Israeli ministers ignore British plea and back bills aimed at curbing human rights funding

ISRAELI cabinet ministers voted yesterday to endorse draft legislation that would severely limit foreign funding of human rights and dovish groups, brushing aside a British plea.

The step is seen by critics as a bid to silence criticism of government policies in the occupied territories.

One of the bills, spearheaded by Ofir Akunes, a close ally of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, limits annual donations to “political” non-governmental organizations to £3,300. A second bill, drafted by Fiona Kirschenbaum of the far-right Yisrael Beiteinu coalition partner, imposes a 45 per cent tax on foreign government donations to organisations that do not receive Israeli state funding. Supporters of the moves argue that they will redress foreign “meddling” in Israeli affairs, but opponents say they are anti-democratic.

“This legislation has no place in the democratic world. It treats Israel’s friends as enemies and those committed to human rights as accomplices to terror,” said Arye Carmon, president of the Israel Democracy Institute.

On Thursday, Britain’s ambassador in Tel Aviv, Matthew Gould, phoned Mr Akunes to voice Britain’s “real concerns” about the bills. He is reported to have cautioned Mr Akunes that if passed, the bills would reflect badly on Israel.

Culture minister Limor Livnat yesterday sharply criticised Mr Gould for trying to stop Mr Akunes’s bill. “Not only do they give money and thereby intervene in what is happening in Israel, they also want to intervene in this legislation,” he said.

The bills will now go to a vote in the Knesset unless Mr Netanyahu responds to an appeal for a full cabinet vote by Benny Begin, one of the dissenting ministers.