Anti-Democratic Legislation – Ahead of the opening of the Knesset Summer Session, May 2024

מאת: פורום מדעני.ות המדינה למען הדמוקרטיה הישראלית

לקריאת המאמר המלא >>

Summary of Anti-Democratic Legislation Knesset Summer Session May 2024 by PSFI (May 20, 2.

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19 במאי 2024

Before the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Netanyahu’s coalition advanced 225 anti-democratic legislative bills across all five parameters of the Hungarian protocol: eliminating the independence of the judicial system; disrupting proper administration and election procedures; taking control over public communications and free media; narrowing the rights of individuals, minorities, women, the LGBTQ community, and religious coercion; and restricting freedom of speech – in Academia, arts and culture.

In the months that have passed since then, the coalition has not stopped advancing anti-democratic legislation. At the commencement of the Knesset's summer session, a total of 275 anti-democratic legislative bills are on the table.

Since the 7th of October, 50 new anti-democratic legislative bills have been introduced:

• 35 bills advancing religious coercion and violating human rights including the rights of minorities, women, and the LGBTQ community

• 7 bills abolishing the independence of the judicial system

• 5 bills undermining proper administration and electoral procedures

• 2 bills undermining freedom of speech in Academia, Arts and Culture

• 1 legislative proposal for taking over public communication and free media

These bills are not merely declarative—6 bills have passed and have been enacted as laws. They allow the IDF and Shin Bet (Israeli General Security Services) to access personal computers, the Minister of Defense to declare an individual a terrorist operative, and the Director General of the Ministry of Education to dismiss teaching staff without a hearing.

14 additional bills have passed the preliminary reading, and 3 are in preparation for the second and third readings.

The coalition's anti-democratic legislation continues even during wartime and while the hostages are still in Gaza. It dramatically undermines the democratic rules of the game, changes the public sphere, restricts individual freedoms, hinders the actions of watchdogs, academia, education, and civil society, grants draconian powers to government ministers, emoves restrictions on corruption, and de facto dismantles the professionalism of the public service.

To view the updated full document (Hebrew): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e6iRsPhCgzFVFoYRU- 7Svz2WqolZuJH1rwfwKsaMp7U/edit?usp=sharing

Political Scientists for Israeli Democracy website: https://www.psfidemocracy.org/

Contact: psfidemocracy@gmail.com

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Judicial Overhaul – Select Examples of Bills by Category

Anti-democratic laws that have passed since the beginning of the War:

• As per Governmental Bill/1680 - Authorization Law for the Israel Defense Forces and the General Security Service to Access and Interfere with Computer Material Used for Operating Stationary Cameras (Temporary Provision – Iron Swords), 5783-2023.

• As per Governmental Bill/1664 - The Counter-Terrorism Law (Amendment No. 9 and Temporary Provision), 5783-2023.

• As per Governmental Bill/1668 - The Counter-Terrorism Law (Amendment No. 10), 5783-2023.

• As per Private Bill/3571/24 - Law on Extending Suspension of State Employees and Dismissal of Teaching Staff for Protection of a Minor or Helpless Individual (Legislative Amendments), 5784-2024.

• As per Private Bill 4321/25 - The Bar Association Law (Amendment No. 43), 5784-2024.

• As per Governmental Bill/1609 - The Planning and Building Law (Amendment No. 152), 5784-2024.

  
  

Anti-democratic laws pending:

1.Curtailing the autonomy of the judicial system – 90 Bills

• Establishment of a Parliamentary Hearing Committee for Judges

• Private Bill 4154/25 - The Public Defender Bill (Amendment - Representation of Security Prisoners who Participated in the Iron Swords War), 5783-2023. Introduced during the War, in December 2023

• The Override Clause on Supreme Court Rulings in Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty regarding Infiltrators

• Private Bill/4335/25 - Basic Law Bill: Human Dignity and Liberty (Amendment - Validity of a Deviating Law concerning Infiltrators)

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• The "French Law," Prohibiting Criminal Investigation Against a Sitting Prime Minister

• Private Bill/2801/25 - Basic Law Bill: The Government (Amendment - Prohibition of Criminal Investigation Against a Sitting Prime Minister)

  
  

2.Undermining Proper Public Administration and Electoral Procedures – 35 Legislative Bills

• Political Appointments in the Committee for Reviewing Appointments in Government Companies

  Bill 411/25/ Proposed Government Companies Law (Amendment - Special Qualifications), 2022.

  
  

• Establishment of a Political Committee Bypassing the Attorney General for the Appointment of the IDF Chief of Staff, Chief of Police, Head of Shin Bet, Head of Mossad, Commissioner of Prisons, and Governor of the Bank of Israel

  Private Bill/3762/25 - Committee for Senior Appointments Bill (Legislative Amendments), 5783-2023.

  
  

• Increasing the Number of Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister's Office to Three

  Private Bill/4016/25 - Basic Law Bill: The Government (Amendment - Number of Deputy Ministers). Introduced soon after the War broke out, October 2023.

  
  

3.Violation and undermining Individual Rights: Religious Coercion and Infringing the rights of Women, LGBTQ+ Individuals, and Minorities – 126 Legislative Bills

• Repeal of the “Grandchild Clause” in the Law of Return

  Private Bill/3171/25 - Law of Return Bill (Amendment - Rights of Family Members), 5783-2023.

• Authorization for the IDF and Shin Bet to Access Computer Material

  Private Bill/1680 - Authorization Law for the Israel Defense Forces and the General Security Services to Penetrate and Interfere with Computer Material Used for Operating Stationary Cameras (Temporary Provision – Iron Swords),

  5783-2023. Introduced soon after the War broke out, November 2023, and passed the third reading.

  
  

• Granting Arrest and Administrative Restriction Powers to the Minister of National Security

  Private Bill/3492/25 - Administrative Powers Bill (Arrests and Restrictions) (Temporary Provision), 5783-2023.

  
  

4.Violating and undermining Freedom of Speech– Academia, Culture and the Arts – 17 Legislative Bills

• Establishment of a Committee Including Shin Bet and Police Representatives that Can Dismiss an Educator

  Private Bill/3214/25 - State Education Bill (Amendment - Prohibition of Supporting Terrorism), 5783-2023.

  
  

• The Minister of Education Will Establish Regulations on how Academic Institutions Use the National Anthem

  Private Bill/3872/25 - Flag, Emblem, and National Anthem Bill (Amendment - Use of the National Anthem by Higher Education Institutions), 5783-2023.

  
  

• Revocation of Degree Eligibility for Students Determined by a Disciplinary Committee to be Identified with a Terrorist Organization

  Private Bill/4126/25 - Council for Higher Education Bill (Amendment - Revocation of Academic Degree Eligibility Due to Support for Terrorism), 5783-2023. Introduced during the War, December 2023.

  
  

5.Takeover of Public Communication and Free Media – 7 Legislative Bills

• Subjecting Decisions of the Second Authority for Television and Radio Council to Revoke or Reduce a Television Channel or Radio Station Broadcast License to the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee

  Private Bill/3769/25 - Second Authority for Television and Radio Bill (Amendment - Revocation, Expiration, or Suspension of Broadcast License or Franchise),5783-2023.

• Privatization of the Public Broadcasting Corporation

  Private Bill/176/25 – Bill for the Privatization of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, 5782-2022.

לקריאת המאמר המלא >>

Summary of Anti-Democratic Legislation Knesset Summer Session May 2024 by PSFI (May 20, 2.

הורידו את • 214KB