Israel Hayom | Officials: Peres possibly violated censorship laws

Israel Hayom had an interesting article regarding President Shimon Peres' recent statements opposing a unilateral Israeli attack on Iraninan nuclear facilities. The relevant part for me is the following:

Peres said no Israeli military action will be undertaken in Iran before presidential elections in the U.S. in November. According to government officials, aside from the public debate on the matter, Peres' remark was a possible severe violation of the censorship law as well as a violation of a law against exposing operational information to an enemy.

As far as I can tell, the Censorship Law refers to the Defence (Emergency) Regulations published during the British Mandate in 1945. I did not see what part of the censorship provisions the President may have violated. Most of the violations in those Regulations stem from a direct contravention of a censorship order.

However, Article 4 of the Penal Law- 1977 covers espionage and may pertain to this situation.

Delivery of information to enemy

111. If a person knowingly delivered information to or for the enemy, then he is liable to ten years imprisonment; if the information is likely to benefit the enemy, then he is liable to fifteen years imprisonment; if he thereby intended to injure national security, then he is liable to life imprisonment; if by negligence he caused to be delivered to or for the enemy information likely to benefit him, then he is liable to three years imprisonment.

Espionage

112. (a)  If a person delivered information and intended to injure national security, then he is liable to fifteen years imprisonment.

(b)  If a person obtained, collected, prepared, recorded or kept information and thereby intended to injure national security, then he is liable to ten years imprisonment.

Aggravated espionage

113. (a)  Repealed

(b)  If a person delivered secret information, without being authorized to do so and thereby intended to injure national security, then he is liable to life imprisonment.

(c)  If a person obtained, collected, prepared, recorded or kept secret information without being authorized to do so, then he is liable to seven years imprisonment; if he thereby intended to injure national security, then he is liable to fifteen years imprisonment.

(d)  (1) In this section, "secret information" – information which national security requires that it be kept secret, or information that relates to a category of subjects which the Government – by order published in Reshumot with approval by the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee – declared to be secret subjects;

(2) information the contents, form, ways of keeping it, its source and the circumstances under which it was obtained indicate that national security requires it to be kept secret, unless it was proven differently.

(3) The provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) shall also apply to the matter of section 113A.

(e)  It shall be a good defense for a person charged with an offense under subsection (c) that he did nothing unlawful to obtain information that constitutes secret information, and that he obtained, collected, prepared, recorded or kept it in good faith and for a reasonable purpose.

Secret information

113A. If a person passes secret information without being qualified to do so, then he shall be liable to fifteen years imprisonment.

Some of the sections of the law have an "intent" requirement which is probably lacking in this case. Regardless, I can't imagine the government pursuing criminal charges against the President- although the media would love it.

For an article about the role of the government censor in Israel, see here.

For an article about the Defence (Emergency) Regulations, see here.

Repost: Israel Hayom | High Court petitioned to stop state funding of yeshiva students

Israel Hayom | High Court petitioned to stop state funding of yeshiva students

Nongovernmental organizations argue that following expiration of Tal Law, students are no longer eligible to receive state funds, which amounted to some 30 million shekels ($7.4 million) per month • Petitioners claim that since Tal Law has expired, there is no longer a legal basis to exempt the yeshiva students from military service. Zvi Harel Ultra-Orthodox men near the Tel Hashomer IDF Induction Center. [Archives] With the Tal Law no longer in effect, the fate of Yeshiva funding is up in the air. | Photo credit: Moshe Shai The government should stop funding 54,000 yeshiva students who can no longer claim exemption from military service following the expiration of the Tal Law according to a petition filed Tuesday with the High Court of Justice. The petition, filed by Hiddush and Free Israel (two nongovernmental organizations promoting religious freedom and equality), the Forum for Equal Service and former MK Ronny Brison (Shinui), argue that the criteria for funding for yeshiva students includes those who are exempt from military service in accordance with the Tal Law. They claim that before the law expired, 54,000 students were eligible to receive government funds, but the legal situation now does not make them eligible for the funds. The Tal Law, which exempted ultra-Orthodox men from mandatory military service, expired on Aug. 1. Defense Minister Ehud Barak has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to reinstate the last version of the Defense Service Law, from 1968, and to submit, within one month, a practical proposal regarding the implementation of the law in the ultra-Orthodox community. This would serve as a temporary solution until the Knesset legislates a new law that permanently regulates the ultra-Orthodox draft. Shahar Ilan, vice president of Hiddush, estimates that funding for yeshiva students while the Tal Law was in force, was around 30 million shekels ($7.4 million) per month and 400 million shekels ($99 million) annually. Attorney for the petitioners, Gilad Barnea, wrote in the petition that as the Tal Law has expired, there is no longer a legal basis to exempt the yeshiva students from military service. Attorney Rabbi Uri Regev, executive director of Hiddush, said the principle must be clear. "Whoever does not serve must and should not receive funds from the state. Any attempt to transfer the funds is a clear violation of the law."

Cabinet Approves Tax Hikes and Budget Cuts

The Cabinet voted to increase the VAT tax and income taxes on some segments of the population in light of a projected budget shortfall. The Knesset still needs to discuss it.

According to Israel Hayom:

The new measures include raising income tax by 1 percentage point on monthly salaries exceeding the national average of 8,881 shekels ($2,198) in 2013. Taxes on monthly salaries of over 67,000 shekels will go up 2 percentage points. Income tax rates in Israel range from 10% to 48%.

Value added tax is also set to rise to 17% from 16% on Aug. 1, most government ministries' budgets will be trimmed by 5% and the tax authority will be cracking down on tax evaders to collect billions of shekels. Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz also ordered immediate tax hikes on cigarettes and beer, which went into effect last week.