Merkel to Netanyahu: Worried About Effect of 'NGO Bill' on Israeli Civil Society
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a summit meeting of the two governments in Berlin on Tuesday that she was very concerned about the so-called "NGO bill" the government is advancing concerning leftist NGOs and the negative effect it could have on civil society in Israel, German sources familiar with the details of the meeting told Haaretz.
According to these sources, Merkel told Netanyahu that she feared that the bill would restrict the activities of NGOs and cause damage to German foundations working with Israeli civil society.
Netanyahu responded that the bill was not intended to harm any NGO, but rather to increase transparency.
Netanyahu informed Merkel that in the bill’s current iteration, the clause requiring representatives of NGOs receiving more than half their funding from abroad to wear tags when they come to the Knesset has been removed.
According to these sources, Merkel told Netanyahu that she feared that the bill would restrict the activities of NGOs and cause damage to German foundations working with Israeli civil society.
Netanyahu responded that the bill was not intended to harm any NGO, but rather to increase transparency.
Netanyahu informed Merkel that in the bill’s current iteration, the clause requiring representatives of NGOs receiving more than half their funding from abroad to wear tags when they come to the Knesset has been removed.