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25th Knesset · outgoing

Penal Law (Amendment – Definition of Threat) Bill

Translated from Hebrew: הצעת חוק העונשין (תיקון - הגדרת איום)

TL;DRThe bill changes the definition of a threat in the Penal Law to make it easier to prove extortion, and raises minimum and maximum penalties.

Translated from Hebrew

What does the bill do?

The bill amends Section 428 of the Penal Law (1977) to expand the definition of threat and intimidation. Under the amendment, a threat will exist even when it is carried out implicitly, through conveying messages, creating a representation or exploiting the status of the person making the threat, and not only through conduct or an explicit threat toward a single victim. The bill also sets that a person who receives money or a benefit from a business owner, without appropriate consideration or service, will be considered to have received the money under a threat, unless they have a legitimate explanation. The law's penalties will rise, with the minimum penalty being no less than three years in prison.

Passed preliminary readingFirst plenum vote: June 27, 2023

The votes on this bill

Passed6 for · 0 against · 0 abstained · 114 did not vote
Source: the Knesset's vote record ↗

Coalition 64 seats

LikudFor 1 · Absent 31
ShasFor 3 · Absent 8
Otzma YehuditFor 1 · Absent 5
NoamAbsent 1

Opposition 56 seats

Yesh AtidAbsent 24
Ra'amAbsent 5
LaborAbsent 4

Tap an MK for detailsChanged position between readingsOnly MKs who held a seat on the day of the vote are shown

Other plenum votes on this bill

Procedural votes that are not a reading of the bill (for example, a motion to send it back to committee) - so they are not shown as readings.

  • Transfer of the bill between committees · July 4, 2023For 6 · Against 0 · Passed
Other bills with a similar name · 2Separate bills (usually different amendments to the same law) - not readings of this bill.