Israel is prosecuting those who doubt the official statement on the events of October 7
Israel has passed a new law criminalizing questioning the official account of the events of October 7, 2023. The law, which passed without opposition, bans non-Israeli citizens from entering or residing in the country if they are affiliated with individuals or organizations that deny the October 7 attacks, question the Holocaust, or support the prosecution of Israeli security personnel for war crimes in international courts. It also expands a controversial 2017 law that banned visas for individuals associated with groups that support the peaceful boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement.
One of the most controversial aspects was the army's use of the "Hannibal Directive," a military protocol that allows Israeli forces to kill their own soldiers or civilians to prevent capture by the enemy. Israel's defense minister acknowledged on October 7 that this directive had been issued and that as a result, Israeli forces had killed a large number of their own citizens to prevent capture.
Moreover, many of the most outrageous claims about the Hamas-led cross-border operation, which critics say was later used to justify the genocide in Gaza, have turned out to be lies. The claim that Hamas beheaded 40 babies, as well as the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war, have been found to be unfounded. However, the new law puts doubt on the official account of the events of October 7 on a par with the denial of the Holocaust, which Israel and Zionist organizations claim is a unique event in history.
Haaretz reported that the bill was initially introduced by Michel Buskila, a member of the New Hope - United Right party, and was co-sponsored by his colleague Zeev Elkin. The bill's explanatory memorandum states that it aims to combat "hostile forces" that seek to harm Israel's interests. However, critics say its real purpose is to criminalize dissent and prevent scrutiny of Israel's military actions, especially its operations in Gaza.
By barring access to supporters of trials of Israeli officials suspected of genocide, the law limits the ability of international organizations and human rights groups to hold Israel accountable for alleged war crimes. Haaretz reports that the measure is part of a broader strategy to shield Israeli military forces from international legal scrutiny. The move to ban cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) is particularly notable because it threatens individuals who provide information to the court with up to five years in prison.
The bill is expected to severely hamper the work of human rights organizations operating in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, especially those working with the Human Rights Council and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to document and present evidence of genocide. It also reflects a broader trend toward authoritarian rule in Israel. Over the past decade, the government has taken a series of harsh measures to silence critics, both domestically and internationally.
For example, the 2017 anti-BDS law gave the government the power to deny visas to individuals associated with groups calling for a boycott of Israel. The latest bill significantly expands this power, allowing the government to ban entry to anyone who demands accountability for Israeli war crimes. The new rules essentially give the government the ability to define who can challenge its policies, further weakening the country’s democratic claims.
Israel's use of legal measures to suppress dissent is seen as part of a path toward authoritarianism. Political analysts see Israel as an example of how states can weaponize their legal and political systems to suppress populations they perceive as a threat and tighten control over the lives of millions of people. Governments around the world are increasingly using laws under the pretext of national security as a means to suppress dissent.
In the United States, for example, scholars have observed the rise of a phenomenon called "competitive authoritarianism," characterized by efforts to undermine the independence of the judiciary and force state institutions to serve the interests of the ruling party.
Political analysts Stephen Levitsky and Lucan A. Way have argued that modern autocracies often maintain a veneer of democracy while gradually eroding its core principles. Rather than outright banning political activity, leaders use legal mechanisms to suppress dissent. Israel’s latest law follows this model by using the law to combat the legitimization of criticism. The move to criminalize cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) is similar to the methods used by authoritarian regimes. In this way, governments enact laws to thwart internal and external oversight and to suppress independent scrutiny of their actions.
This approach is not new. Israel has consistently refused to recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction over the occupied Palestinian territories. However, actively criminalizing cooperation with the court would significantly increase the impunity that shields Israeli actions from international legal accountability. It would also signal its intention to block any attempt to hold Israeli officials accountable for their actions in the illegally occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Israel has been lobbying its Western allies to weaken the ICC’s legitimacy, and this latest law is a continuation of that effort.
The government's growing hostility to dissent, both domestically and internationally, reflects a further shift toward authoritarian rule. The unopposed passage of this law demonstrates how deep-rooted this shift is.
The Israeli government is increasingly relying on legal and political mechanisms to suppress dissent. It has severely restricted political freedoms by harassing Palestinian civil society organizations, monitoring activists, and restricting protests. The recent law, which bans entry for those who challenge Israeli policies and criminalizes cooperation with international law institutions, is another step in the process of suppressing dissent and shielding the state from accountability. In addition to restricting critics, it creates additional obstacles to investigating and prosecuting potential war crimes.
This move is not an isolated incident, but part of a systematic effort to erode legal control over Israel's actions in the besieged Gaza Strip and the illegally occupied West Bank. By criminalizing contact with international legal bodies, the government is strengthening its control while making accountability increasingly difficult.
Naseem Ahmed, journalist