Netanyahu freezes bills to limit funds for Israeli human rights groups

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to freeze the parliamentary process that would ratify bills aimed at limiting foreign funding of Israeli human rights organizations, sources said on Saturday, a week after a Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved the bills.

According to the sources, Netanyahu decided to indefinitely postpone appeals submitted against the Ministerial Committee for Legislation's vote, meaning that Knesset members wont be able to ratify the bills. These bills, sponsored by two members of Netanyahu's Likud party - MKs Tzipi Hotovely and Ofir Akunis, would cap foreign governments' contributions to "political" non-governmental organizations at NIS 20,000.

Speaking with Haaretz, officials said the "bills won't come up [for vote] soon," adding that there are "dozens of appeals awaiting cabinet debate, designed to stall the promotion of bills, and this is one of them." "As of right now there's no intention to hold a discussion about [the bill] in cabinet meetings.

Netanyahu will have to decide when and how – if at all – he would like to revive these bills. This also depends on the pressure he may face," the source added.