The bill, a combination of a Justice Ministry proposal and initiatives by MKs Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Yehudi) and Robert Ilatov (Yisrael Beytenu), states that any non-profit organization that receives more than half of its funding from a foreign political entity must write as much on any publication or letter to elected officials or civil servants.
In addition, a list of the NGOs falling under the bill’s purview, as well as the countries from which they received donations, must be posted on the Non-Profit Registrar’s website. [...]
Ahead of the referendum in the UK over leaving the EU, Regavim, an organization that Smotrich headed before taking elected office, launched a campaign in favor of what has been nicknamed “Brexit,” arguing that a weaker EU is better for Israel. Regavim combats illegal use of Israeli land, in some cases by Palestinians funded by the EU. The NGO has received payment from local authorities in the West Bank for its services. [...]
Constitution Committee chairman Nissan Slomiansky (Bayit Yehudi) pointed out that the bill is different from how it was originally proposed.
For example, Smotrich’s version of the bill would have required representatives of foreign-government-funded NGOs to wear brightly colored named tags while in the Knesset, like lobbyists do, but that clause was removed.
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