To read a full briefing on the NGO Bill please click here.
Please join Yachad on Tuesday 13th May at 5pm in Portcullis House for an emergency briefing on the NGO Bill in Israel.
We will be joined by Israel’s leading human rights lawyer Michael Sfard and Yehuda Shaul, who leads Ofek, the organisation leading the response to the legislation on behalf of NGOs in Israel. You can find their full bios below.
The bill is beginning its passage on Monday 5th May and should the Israeli government choose to prioritise the bill, passage into law could occur within a few weeks. This compressed timeline severely limits public scrutiny and democratic oversight.
If passed, this legislation would impose severe restrictions on civil society organisations operating in Israel, particularly those operating in the spheres of human rights and peace building. The bill would remove one of the last remaining checks and balances on the Israeli government, particularly in relation to protection of Palestinian human rights.
Key elements of the bill include:
- It would impose an unprecedented 80% tax on any donation received from a foreign state entity.
- Organisations which receive more than 50% of their funding from foreign state entities would be barred from petitioning Israeli courts.
- The Finance Minister (currently Bezalel Smotrich) would be able to grant exemptions —introducing politicised discretion into the survival of civil society.
Without international pressure the bill will be passed and given the USA will not push back against this bill, it is essential that the UK, along with other European governments, takes the lead. To read a full briefing about the legislation click here.
Please email danielle@yachad.org.uk to confirm attendance – parliamentary aides and assistants are welcome.
Michael Sfard
Michael Sfardis the Israeli human rights and peace movement’s leading lawyer. As Legal Advisor for Israeli Human Rights group Yesh Din, and for Peace Now’s Settlement Watch project, Sfard has brought scores of human rights and land-use cases challenging Israel’s policies in the Palestinian territories, and has handled numerous petitions concerning the Separation Barrier. Michael has led on major cases, including the Torture case, the Targeted Killings case and the post International Court of Justice judgment claims concerning the route of the security barrier. Born in Jerusalem, Sfard completed his legal studies at the Hebrew University, and holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from University College London (UCL). Sfard served in the Israeli Defense Forces as a military paramedic.
Yehuda Shaul
Yehuda Shaul was brought up in a Jewish Orthodox family in Jerusalem. He began his military service in March 2001 and served as an infantry combat soldier and later commander during the second intifada until March 2004, with two years spent in the West Bank. Immediately after his service, Yehuda founded Breaking the Silence (BTS) together with other Israeli soldiers from his unit and served as a co-director until 2019. In 2020, Yehuda left BTS and together with Dana Golan (the co-director of BTS from 2009-2012) founded Ofek: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs. Ofek (meaning ‘Horizon’ in Hebrew) is an independent think tank dedicated to advancing a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ofek is leading the coordination of the human rights community in Israel in response to the NGO bill.