Israeli Parliament Proposes Bill to Ban Photographing, Recording Soldiers

May 27, 2018 Blog, News
Israeli soldiers being filmed as they open fire at protesters. (Photo: Video capture)

Amid worldwide condemnation of Israel’s use of lethal force against Palestinian protesters in Gaza, officials in Israel’s parliament have proposed a bill, which would effectively ban the collection of evidence relating to the human rights and other abuses committed by members of the army.

The move comes at the same time Israeli government officials announced thousands of new settlement units in the West Bank and mere days after the killing of more than 60 protesters on May 14, the same day the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem.

Overall Israeli Army has killed at least 116 Palestinians and injured over 12,000 using live ammunition on unarmed protesters, who have participated since March 30 in the “Great March of Return” protests according to newly-released figures from health officials.

The Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, convened Thursday to discuss a bill that would prohibit taking pictures or recording Israeli soldiers on duty.

The bill proposes a five-year prison term for anyone “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 residents of Israel,” and ten-year prison terms for anyone “intending to harm state security.”

The bill would also penalize the distribution of photo or video content on social networks or in the media, effectively hampering journalistic work and limiting the freedom of the press.

According to Robert Ilatov, a member of the Knesset and the bill’s sponsor, the legislation was proposed “in response to harassment by left-wing operatives of Israeli soldiers while dispersing violent demonstrations by Hamas on the Gaza Strip border.”

The introductory note of the bill reads:

“For many years the State of Israel has witnessed a worrying phenomenon of documentation of Israeli soldiers. This is done through video, stills, and audio recordings by anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian organizations such as B’Tselem, Machsom Watch Women, Breaking the Silence.”

The bill, according to observers, would serve as a useful tool in targeting Israeli and Jewish organizations that oppose the occupation and the mistreatment of Palestinians by members of Israeli state security forces.

Israeli soldiers have a long history of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings, and the bill some fear would consolidate impunity.  

(TeleSur, PC, Social Media)

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1 Comment

  1. Plans in Palestine needs to be done on the sly & under the cover of darkness, away from prying Israel spies–> Maniac paranoia. The truth needs to keep getting out…journalists also in disguise with quick photo shots. Every form of Hamas defence & Hamas dispersed… don’t be a ripe plum ready to be picked off by Israel war planes. As a rebel in: Education System I was always spied on … I have a hawk eye & got advanced premonitions so nothing was a surprise to me & I could retain my composure. GOD BLESS PALESTINE PEOPLE: Everything is work in progress… step by step turn negatives to positives.

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