Loyalty vs. Culture: Culture Minister's controversial bill passes in its first reading

Date: 2018/11/06

Culture Minister Miri Regev's "Loyalty in Culture" bill, which seeks to silence political criticism of the state, passes in its first reading

Artists lobby Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon in the Knesset on November 5^th, 2018

On November 5^th, the Knesset General Assembly passed the “Loyalty in Culture” bill in its first reading, just over a week after thousands gathered outside of Tel Aviv’s Cinematheque to protest the controversial bill.

Regev, who has repeatedly complained about the unwillingness Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon to enforce the “Nakba Law” and the “Boycott Law,” seeks to sidestep the Ministry of Finance through the passage of this law by transferring the authority to revoke government funding to cultural institutions to her ministry. If passed, she will have the ability to withhold funding from cultural institutions that, among other things, call into question Israel’s identity as Jewish and democratic, harm or disrespect the symbols of the state, or mark Independence Day, the Nakba, as a day of mourning. This bill will also give the Ministry of Culture the authority to remove funds from institutions that incite to racism, violence, and terrorism, allegations that the state has used in the past to suppress dissenting voices.

Similar to the “Nakba Law” and the “Boycott Law,” the “Loyalty in Culture” bill seeks to silence the voices of those critical of the government. Although Finance Minister Kahlon opposed the bill in the past, he has since announced his support, clearing the way for its legislation.

While dissenting cultural institutions in Israel already experience impediments to their political expression, this law seeks to further silence peaceful, artistic political criticism. The “Loyalty in Culture” bill will have a particularly disproportionate impact on the Palestinian Arab community in Israel, as many Arab artists and cultural institutions deal with topics that would fall under the censorship intended by the law.

The Mossawa Center will continue to advocate against the passage of this bill. For more information, please contact [email protected]