US Rejects Comparison of New Israeli’s Bill to Lobbying Registry; Bill Threatens NGOs Democracy

US administration rejected the relation made between Israel's new bill concerning NGOs and the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act. Obama administration also said the bill worries many lawmakers because it might be dangerous.

Times of Israel reported that State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday that U.S. has expressed concerns regarding the Netanyahu government about the issue. Though Kirby did not specify the dissimilarities, he said that the recently passed law is different with US Foreign Agents Registration Act. He also explained that the bill should undertake numerous readings in the Knesset, a procedure that could adjust the language. Not only the US government but also the American Jewish Committee voiced concerns about the bill. They said on Tuesday that the projected solution poses as several dangers as the problem itself.

According to JTA, NGOs should declare the majority of their funds especially those who came from "foreign political entities", as the bill states. They are required to detail everything they do, lay a report and speak with a public official. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked has proposed the Transparency Bill not to bind the capability of these NGO's to do their job. She only wants the NGOs to disclose their funding so that the government can monitor their activities. She explained that majority of the left wing groups aggressively depict an undesirable image of Israel to the rest of the world.

JP Updates stated that the EU said in a statement "Israel should be very careful about reigning in its prosperous democratic society with laws that are reminiscent of totalitarian regimes." The EU is worried that the bill will be seen as part of a "worrying trend" of "shaming" particular organizations, mainly those dealing with human rights. It will also lead to Israel risking its reputation as a self-assured and open society that has long been true democracy's sole Middle East outpost.

EU should not worry as the bill will not affect freedom of expression, Justice Minister Shaked replied. She explained that what U.S. and EU are doing is what hindering their democracy. She added that it's undesirable for European Union to donate funds to non-profit groups that operate in Israel's name and use them for their own policies.

Tags

Transparency Bil, EU, US, Middle East, Justice Minister Shaked, democracy, NGO, US Foreign Agents Registration Act, American Jewish Committee, Lobbying Registry

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