Association for Civil Rights in Israel legal adviser attorney Dan Yakir recently turned to Deputy Attorney General Dina Zilber, in which he demanded she tell Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev (Likud) not to overstep our boundaries.
In his letter, Yakir wrote Regev is "terrifying" the municipal heads and cultural centers by threatening to remove government funding from anyone who holds events with content which does not find favor in her eyes.
In her response to Yakir, Zilber says she spoke to Regev, and said in the Attorney General's name that it is impossible to de-fund centers because of the events they hold.
"There is a worrisome accumulation of incidents which send a problematic message to cultural centers," Zilber said. "In these incidents, the cultural centers and the artists they host are examined under a magnifying glass, and are under constant supervision and monitoring from the State of Israel."
"This harms the very foundation of freedom of expression, and with every complaint I receive, the problem grows larger."
According to Zilber, the fact that Regev contacted the municipal authorities, cultural centers, and other responsible parties creates the impression that funding will only be given to those who the government is "in the mood" to give to. Therefore, Zilber said, these examinations are not legitimate and must be avoided.
In fact, Regev's new law, dubbed the "Loyalty Law," received approval from Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in February 2016.
Previously, Regev said, "I am true to my way, that one must distinguish between freedom of funding and freedom of expression - whoever is interested in government funding needs to preserve [the State’s] values and symbols."