Haaretz: Intensification of Netanyahu's Government Actions Against Opposing Civil Society Groups

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Tuesday, March 23, that Benjamin Netanyahu's government has intensified its stance and actions against opposing civil society groups, with the ministers of defense and justice accusing these movements of "treason" and "espionage." According to Haaretz, the Netanyahu government has expanded the pursuit of activists in these leftist opposition movements and aims to "silence them by threatening prosecution." The Israeli government's efforts are particularly focused on the movement "Breaking the Silence," which has recently published interviews with former Israeli army officers and soldiers regarding the army's actions towards Palestinians in recent months. After Moshe Ya'alon, Israel's defense minister, labeled the movement as "traitorous," the activists described his remarks as "shameful incitement." Activists from the "Breaking the Silence" group have especially interviewed soldiers who have recently completed their military service. However, Ya'alon stated that the disclosure of parts of these interviews regarding the Israeli army's operations is "nothing but treason." He added, "What reason is there to ask discharged soldiers how the army implements its plans with what equipment and through what land, air, or sea routes?" Ayelet Shaked, the justice minister, also stated that "those who collect this type of information are committing espionage." Benjamin Netanyahu himself has recently said that this organization has crossed the country's red lines and that its actions to gather information from the army are intolerable. According to Haaretz, Netanyahu, with Ya'alon's support, has ordered the country's intelligence and security agencies to investigate the actions of the "Breaking the Silence" movement and prosecute its activists. Haaretz added that leaders from some opposition parties in Israel have criticized Netanyahu and his senior officials' statements. The opposition movements have emphasized that they oppose Netanyahu's policies and that the pursuit and harassment of activists from these movements limit democracy in the country and pose a serious threat to the democratic system. The "Breaking the Silence" movement was established in 2004 after the second bloody intifada, aiming to "raise awareness about the daily situation in the West Bank and create public dialogue regarding the moral price of dominating another nation." This movement monitors the behavior of soldiers and settlers towards Palestinians and publishes actions that violate human rights. "Breaking the Silence" received its budget from 2012 to 2014 from several European countries, including the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, and some EU-affiliated organizations. However, the Netanyahu government has presented a bill to the parliament titled "Transparency" to disclose the sources of foreign aid to this movement and similar movements and to prevent their activities. In response, Israeli right-wingers have also established a movement called "Our Truth," which includes soldiers and officers supportive of right-wing and religious parties, rejecting the materials published by "Breaking the Silence."