News Analysis: Controversial bills may tarnish Israel's int'l image

A number of contentious bills pushed by the right-wing government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have aroused concerns among Israel's allies and may take its toll on the image of the Jewish state.

As Israel struggles to find international support, even if the contentious laws will not pass, the damage has already been done.

The bills signal Israel is on the defensive, acting out of fear, as to say its democracy is not strong enough to withhold a wide range of opinions, analysts here said.

There is a growing sentiment that as Netanyahu's reign enter its seventh consecutive year, the Israeli prime minister shows increasing intolerance to opposing opinions, they observed.

There are two proposals currently being discussed. The first is a law that will require the NGOs that receive more than half of their funding from foreign states to declare their financial sources. It is dubbed the "transparency law."

The second draft law states that a majority of 90 of the Israeli parliament members can suspend a fellow member, the "suspension law."

Opponents of the transparency law say it wreaks of anti-left propaganda. Most NGOs that are affiliated with Israel's right wing and the goals that the current government is promoting receive their funding from private people or commercial entities.

The law requires the NGOs to declare only the funding they receive from states. The majority of left-wing associated NGOs such as "Peace Now" and "B'Tselem," a leading human rights organization in the country, receive much of their cash from European countries.

Amnon Rubinstein, a professor of law at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya and a former Cabinet minister, said both laws are "redundant" and "severely flawed."

Calling the suspension law "completely unacceptable", he said that the laws "raise a suspicion of a wish for a vendetta, of discrimination."

Those in favor of the laws say this is how Israel's democracy protects itself. A country that is under continuous threat of attacks should not encourage insider opposition.

The fact that Israel's parliament has Arab residents as part of its members used to be a source of pride, a testament to Israeli democracy.

But support for Israel in the international community in the past very often came as a result of its vibrant democracy and its ability to harness a variety of opposing opinions. As Israel's image becomes that of an extreme state which only allows for one type of voice to be heard, its ability to rally international support is damaged.

Indeed, in the recent past, every time Israel found itself in military escalations with the Palestinians, it struggled to find supporters in the international arena. Many forums automatically condemned the country.

The laws have not been passed yet. Should they pass the three required parliamentary votes, it is most likely that there will be an appeal to Israel's Supreme Court that will cancel the laws. However, the damage is done already.

According to Rubinstein there is no division between a country's image and its ability to conduct its foreign relations. Israel's image is already tarnished, he warns. The mere discussion of these proposals serves as a testament to the environment in the country.

There is increasing intolerance towards left-wing institutions, politicians and supporters, and there is great incitement against those who speak against Israel's continued occupation and control of the Palestinians, he said.

Any criticism of Israel's army or the country's settlement policy is met with slamming condemnations and accusations of betrayal. This portrays a growing weakness of the Israeli society and the government.

The small country has always prided itself as being "the only democracy" in the Middle East, where minorities are respected and opinions are free-flowing. With these legislation bills currently in the parliament, however, the feeling that everyone is free to voice their own opinion is eroding.

These bills have caused uproar among Israel's politicians as well as concern among Israel's allies, including the United States.

Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog once described the Israeli cabinet's decision to approve the twisted NGO bill as "a bullet between the eyes for Israel's standing in the world."

"Our enemies are giving a big thank you to the Israeli government, which has put us on the same level with the darkest countries in the world," he said.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro met with Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked last month to voice the U.S. government's concern over the NGO funding bill.

A statement issued later by the U.S. embassy noted "the chilling effect on NGO activities" that the proposed legislation would have. Endit