An Israeli parliament committee approved a bill that would provide tax exemptions for donations to institutions that participate in “strengthening Zionism and encouraging Zionist settlement.”

The measure approved Feb. 12 by the Knesset’s Ministerial Committee on Legislation was sponsored by Ze’ev Elkin and Zion Pinyan, both of the Likud Party. The amount of the tax exemption is up to 35 percent. The bill still needs full Knesset approval.

Elkin told the Jerusalem Post that the word “settlement” means any development, including new communities in the Negev and Bedouin villages.

Donations to institutions that support culture, education, religion, science and health are all tax-exempt under Israeli tax law. — jta