New Israeli legislation would punish the use of Nazi symbols to cause offense with three years’ in jail.
The Knesset approved in first reading Wednesday a bill by Labor Party lawmaker Colette Avital banning Nazi slurs or the political use of Holocaust-type images such as Star of David badges.
The new legislation, which passed by a vote of 17 to 5, would punish such actions by up to three years in prison. Avital’s bill requires another two votes to be ratified.
Those opposed to the law included lawmakers from both left-wing and right-wing parties, who argued that it would unrealistically limit free speech in Israel.
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