JERUSALEM (JTA) — The director of Peace Now in Israel has been barred from entering the Knesset.
Yariv Oppenheimer on Monday was barred until further notice by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin after sending three members of his left-wing organization to enter the parliament building posing as students working on a project in order to interview right-wing lawmakers, according to Ha’aretz.
Oppenheimer and Rivlin are set to meet Thursday to discuss the ban.
The three Peace Now activists were arrested Sunday during an interview with National Union lawmaker Michael Ben-Ari. The organization told Ha’aretz it planned to make a film in the style of the Sacha Baron Cohen movie "Borat," capturing the lawmakers on film making embarrassing remarks and exposing their rightist views.
The previous week the exposed activists had entered the Knesset to interview Danny Danon of the Likud Party and Faina Kirschenbaum of the Yisrael Beiteinu party.
Danon announced plans Monday to introduce legislation that would criminalize the political activities of Peace Now and other organizations that accept funds from foreign governments. Danon has previously called for Peace Now to be stripped of its nonprofit status over its failure to publicize its foreign funding sources.
