for NGOs that lack the right of standing and receive the majority of their funding from such sources.
The bill’s explanatory notes state: “The purpose of this bill is to reduce the indirect influence of foreign governments and political entities on the State of Israel. This influence is reflected, among other things, in direct financial support for NGOs in Israel that act as agents of change on behalf of these entities. Such a phenomenon exceeds the bounds of the democratic framework and undermines the sovereignty and independence of the state where it occurs.”
During the discussion, Chairman Rothman stated, “In times of war, foreign countries inject massive sums into Israeli society to steer the state toward surrender or to promote the rights of terrorists. This must be stopped. We must ensure that Israeli citizens preserve their freedom of expression and are not drowned out by a megaphone funded by a foreign government.”