This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/world/middleeast/israel-knesset-zoabi-ngos-parliament-ouster-arab-palestinian.html
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Israeli Parliament to Vote on Law Enabling Ouster of Lawmakers | Israeli Parliament to Vote on Law Enabling Ouster of Lawmakers |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| JERUSALEM — The Israeli Parliament was expected to pass contentious legislation early Wednesday that enables the suspension or ouster of members accused of racial incitement or of supporting armed struggle against Israel. Critics said it was intended to target Arab legislators and harmed democratic principles like freedom of expression. | |
| The legislation would require the support of 90 out of the Parliament’s 120 lawmakers to oust someone. Setting such a process in motion would require the votes of 70 lawmakers, including 10 from the opposition, which makes the process difficult to carry out. Lawmakers voted out of Parliament would be able to appeal to the Supreme Court. | The legislation would require the support of 90 out of the Parliament’s 120 lawmakers to oust someone. Setting such a process in motion would require the votes of 70 lawmakers, including 10 from the opposition, which makes the process difficult to carry out. Lawmakers voted out of Parliament would be able to appeal to the Supreme Court. |
| But the proposed law has added to the sense that Israel’s conservative government is pushing populist and questionable measures that some opposition politicians have called discriminatory and even indicative of “budding fascism.” | But the proposed law has added to the sense that Israel’s conservative government is pushing populist and questionable measures that some opposition politicians have called discriminatory and even indicative of “budding fascism.” |
| It comes less than two weeks after the Parliament, known as the Knesset, approved another bill that stirred heated internal debate and drew criticism from the Obama administration and the European Union: the so-called transparency law, which requires nongovernmental organizations that receive more than half their financing from foreign governments to disclose donors’ identities in their publications, advertising and meetings with public officials. | |
| Supporters of that law argued that it would prevent foreign interference in Israeli affairs. Opponents say it unfairly singles out left-wing groups critical of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians, as most right-wing groups mostly rely on private donations from abroad. | Supporters of that law argued that it would prevent foreign interference in Israeli affairs. Opponents say it unfairly singles out left-wing groups critical of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians, as most right-wing groups mostly rely on private donations from abroad. |
| The law that passed was a watered-down version of the original draft, which would have required representatives of foreign-funded groups to wear special tags when visiting the Knesset. Still, the State Department spokesman John Kirby spoke of the “chilling effect” the new law could have, while the European Union said the legislation “risks undermining” values it shares with Israel, such as its “vibrant democracy, freedom of speech and its diverse civil society.” | The law that passed was a watered-down version of the original draft, which would have required representatives of foreign-funded groups to wear special tags when visiting the Knesset. Still, the State Department spokesman John Kirby spoke of the “chilling effect” the new law could have, while the European Union said the legislation “risks undermining” values it shares with Israel, such as its “vibrant democracy, freedom of speech and its diverse civil society.” |
| The legislation allowing for the removal of members of Parliament appears to have grown out of a broad Israeli aversion to one particular lawmaker: Hanin Zoabi, one of the feistiest and most provocative Arab politicians in Israel. | The legislation allowing for the removal of members of Parliament appears to have grown out of a broad Israeli aversion to one particular lawmaker: Hanin Zoabi, one of the feistiest and most provocative Arab politicians in Israel. |
| Ms. Zoabi, part of an alliance of Arab political parties known as the Joint List that holds 13 Parliament seats, became notorious among Israelis for being on board the Turkish flotilla that was raided by Israeli commandos as it tried to breach the naval blockade of Gaza in 2010, resulting in the deaths of 10 activists. Some Israelis have been clamoring ever since to throw her out of the Knesset. | Ms. Zoabi, part of an alliance of Arab political parties known as the Joint List that holds 13 Parliament seats, became notorious among Israelis for being on board the Turkish flotilla that was raided by Israeli commandos as it tried to breach the naval blockade of Gaza in 2010, resulting in the deaths of 10 activists. Some Israelis have been clamoring ever since to throw her out of the Knesset. |
| Arabs make up about a fifth of Israel’s population of more than eight million. Though they are citizens of the Jewish state, many of them, and their leaders, identify as Palestinian, a source of significant friction. | Arabs make up about a fifth of Israel’s population of more than eight million. Though they are citizens of the Jewish state, many of them, and their leaders, identify as Palestinian, a source of significant friction. |
| The Knesset ethics committee has suspended Ms. Zoabi from plenary sessions and committee hearings for months at a time, like in 2014 after she insisted that the Palestinians who kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teenagers in the occupied West Bank that year were not terrorists. | |
| This year, Ms. Zoabi has been fined and given a six-month suspended prison sentence for accusing Arab-Israeli police officers of being traitors. And after Israel agreed to pay compensation to the families of the flotilla raid victims as part of an agreement to resume full diplomatic relations with Turkey, Ms. Zoabi said that it amounted to an admission that Israel’s soldiers were “murderers.” | This year, Ms. Zoabi has been fined and given a six-month suspended prison sentence for accusing Arab-Israeli police officers of being traitors. And after Israel agreed to pay compensation to the families of the flotilla raid victims as part of an agreement to resume full diplomatic relations with Turkey, Ms. Zoabi said that it amounted to an admission that Israel’s soldiers were “murderers.” |
| But several Israeli political groups complained that the proposed law allowing for the ouster of Parliament members went too far. | But several Israeli political groups complained that the proposed law allowing for the ouster of Parliament members went too far. |
| The Israel Democracy Institute, a think tank, said it “turns the Parliament, a political body, into investigator, judge and jury, on the basis of a vague legal provision.” The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said the law “ harms the very building blocks of democracy — the right to freedom of expression, the right to vote and to be elected, and the right to representation.” | The Israel Democracy Institute, a think tank, said it “turns the Parliament, a political body, into investigator, judge and jury, on the basis of a vague legal provision.” The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said the law “ harms the very building blocks of democracy — the right to freedom of expression, the right to vote and to be elected, and the right to representation.” |
| Ayman Odeh, the leader of the Joint List, said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel “wants politics for Jews only,” and pledged to respond to the new law by working to increase the power of Arab parties in the next elections. | Ayman Odeh, the leader of the Joint List, said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel “wants politics for Jews only,” and pledged to respond to the new law by working to increase the power of Arab parties in the next elections. |
| But Prof. Abraham Diskin, a political scientist of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, rejected the notion that the two new laws represented any kind of anti-democratic trend. He said the foreign-funding law was “correct, justified and even essential” for the sake of transparency, but criticized the expulsion law as “unnecessary, counterproductive and stupid.” | But Prof. Abraham Diskin, a political scientist of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, rejected the notion that the two new laws represented any kind of anti-democratic trend. He said the foreign-funding law was “correct, justified and even essential” for the sake of transparency, but criticized the expulsion law as “unnecessary, counterproductive and stupid.” |
| Professor Diskin noted that there had long been a law on the books that bars anybody who incites racism or supports armed resistance against Israel from running for the Knesset. It was introduced in the 1980s, and the target was not Arab politicians but the staunchly anti-Arab Kach Party, led by the American-Israeli Rabbi Meir Kahane. The Supreme Court has so far rejected attempts to bar Ms. Zoabi from running for Parliament. She joined the Knesset in 2009. | Professor Diskin noted that there had long been a law on the books that bars anybody who incites racism or supports armed resistance against Israel from running for the Knesset. It was introduced in the 1980s, and the target was not Arab politicians but the staunchly anti-Arab Kach Party, led by the American-Israeli Rabbi Meir Kahane. The Supreme Court has so far rejected attempts to bar Ms. Zoabi from running for Parliament. She joined the Knesset in 2009. |