Israeli left-wing organizations decried Wednesday a Knesset plenum decision to support a panel of inquiry to investigate certain groups suspected of "delegitimizing" the Israel Defense Forces.
The plenum's approval means that the initiative will now be taken to the Knesset House Committee for debate. The initiative proposes investigating the sources of funding for these left-wing groups, and to determine whether money is being funneled from foreign states or organizations linked to terror activities.
Peace Now Director-General Yariv Oppenheimer deemed the move "another step on the path toward wiping out democracy in Israel" and as a blatant attempt to persecute critics of Israeli policy.
The New Israel Fund said the Knesset's approval "proves how much the stature of Israeli democracy has deteriorated– even in the house of legislators. Democracy cannot function properly without freedom of expression, freedom to sound criticism of the system, and active human rights groups," said the NIF.
"The political persecution of human rights group causes great damage to Israel across the world, and that is precisely what will lead to the delegitimization [of Israel] and the representation of it as a McCarthyite state in which a witch hunt is taking place," added the NIF.
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