B'Tselem activist filming IDF soldiers in Hebron
Bill proposal seeks to bar filming of IDF soldiers
Legislation sponsored by Yisrael Beytenu seeks to penalize filming and photography of IDF soldiers on duty when it's done 'with the intention of undermining the spirit of IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens.'
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation will discuss Sunday a bill proposal seeking to bar the filming and photography of IDF soldiers.
The bill, which was sponsored by Yisrael Beytenu MK Robert Ilatov and backed by Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, targets anyone who documents IDF soldiers on duty and distributes the materials "with the intention of undermining the spirit of IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens."
According to the proposal, if the person filming soldiers intended to use the footage to harm state security, his punishment would be doubled.
B'Tselem activist filming IDF soldiers in Hebron
"For many years now, the State of Israel has witnessed a worrying trend of the documentation IDF soldiers—using video, still photos and audio recording—by anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian organizations, such as B'Tselem, Machsom Watch, Breaking the Silence and different BDS organizations," the bill's explanatory note says.
"In many cases, these organizations spend entire days near IDF forces waiting impatiently for activity that could be documented in a biased and systematic manner and used to put a mark of shame on IDF soldiers. The documentation is mostly done while interrupting the IDF soldiers' routine and operational activity, and at times while hurling accusations and insults at the soldiers," the explanatory note goes on to say.
"This documentation, as previously mentioned, is systematic and edited in a one-sided manner, with one objective—to undermine the spirit of IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens."
The legislation further notes that most of these organizations are supported by NGOs, organizations and governments "with a clear anti-Israeli agenda, who are using this one-sided content to harm the State of Israel and its security."
MK Ilatov, who sponsored the bill, said it was "time to put an end to this lawlessness. We cannot allow for every left-wing activist or organization supported by foreign entities to have free access and document undisturbed IDF soldiers as they carry out their duty. We have the responsibility to provide IDF soldiers with the optimal conditions to carry out their job, without having to fear some left-wing organization distributes their photo in order to shame them."
