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Israeli and Palestinian Organizations

Human rights, equality etc

Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel
Adalah (Justice in Arabic) is the first non-profit, non-sectarian Palestinian-run legal center in Israel. Established in November 1996, Adalah serves the Palestinian community nationwide, over one million people or 20% of the population. Adalah's legal work draws on Israeli law, comparative constitutional law, and international human rights standards. The main goal of Adalah's work is to achieve equal rights and minority rights protections for Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Adva Center
The Adva Center conducts policy analysis, advocacy work, and public outreach to inform policy makers and the general public in Israel and abroad about equity and social justice issues in Israeli society. Adva analyzes equality and inequality in Israel in a way that integrates gender, ethnicity and nationality.

AJEEC, Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation
It is well worth noting that our acronym AJEEC in Arabic means "I am coming toward you". AJEEC is a joint Arab-Jewish center within NISPED, the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace andDevelopment. It serves as a framework responsive to needs perceived by the Palestinian-Israeli community in ways that reflect their concerns and aspirations.

Al-Beit: Association for the Defence of Human Rights
Al-Beit Association for the Defence of Human Rights works to oppose Israeli apartheid policies and promote the right of equal housing and freedom of residence for Palestinian citizens of Israel. Al-Beit seeks to address the largely neglected, though persistent, violation by Israel of Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: Everyone had the right of freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state; Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his or her own, and to return to his or her country.

Al-Haq
Al-Haq, West Bank affiliate of The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), - Geneva, is a Palestinian human rights organization located in Ramallah, West Bank, in special consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Al-Haq was established in 1979 with the goal of protecting and promoting human rights and respect for the rule of law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Al Mezan
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights is a Palestinian non-governmental non-partisan organization based in the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip. Al Mezan’s mandate is “to promote, protect and prevent violations of human rights in general and economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights in particular, to provide effective aid to those victims of such violations, and to enhance the quality of life of the community in marginalized sectors of the Gaza Strip.

Amnesty International - Israel Section
Amnesty follows the "work on your own country" rule which prohibits a section from working on human rights violations in its own country. Therefore in Israel, Amnesty runs a Human Rights Education Project and campaigns on human rights issues in other countries.

The Arab Association for Human Rights
HRA was founded in 1988 to promote and protect the political, civil, economic, and cultural rights of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel and to further the domestic implementation of international human rights principles. It is an independent non-governmental organisation registered in Israel. HRA holds a unique position locally and worldwide as an indigenous organization that works on the community, national and international levels for equality and non-discrimination, and for the domestic implementation of international minority rights protections.

Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) was founded in 1972 as a non-political and independent body, with the goal of protecting human and civil rights in Israel and in the territories under Israeli control. The founders of ACRI rooted their vision in the principles and rights articulated in the Declaration of Independence, and in the United Nation's Universal Declaration on Human Rights... Today, ACRI is Israel's largest and leading human rights organization...ACRI works to protect the right of diverse individuals and sectors of society including men and women, religious and secular, Jews and Arabs, those on the political right and left, new immigrants and veteran citizens, the unemployed, and foreign workers.

Bimkom - Planners for Planning Rights
The organization was established in May 1999 by planners and architects with the goal of strengthening the connection between human rights and spatial planning in Israel. As a professional organization, Bimkom strives to achieve the right to equality and social justice in matters of planning, development, and the allocation of land resources, and assists communities and minorities affected by social and economic disadvantage and by civil rights' discriminations to exercise their rights in this area.

B'Tselem: Israeli Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
B'tselem was established in 1989 by a group of prominent academics, attorneys, journalists, and Knesset members. It endeavors to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel.

Defense for Children International (DCI Israel)
DCI was established in 1987 to promote and protect the rights of the child in Israel and those under Israeli jurisdiction. DCI's guideline is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Democracy and Workers Rights Center
The Democracy and Workers' Rights Center is a non-governmental, non-profit organization not affiliated to any political party. The Center was established in October 1993 by a group of academics, lawyers, trade unionists, and prominent political figures. Our main office is located in Ramallah, and we have a branch office in Gaza.

Gisha
Gisha: Center for the Legal Protection of Freedom of Movement is an Israeli not-for-profit organization that seeks to protect the fundamental rights of Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories by imposing human rights law as a limitation on the behavior of Israel’s military.

