An Israeli bill banning the filming and photographing of Israeli soldiers’ violations in the West Bank passed a preliminary Knesset vote Wednesday.
According to the Hebrew media 45 members of Knesset supported the bill while 42 stood in opposition. Coalition members clarified that the wording of the bill would change before moving forward.
The bill has to pass the second and third reading before becoming legislation.
The version approved Wednesday calls for a five-year prison term for anyone filming or distributing footage on social media that documents confrontations between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians with the intent to “break the spirit of Israeli soldiers and inhabitants.”
However anyone who documents such activities and disseminates the information with an intent to harm national security could face up to 10 years in prison.
