Brussels, 12/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - During the evening of Tuesday 12 July, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) criticised the Israeli Knesset's adoption of legislation that requires non-governmental organisations receiving over 50% of their funding from foreign governments to declare this officially.
According to the EEAS spokesperson, these requirements “seem aimed at constraining the activities of these civil society organisations working in Israel”. “We call upon Israel to continue to promote its active NGO sector and to refrain from actions which may complicate the space in which civil society organisations operate and which may curtail freedom of expression and association”, the spokesperson stated, saying that the new legislation risked undermining the values that Israel and the EU share. The spokesperson added that Israel enjoyed a vibrant democracy, freedom of speech and a diverse civil society.
According to its critics, the legislation, which was adopted after long debate by 57 votes in favour and 48 against, targets left-wing groups that campaign for the rights of Palestinians. It is expected to concern 25 organisations (EUROPE 11568).
The EU, which has made dialogue with the NGO community in its southern and eastern neighbourhood an important element of the relationship with these countries (EUROPE 11575), notes that it is difficult, in these circumstances, to conduct successful cooperation with civil society. On 16 June, the euro-Mediterranean NGOs announced their intention to create a regional platform for civil society under the aegis of Euromed Rights (the former Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network - EMHRN). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Fathi B'Chir)