The Mossawa Center warned of the dangers posed by the Associations Bill following a session held this week in the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, during which discussions continued amid the coalition’s insistence on advancing the bill to its first reading, despite widespread professional and legal objections.

According to the Center, the bill targets associations that receive donations from international entities exceeding 100,000 shekels, imposing on them an obligation to refrain for three years from essential public activities. These include organizing or supporting protests, influencing legislation, and operating before the Knesset and its committees—creating a broad chilling effect and paralyzing the oversight and societal role of civil society organizations.

The Mossawa Center noted that the bill includes severe economic sanctions, including the imposition of a tax on donations and funding sources from foreign government bodies or international entities, reaching up to 46% in cases of non-compliance. It also mandates the payment of high court fees amounting to 50,000 shekels if petitions are submitted to the Supreme Court by organizations that have received foreign funding, a step that directly undermines the right of access to justice and judicial oversight.

The Center emphasized that the danger of the bill is compounded for Arab society, which is already facing cumulative crises of violence, crime, racism, and impoverishment, at a time when civil society organizations are already operating under increasing regulatory restrictions and scrutiny. It added that this step represents an escalation that threatens to undermine what remains of effective civic frameworks and to deepen the crisis within Arab society, amounting to a systematic process of social dismantling.

Nibal Ardat, Coordinator of Parliamentary and Legal Advocacy at the Mossawa Center, called for the immediate halt of the legislative process, warning that passing the bill in its current form constitutes a direct infringement on freedom of association, pluralism, the balance of powers, and the fundamental pillars of democracy.

Suhad Salman Musa, Executive Director of the Mossawa Center, affirmed that the Associations Bill does not target human rights organizations alone, but directly harms the public they serve—foremost the Arab community—and constitutes a dangerous step toward shrinking democratic space and silencing any independent oversight voice.

For further details:
Suhad Salman Musa – Executive Director, Mossawa Center
+972-54-520-6457

Nibal Ardat – Coordinator, Legal Advocacy Department
+972-52-896-9144