Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli ministers on Sunday backed a draft law carrying a jail term of up to 10 years for those who film or photograph soldiers with harmful intent, the justice ministry said.
Critics say the law, which will now face a series of parliamentary debates, could be a threat to free speech.The ministerial committee on legislation endorsed the bill against "people who film, photograph or record soldiers performing their duties in order to demoralise soldiers and Israeli civilians".The draft law would give courts the power to imprison those found guilty for five years, although a 10-year sentence would apply to defendants convicted of trying to "harm the state's security".The same prison terms would apply to people sharing such images or recordings on social media or through traditional media.
Yes, filming active duty Israeli soldiers has proven to be problematic for the Israelis. The article cites the following embarrassing incident:
An Israeli soldier was recently released from prison after serving nine months behind bars for shooting dead an injured Palestinian, an act which was caught on video by a human rights group and spread widely online.
Hmm, nine months for murdering an already injured (i.e., harmless) Palestinian.
Yes, I know that many Arab nations are just as bad. But the U.S. media and politicians don't incessantly drone on about those Arab nations' stellar commitments to liberty and human rights. Israel's supporters do. So it's only fair to point out the many instances wherein Israel's actions fall short of its propaganda.
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