Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday evening that he will advance two government bills as part of the fight against defamation of IDF soldiers and Israel abroad. One bill would increase defamation damages without proof of harm to one million shekels, a twenty-fold rise; the other would allow revocation of citizenship. The proposals are set to be brought to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation and later to a Knesset vote.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tonight advanced two government bills that would sharply raise defamation damages for harming IDF soldiers' reputation and allow revocation of citizenship for those convicted of defaming soldiers. The first bill raises compensation without proof of harm to one million shekels—a twentyfold increase. The second authorizes a court to revoke the citizenship of anyone convicted of defaming an IDF soldier. Netanyahu framed the measures at 19:49 Jerusalem as necessary to protect soldiers from slander.
The development follows The Zioneer's initial report at 19:49 Jerusalem that Netanyahu vowed to revoke citizenship and impose financial penalties on defamers. That vow came amid the controversy over the film 'Naz'a,' which IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir labeled a blood libel, as The Zioneer has reported. Shortly after Netanyahu's statement, Culture Minister Miki Zohar publicly welcomed the move, saying 'the time has come to end this disgrace.' Zohar had earlier threatened to cut funding to institutions screening the film.
The legislative push is part of the government's ongoing response to what it views as systematic defamation of Israeli soldiers abroad, particularly in international forums. The two bills are set to be submitted to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation and later to a Knesset vote.
It remains unclear how the bill will define defamation in this specific context and what threshold would trigger citizenship revocation. The legislative timeline and coalition dynamics are also pending.
4 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu says he will activate all possible sanctions against anyone who does not study Torah
- DevelopingNetanyahu vows to pursue terrorists and their backers 'everywhere'
- DevelopingNetanyahu furious in calls with ministers over bill freezing arrest of deserters
- StrongNetanyahu: Those not studying Torah will be drafted; 'we will die and not enlist' means prison
Source and signal
- Open-source intake