Knesset approves controversial law targeting foreign-government funding for NGOs

As adopted, the law would in effectdiscriminatingly target non-governmental organisations (NGOs) critical ofgovernment policy and in particular human rights NGOs, which receive a majorityof their funding from foreign governments. 25 of the 27 organisations to which the Justice Ministry said the lawwould apply are human rights NGOs. By specifically applying to donations fromforeign governments, the NGO Transparency Law de facto exempts right-wingorganisations that receive most of their funding from private (local andinternational) sources from the obligation of reporting and publicity.

The Observatory fearsthat the legislation that was passed seeks to undermine and de-legitimize thework of prominent human rights organisations in Israel, which monitor, amongother issues, human rights violations against Palestinians.

“ThisNGO Transparency Law clearly targets peaceful dissent groups and seeks torestrict the legitimate activities of civil society and human rights defenders inIsrael. The law violates international human rights standards of freedom ofassociation enshrined in the International Covenant for Civil and PoliticalRights, ratified by Israel”, said FIDH President Karim Lahidji.

The legislative move comes amid increasedrepression of Israeli and Palestinian organisations that denounce thedetrimental human rights impact of the occupation of the Palestinian Territory.In particular, the NGO Transparency Law came after unprecedented smearcampaigns by right-wing groups and branding Israeli human rights defenders as “foreign agents” and “traitors”.

“Israeli society used to be proudthat it provides the space to act for human rights organisations as a naturalpart of being a democratic State. Sadly, the statements by Justice MinisterAyelet Shaked show that human rights work is now seen as a foreign interest”,said OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberock. “This is not about transparency orfinancing. This is about human rights work because it displeases. Nowhere isthis more evident than in the differential treatment of pro-settlement groupsand human rights work”.

Several groups, includingthe EU Commission and representatives of foreign States, have criticised theNGO Transparency Law, emphasizing that it contributes to a climate in whichhuman rights organisations are increasingly de-legitimised. UN SpecialRapporteurs on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinionand Expression, the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of association,and on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders stated on June 24, 2016 that the proposed law, “has the evidentintent of targeting human rights and civil rights organizations, which receivea majority of their funding from foreign government entities,while leaving unaffected other organizations that nonetheless receive asubstantial amount of foreign funding from individuals”.

Under the pretext of increasing transparency, the NGO Transparency Lawseeks to hamper the activities of organisations critical of the government’spolicies. By complicating the space in which civil society organisationsoperate, the new law seeks to impose restrictions on freedoms of expression andassociation in Israel.

The Observatory for the Protection of HumanRights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and theWorld Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programmeis to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression againsthuman rights defenders.

For more information, please contact:

· FIDH: Audrey Couprie: + 33 1 43 55 25 18

· OMCT: Delphine Reculeau /Chiara Cosentino: +41 22 809 49 39