A new report from the Knesset Research and Information Center revealed Wednesday that dozens of left-wing NGOs in Israel have allegedly been failing to adhere to legal directives mandating they report any funding they receive from foreign governments.
The report was commissioned by Yamina MK Bezalel Smotrich after he was approached by the right-wing watchdog group Im Tirtzu. The latter's legal division what the group called "a lack of reporting" via a request made in accordance with the Freedom of Information Law.
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In 2016, the Israeli parliament passed the Transparency Law requiring NGOs that receive more than half of their budget from foreign governments and donations to file an annual report with the Registrar of Associations, a subdivision of the Justice Ministry, disclosing their funding sources.
NGOs are also required to practice transparency on their website and any other publication and make said information available to the public.
The law sparked sharp debate in Israel, with supporters calling it a necessary step toward increasing transparency, and opponents arguing that it only targets controversial left-wing NGOs, which are the only recipients of foreign government funding.
The report by the Knesset Research and Information Center revealed that not only were many NGOS failing to properly report their funding, but the Registrar of Associations also has not enforced the law.
Im Tirtzu said in a press release that its information petition listed 13 organizations, of which 11 were found to have neglected to report funding from foreign governments.
The report further revealed that the registrar does not have a computerized system that keeps track of the number of complaints filed against any given organization or the audits to which they have been subjected.
"Enforcing the law and upholding the rule of law is not optional," Smotrich said. "From the report, it appears that lacking law enforcement by the Justice Ministry's Registrar of Associations is tantamount to criminal neglect at best, or intentional disregard at worst.
"In a democratic country, this is a reality that we cannot accept. From my knowledge of the Registrar of Associations, I have no doubt that these failings will be dealt with immediately."
Im Tirtzu Director of Policy Alon Schvartzer, said, "The Knesset's report confirms Im Tirtzu's claims that far-left NGOs in Israel are systematically violating the law.
"Unfortunately, these extreme organizations are taking advantage of the lack of law enforcement to continue to slander Israel and IDF soldiers. We are calling on the justice minister and the Registrar of Associations to enforce the law and sanction all the organizations violating it.
"There is no reason to fear these organizations just because of their close connections with hostile actors in the European Union and other European governments. Israel is an independent and sovereign country and was not established so its citizens could continue to live in fear of foreign countries," Schvartzer said.
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