27 Knesset lawmakers, including one opposition lawmaker from the Benny Gantz faction, filed a new bill on Tuesday to ban accusations of war crimes and Jewish terrorism.
The bill amends the Defamation Prohibition Law to create a new form of civil offence: “False accusation of a war crime or a crime of a nationalist nature,” and establishes compensation of up to NIS 500,000 (£112,820) without proof of damages to the plaintiff. In particular, the bill will protect settlers who have been sanctioned by the international community.
Greece’s former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis wrote on X:
“The proposed bill uses tort law to restrict free speech and prosecute anyone who accuses Israel of war crimes or warns the international community about settler terrorism and nationalist crimes against innocent Palestinians.”
Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed (LFI), made a repost about Israeli actions in Gaza:
“In an hour-long game of smoke and mirrors, François Bayrou could not utter a word about France’s urgent action against the genocide in Gaza. The usurpation prime minister dared to utter the formula “We have moved from the force of law to the law of force,” condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine but silent on the massacres committed by Netanyahu. No arms embargo, no recognition of the state of Palestine, no suspension of the EU-Israel agreement… François Bayrou confirms his complicity and the complicity of his entire government with the war criminal Netanyahu.”
