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"A spate of legislation aimed at local NGOs critical of Israel could end up limiting freedom of speech and expression of every Israeli," according to Ronit Heyd, Executive Director of SHATIL, The New Israel Fund's Empowerment and Training Center for Social Change Organizations in Israel, saying:
"The most worrying trend over the last year is that most people do not really understand that our democracy is now under serious threat. Currently it only affects a certain group in society; human rights organizations, (but) in the future it could affect other communities and individuals who do not agree with the mainstream view or the views and policies of the country's decision-makers."
At the time, besides other extremist Knesset legislation, she referred to a new bill passed its preliminary reading to prohibit Israelis from backing the global BDS movement, or receive money from supportive international organizations.
Heyd added:
"There is a serious need for concern when the government is trying to silence dissenting voices, trying to silence any voice in society that criticizes the way the government is working."
Doing so is the essence of despotism, the track Israel, like America, is further along on than most people in either country recognize.
On January 5, Haaretz writer Jonathan Lis headlined, "Leftist groups: 'Witch hunt' against us will destroy democracy in Israel," saying:
"Israeli left-wing organizations decried Wednesday('s) Knesset plenum decision to support a panel of inquiry to investigate certain groups suspected of 'delegitimizing' the Israeli Defense Forces."
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