Israel’s parliament has voted down a bill that would have established an inquiry commission to investigate foreign funding of dovish activist groups.

Left-wing lawmakers denounced the bill as an antidemocratic attempt to stifle free expression.

Backers of the measure charged that foreign groups are funding local activists who are trying to delegitimize Israel.

The vote to kill the inquiry law was 57-28. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted against it after urging members of his hawkish Likud Party not to back it. — ap