Arson Suspected in Fire at B'Tselem's Office Building in Jerusalem

A spokeswoman for the group said the blaze had caused extensive damage.
“A fire broke out at B’Tselem’s office in Jerusalem this evening. None of our staff were in the building,” she said.
“Initial reports published by the media indicate that police suspect arson. If it is discovered that this was an arson attack, it must be seen in the context of the wave of government incitement and smear campaigns against Israel’s human rights groups, and B’Tselem in particular.”
But she said the fire would not stop the organisation’s work of documenting and exposing human rights abuses under the occupation.

Vandalism attacks, including torchings, by suspected far-right Israeli groups have caused damage to Palestinian property and mosques and churches.
Two Israelis were charged last week over the death of a Palestinian baby and his parents in the West Bank last year after their home was set on fire.
Israel’s right-wing government has proposed legislation to limit foreign donations from governments and private benefactors to B’Tselem and many other Israeli NGOs, something that could severely restrict the organisation’s ability to operate.

Headquarters of B’Tselem badly damaged by flames in what would be a major escalation to weeks of mounting hostility by against Israeli human rights NGOs

If politically motivated arson is confirmed as the cause of the blaze, it would be a major escalation to weeks of mounting hostility by Right-wing groups against Israeli human rights NGOs.
A Right-wing video made last month accused several prominent Israeli human rights campaigners of being “foreign agents” who side with Palestinian terrorists against Israel.
The director of B’Tselem, Hagai El-Ad, was one of those named in the video and he was described as “a planted agent of the European Union”. The European Union is a major funder of B’Tselem.
A spokeswoman for the group said: “If it is discovered that this was an arson attack, it must be seen in the context of the wave of government incitement and smear campaigns against Israel’s human rights groups, and B’Tselem in particular.”
This week, a prominent Left-wing Israeli activist was caught on camera saying he tried to help Palestinian security forces arrest and kill Palestinians who sell land to Jews. He was reportedly accompanied by a Palestinian member of B’Tselem.
The tension has been rising as Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, debates a controversial bill that would put new regulations on NGOs which receive significant funding from foreign governments.
The bill was proposed by Israel’s Right-wing justice minister, Ayelet Shaked, who argues it is will increase transparency and protect Israeli democracy from interference by foreign governments.
Critics argue the bill is designed to stifle dissent and will disproportionately impact Left-wing groups who are dependent on European countries and the EU for their funding.
The bill would force NGOs to declare their funding sources in all meetings and correspondence with legislators and their representative would have to wear special labels during visits to the Knesset.
The Foreign Office said it “has concerns about a number of elements in the proposed NGO Bill”.
“We are concerned that focussing only on NGOs receiving a majority of funding from foreign Governments would unfairly stigmatise these organisations, who represent legitimate voices in – and contribute to – Israel’s active and vibrant democracy,” a spokeswoman said.
Right-wing Israeli groups also receive funding from abroad but their donations tend to come from wealthy individuals rather than governments, meaning they would be unaffected by the proposed bill.

.@rafsanchez Channel 2 reported that an electrical malfunction, & not arson, caused the fire at @btselem. I hope your report can be updated
— Adam Levick (@adamlevick) January 11, 2016