PM supports legislation which passes with majority of 11 to 5; new law bans foreign donations from exceeding NIS 20,000.
By JPOST.COM STAFFAkunis 311(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
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.