HaCampus Lo Shotek
The Campus will not Stay Silent is an organization of students and faculty in Israeli universities and colleges, dedicated to campus activities against the occupation and for a just peace in Israel Palestine. The link is to the website of the Jerusalem group - largely Hebrew website of a group active at the Hebrew Unviersity in Jerusalem.

Haifa Women's Coalition: New Initiatives by Women
The Haifa Women's Coalition works for broad social change by educating the public on gender issues. At the same time, it provides counseling, legal aid and crisis intervention services to victims of domestic and sexual violence, women and men, girls and boys, in five languages: Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Amharic and English. A Coalition of four independent women's organizations: Isha L'Isha - Haifa Feminist Organization, Haifa Rape Crisis Center, Battered Women's Hotline, and Kayan - a feminist organization.

HaMoked - Center for the Defense of the Individual
Formerly Hotline for Victims of Violence, HaMoked is an Israeli organization founded in 1988 to defend human rights in the occupied territories. It has provided assistance to several thousand Palestinian victims of violence, human rights abuses and bureaucratic harassment. HaMoked registers complaints and follows through on them through administrative and legal channels until the matter is successfully resolved. In addition to its individual assistance, HaMoked advocates for human rights at the policy level.

Hotline for Migrant Workers
[Contact via Haifa Women's Coalition: New Initiatives by Women]
The Hotline for Migrant Workers is a non-partisan, non-profit organization established in August 1998, whose purpose is to protect the rights of migrant workers and of victims of trafficking in women in Israel. The Hotline is the only NGO that has a direct contact with the victims of trafficking in human beings and that is having a legal action to support them.

The Israeli National Council for the Child (NCC)
Eestablished in 1980, operates on several complementary fronts as it seeks change in legislation, policy, and practice. The NCC deals with the entire spectrum of issues concerning education, health, children at risk, abuse, police and delinquency, legislation and the law, media and consumerism and many other areas

Isha Le'Isha (feminist centre in Haifa)
Isha Le'Isha (Feminist center Haifa) is a non-profit organization established back in the 80`s. It is initiating projects regarding the victims of trafficking in human beings in the north of Israel.

Israel Religious Action Center For Human Equality, Social Justice, Religious Tolerance (IRAC)
The Center was founded in Jerusalem in 1987 for the purpose of effecting changes in Israeli society which reflect Reform Judaism's values of equality, social justice and religious tolerance. The Center's activities include: drafting legislation to provide for nonorthodox and civil marriages and divorces; advocacy in the area of marriage and divorce; various battles surrounding the "who is a Jew" question; the right of adoption; fighting the Orthodox monopoly in religious councils; equal rights for non-Orthodox institutions; non-Orthodox burial; pluralistic education; freedom of worship.

Israel Women's Network (IWN)
The Israel Women's Network (IWN) is Israel's foremost advocacy group for women's rights. IWN is a unique, non-partisan organization of women united in their determination to improve the status of women in Israel, despite differing political opinions, religious outlooks and ethnic origins. IWN was established as a non-profit voluntary body in 1984 by a group of women professionals.

Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions - ICAHD
ICAHD is a non-violent, direct-action group originally established to oppose and resist Israeli demolition of Palestinian houses in the Occupied Territories.

Kav La'oved - Worker's Hotline for the Protection of Worker's Rights
Kav La'Oved is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the rights of the most disadvantaged workers in Israel, primarily: migrant workers, Palestinians from the territories, personnel company employees, and new immigrants.

Kayan
Kayan Literally 'Being' in Arabic, Kayan is a relatively new organization for Palestinian women. Founded in 1998 by a group of feminist women from Haifa and the Galilee, Kayan's vision is to bring feminism and feminist values to the Palestinian social age

Kol Ha'Isha - Women's Center
Kol Ha'Isha was established in May 1994 as the only feminist grassroots organization in Jerusalem where women of all backgrounds and political persuasions (religious and secular, lesbian and heterosexual, Mizrachi and Ashkenazi, Jewish and Palestinian, Ethiopian, Russian and others) can come together as equals to identify common interests, raise awareness and take action on issues of concern to them. LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
LAW is a Palestinian Human Rights organisation based in Jerusalem. LAW was founded in 1990 by a group of Palestinian lawyers to promote human rights and further the principles of the rule of law, and to defend Palestinian rights in accordance with international human rights law and United Nations declarations.

