Following a stormy debate, the Knesset voted yesterday (Wednesday) against a fascist bill which called to set up panels of inquiry into human rights organizations in Israel. 28 Knesset members voted in favor and 57 voted against the two bills calling to set up two parliamentary panels of inquiry into NGOs, proposed by Likud MK Danny Dannon and Yisrael Beiteinu MK Faina Kirschenbaum.
The Ministers absent from the vote included Ehud Barak Yisrael Katz, Yuli Edelstein, Gilad Ardan, Yitzhak Aharonovitch, Ariel Atias, Limor Livnat, Silvan Shalom and Eli Yishai. The probe was endorsed by most members of Yisrael Beiteinu, some members of Likud, and a few other rightist members. Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) also voted against an investigation of the human rights organizations.
Opposition leader Tzipi Livni was vocal in her condemnation of the proposal Wednesday, saying it damaged Israel’s interests. “A dark wind is blowing through the country – created by Netanyahu’s coalition,” Livni said during the Knesset debate.” Beyond being an anti-democratic [proposal] it also harms the interests of the State of Israel…. The idea that MKs want to investigate citizens who are not party to their views is horrifying.”
MK Muhammad Barakeh (Hadash) sarcastically praised Lieberman’s initiative for bringing Israel “one step closer to 1984,” suggesting the probe would constitute a Big Brother-like infringement on democratic values. MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) further stated that “the current Knesset outdoes itself, over and over, in its McCarthyist ways”.
The bill has been harshly condemned by organizations such as the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, which has openly refused to participate in any such investigation, and instead will continue to “act firmly in the pursuit of human rights for all.”
The Yisrael Beiteinu initiative was revived in light of the recent passage of the controversial boycott law, a Likud party proposal, which allows a person or an organization to be sued if they call for the boycott of Israel or the settlements.
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