Israel moved on Sunday to stop "anti-Israel" rights groups from filming Israeli soldiers' interactions with Palestinians by introducing a bill to make this a criminal offense with severe penalties for violators.
However, after Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit called the bill problematic and possibly illegal, it was agreed to remove the prohibition on filming and to soften the wording to make "interfering with soldiers fulfilling their duty" an offense, similar to the law pertaining to police. The bill is expected to be submitted to the Knesset for a preliminary vote on Wednesday.
Yisrael Beytenu faction chairman Robert Ilatov submitted the initial draft of the bill with the support of Defense Minister and Yisrael Beytenu party head Avigdor Lieberman.
"Anyone who filmed, photographed and/or recorded soldiers in the course of their duties with the intention of undermining the spirit of IDF soldiers and Israel's residents will be sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Anyone who intends to harm state security will be sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment," it states.
The bill also prohibits the distribution of such materials to media outlets and on social media.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved the bill in a vote on Sunday, but Mendelblit quickly spoke out against it. It was agreed to remove the wording prohibiting filming and to change the bill in coordination with the Justice Ministry.
The bill will make "interfering with soldiers fulfilling their duty" an offense.
Lieberman praised the ministerial committee for passing the bill.
"Israeli soldiers are under constant attack by Israel haters and supporters of terrorism who look constantly to degrade and sully them. We will put an end to this," he said.
A Palestinian official condemned the move.
"This decision aims to cover up crimes committed by Israeli soldiers against our people, and to free their hands to commit more crimes," Deputy Palestinian Information Minister Fayez Abu Aitta told Reuters.
The phrasing of the bill stops short of a blanket ban, aiming instead at "anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian organizations" that spend "entire days near Israeli soldiers waiting breathlessly for actions that can be documented in a slanted and one-sided way so that soldiers can be smeared."
The bill names B'Tselem, an organization whose chief objective is to document and expose Israeli misdeeds in the West Bank, and several other rights groups, saying many of them are supported by organizations and governments with "a clear anti-Israel agenda" and that the videos are used to harm Israel and its national security.
B'Tselem shrugged off the bill.
"If the occupation embarrasses the government, then the government should take action to end it," group spokesman Amit Gilutz said. "Documenting the reality of the occupation will continue regardless of these ridiculous legislation efforts."
Rights groups frequently film Israeli soldiers on duty in the West Bank, saying this is necessary to expose abuse by the military.
It was B'Tselem that in 2016 filmed Israeli soldier Elor Azaria shooting and killing an incapacitated Palestinian terrorist, an act that drew international condemnation and led to Azaria's conviction for manslaughter in a highly polarizing trial.
Azaria was released in May after serving two-thirds of his 14-month term. Opinion polls after his arrest showed that most Israelis did not want a court-martial against him.
