Israeli ministers to back bill criminalising filming of soldiers

Israeli ministers to back bill criminalising filming of soldiers
The bill was first proposed in April after video footage was circulated showing an Israeli sniper cheering after shooting a Palestinian in the Gaza Strip.
2 min read
17 June, 2018
The bill was first proposed in April. [Getty]

Israeli ministers on Sunday are set to back a bill to criminalise the filming of Israeli soldiers in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The legislation would see penalties of up to five years in jail for anyone caught filming or publishing video footage of Israeli army activity with the purpose of damaging the "soldiers' spirit", The Times of Israel reported.

Publishing video footage with the intention of "harming state security" could carry a ten year prison sentence.

The bill was sponsored by the Yisrael Beintenu party and is backed by Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

It is expected to gain the backing of other ministers at the Ministerial Committee for Legislation's meeting on Sunday.

The bill was first proposed in April after video footage was circulated showing an Israeli sniper cheering after shooting a Palestinian in the Gaza Strip.

In recent years, several incidents of Israeli soldiers using excessive force have been captured on video.

In 2016, Israeli soldier Elor Azaria was filmed executing a wounded Palestinian assailant in Hebron. The soldier was released in May after serving nine months behind bars - half his original sentence.

"If the government is embarrassed over the occupation, it should work to bring it to an end," Israeli rights group B'Tselem said.

"In any case, visual footage of life under occupation will continue. This is a fact of life that no idiotic proposed bill will change."