An Israeli bill criminalizing the filming of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers passed a ministerial committee Sunday and will now make its way to the Israeli parliament, although it is expected to be revised before it becomes law.
Initially, the bill would have punished photographers and videographers of IDF soldiers as having the intention of undermining spirit of IDF soldiers with five years behind bars, and 10 years for those who filmed with the intention to harm national security.
But such punishments would fall short of constitutional safeguards. Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit said the bill would not hold up to constitutional scrutiny in its current form and that it would not be supported by Israel's Supreme Court. He wrote a letter to the committee saying it “presents serious legal problems.”
Wednesday, the Knesset, Israel's parliament, will vote on the bill in its present form in a preliminary reading, which it is expected to pass. It'll then be completely rewritten by Knesset committees in order to make it withstand legal challenges. According to the Jerusalem Post, the maximum penalty will have to be reduced to three years in prison and the infraction itself will be changed to preventingor inhibiting the IDF from conducting its work.
“Such documentation generally interferes with ongoing and operational duties, sometimes accompanied by insults shouted at [soldiers],” the…
