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'Foreign funding bills our death sentence'
Ynet reporters
Published: 14.11.11, 11:10
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17 Talkbacks for this article
1. I'm crying for the servants of foreign gov't
Paul ,   Jerusalem   (11.14.11)
just like they cried and tore their hair out when the crime of suppressing a symbol of the Nationalist voice was raided and destroyed. The crime of Arutz Sheva is being avenged on the hypocrites.
2. blame the mostly left wing political activist groups
zionist forever   (11.14.11)
Yes some legitimate charities will suffer as a result of this bill if Bibi doesn't cave into pressure but they are unfortunate casualties in a war against foreign governments and foreign special interest groups trying to buy their way into Israeli politics by supporting a politically motivated charity in an attempt to increase their political clout. If your a legitimate charity apply to the government for recognition and state funding which many do get. If your a politically motivated one then your going to have to have to raise your own money because foreign governments won't be able to finance you. The only reason we are getting international criticism especially from Europe is because these are the same countries that fund these political groups. Bibi must not cave into these governments with their ulterior motives or the politically active charities who will lose their funding.
3. Why should foreign governments have their hands in the...
Jehudah Ben-Israel ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (11.14.11)
...affairs of Israeli society? The days of imperialism in this part of the world disappeared more than half a century ago, and Israeli citizens have no intention of allowing foreigners to forcefully tell them how to govern their internal affairs.
4. Well, there's an easy solution for all this...
Shai ,   IL   (11.14.11)
...establish and build all these institutions that support Palestinians in the areas under control of the Palestinian Authority. Let organizations like Adalah and the Peres Center for Peace be located in Ramallah, and get tax deductions and support from the PA, and not be located in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, getting support from Israel's government. Sometimes, with all these NGO's pushing and pulling our government, I feel voters in other countries have more control than I do in my own. If the agendas of the NGO's can't get enough support from Israel's citizens to elect a government to implement them, why should Israel cooperate with subsidies to help the NGO's gain their objectives via other means than elections? Calling this "anti-democratic" is the opposite of what it is. Nobody is stopping them from getting foreign funds, or advancing any position they wish to. The ONLY thing these bills propose is to stop the 45% subsidy these organizations get by being tax exempt institutions. I think this is a good bill, and it should be supported.
5. Perhaps the NGOs should seek more domestic funds?
kubrikon ,   Kuala Lumpur, MY   (11.14.11)
This would probably force some of them to temper their anti-Israel positions somewhat. At the moment they seem to collect money by pandering to foreign governments with questionable political motives.
6. three comments
Israel Israeli ,   Tel Aviv   (11.14.11)
The NGOs lost any legitimacy when they attacked the IDF during the Cast Lead operation, strengthening the genocidal Hamas and dooming Shalit until Israel released the murderers. The innocent NGOs could prove that their detractors are wrong and they are democratic not subversive by demanding that Israel institute a version of the US FARA law. The foreign governments can prove they want to help legitimate charities and not destabilize Israel by donating directly instead of through the Leftist NGOs. There are many, but they could start with MDA, Leket, Yad Sarah or Efrat.
7. Title misleading (Surprise)
rebecca ,   Modiin   (11.14.11)
The title on the front page for this article is "Social orgs fear funding cuts - Foreign funding bill could see many non-profit groups lose majority of funding, resources " Social organizations are funded by individuals, not foreign governments, so they are unaffected by these bills.
8. Peres Center, ... lives off projects with Palestinians
rebecca ,   Modiin   (11.14.11)
So what are they to do with Israel - move to Jordan, or at least Ramala.
9. more accurateheadline would be
Moshe ,   Beit Shemesh   (11.14.11)
Ynet Fears Cutting off Funding to Far-Left Political Organizations
10. good.
Golan ,   modiin   (11.14.11)
Stop confusing politics and charities.
11. Foreign funding should be taxed at
jason white ,   afula, israel   (11.14.11)
100%. And all people receiving money and advice from foreign sources should register as foeign agents. The peres center should be investigated. Who gives them their money and who manages the center? Let them move into gaza and leave us alone with their propaganda and brainwashing of our youth.
12. to the right wingers posting here....
Sally Forth ,   Jerusalem of course!   (11.14.11)
may I strongly urge you to look up Minister Benny Begin's thoughts on this matter. NewsFlash: Minister Begin is 100% against this proposed bill! A reminder to the right wingers: Minister Begin cannot under any circumstances be accused of being a left winger. He is an honest and true right winger. Minister Begin is the son of the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Minister Begin is against this proposed bill because according to him it violates the basic rule of law of the State of Israel and the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel. According to Minister Begin it discriminates and violates the civil rights of part of the population of Israel. (I just love it when a real right winger stands up and defends the State of Israel!)
13. @12
Shai ,   IL   (11.14.11)
Sally, if you and those who agree with you would agree to permit Benny Begin everything else he believes in being the policy of the State of Israel, I'll gladly support withdrawing this bill. But since you surely won't, why bring him into the discussion? In my view, Begin is wrong. But even if he were right, to be a purist by supporting the forces who wish to undermine the very state that supports these rules is a mistake. This law attempts to take two values of the State that are in conflict due to the behavior of political NGO's, and split the difference so that free speech is not impeded, even as the State is not obligated to subsidize that speech using monies secured from non-Israeli sources. Israelis can continue to support Adalah and the likes all they want, and maintain their tax exempt status. The problem here is that their support is coming from OUTSIDE the country, the result of an effort to limit the elected government's ability to reflect the desires of the electorate. The reason the law advanced as far as it did is because it does not violate either the Basic Laws, or the Declaration of Independence. Anybody who wants to can espouse the same views as they do today, and even have it subsidized by the Israeli government if the donations are from Israelis. All this does is withdraw the subsidy to those who seek to undermine the concept of Israel as a Jewish state, even in its most secular meaning, when the money comes from overseas. I don't see where the problem is with this.
14. start giving to environmental organizations
Lemmings Hotline ,   sd usa   (11.14.11)
15. Let me see if I get this correct
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (11.14.11)
The only way these leftist can have freedom of speech and defend democracy is if foreign governments give them millions of Euros. Did I get that? My question is then where is my freedom of speech? They are not paying me millions of Euros so I am not allowed the same rights they demand. So my democracy is imperiled! Either all of get the same rights or none of us do. Equal rights for all Israeli citizens. By the by - it is illegal in every one of those countries for these exact same actions. Guess that means they are not democracies either.
16. no one will shed a tear at their loss
nadav ,   tlv   (11.14.11)
If they were transparent with declaring their foreign government donations to begin with as much as they were open with their hostility to Israel and the Jewish national democracy we have built here, then maybe this could have been avoided.
17. foreign funding death sentence
moron ,   galut   (11.14.11)
inshaallah!
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