Machon Toda'a (Awareness Centre)
"Awareness Center" (Machon Todaa) is a member of the International Abolitionist Federation (IAF). Founded by Ms. Lea Gruenpeter Gold and Mr. Nissan Ben-Ami, both members of the IAF for several years, with extensive experience in NGO's struggling against commercial sexual exploitation worldwide. Awareness Center is also affiliated to the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW)

MachsomWatch
Machsom Watch was founded in January 2001 in response to repeated reports in the press about human rights abuses of Palestinians crossing army and border police checkpoints. The excessive Israeli response to the El Aksa Intifada, the prolonged closure and siege of villages and towns on the West Bank provided the stimulus and the motivation for what at first seemed an impossible mission. A women only group, Machsom Watch now boasts 150 women in Jerusalem and the Central Region and in the north of the country.

Mossawa - The Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens of Israel
Established in October of 1997 to promote equality for Arab/Palestinians within the borders of Israel. Mossawa utilizes advocacy methods to change the social and political status of Arab/Palestinians in Israel in an attempt to gain minority recognition and rights, without sacrificing their national and cultural rights as Palestinians.

New Family
New Family is the first organization in Israel dedicated to advancing family rights and the rights of individuals within families. Led by experts in the field of law and civil rights, New Family is a human rights organization working to attain legal recognition of every family unit in Israel to ensure equal rights for every type of family... 42% of the Families in Israel Fall Outside the Consensus!

Palestine Human Rights Information Center (PHRIC)
PHRIC was established in 1986 as an independent, non-governmental organization. PHRIC's main interests include: 1) human rights monitoring, documentation, and reporting (of both Israel and the PA) based on thorough field investigation and eyewitness testimony; 2) advocacy and intervention for the protection and relief of human rights victims through cooperation with local human rights organizations, urgent action alerts, and formal representation to human rights organizations and U.N. agencies; 3) education and promotion of human rights standards in Palestinian society through community-based projects, seminars and publications.

Palestine National Initiative (Al Mubadara)
In Ramallah, West Bank, on June 17, 2002, a group of Palestinian leaders announced the launching of the Palestinian National Initiative (Al-Mubadara) at a press conference led by Dr. Haidar Abdul Shafi, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi and Mr. Ibrahim Dakkak. The Initiative's main objectives are the implementation of Palestinian national rights and the creation of a durable, just peace.
The Initiative believes these objectives can best be achieved through the establishment of a national emergency leadership, the implementation of democratic elections at all levels of the political system, and the reform of political, administrative, and other institutional structures in Palestine to meet the needs of the Palestinian people.

Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)
Based in Gaza. The aims of PCHR, which was established in 1995, include: protection and respect of human rights and support of the rule of law according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all the other human rights agreements; assisting in the development of democratic institutions and civil society according to international standards; supporting the rights of Palestinian people as recognized by international law.

Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG)
The Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG) was founded in December 1996 by a diverse group of well-established Palestinians, including Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) members, newspaper editors, journalists, a union leader, veteran human rights activists and others.

Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights (PICCR)
Founded in 1994, following a decree by Yasser Arafat, to serve as a human rights ombudsman. Site contains extensive information on Israeli and Palestinian abuses of human rights .

 

Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
An independent human rights organization founded in 1990, monitors the implementation of the Israeli High Court ruling of 1999 banning torture, and continues the struggle against the use of torture in interrogation in Israel and the Palestinian Authority through legal means, support of relevant legislation and through an information campaign aimed at raising public awareness of the subject.

Rabbis for Human Rights
Rabbis For Human Rights is the only organization in Israel today concerned specifically with giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rightsŠ RHR is also the only Israeli rabbinic organization comprised of Reform, Orthodox, Conservative and Reconstructionist rabbis and students.

Right to Education Campaign
The Right to Education Campaign, based at Bir Zeit University. draws international attention to the obstruction and denial of the right to education in Palestine. Violations include the closure of educational institutions, their actual physical destruction and the injury or arrest of students and academic staff. Israel's policy of internal sieges, closures and curfews make basic access to the classroom a daily struggle for students and teachers and have severely disrupted the educational process.

Sikkuy
Sikkuy is a Jewish-Arab advocacy organization dedicated to advancing Civic Equality between Jewish and Palestinian-Arab citizens of Israel. Since its founding in 1991, Sikkuy has worked to mainstream the concept of a shared civil society in Israel.

Society for the Protection of Personal Rights for Lesbians, Gay Men and Bisexuals in Israel (SPPR)
Since its founding in 1975 by a group of pioneers, the SPPR has worked to help create an environment in Israel in which minorities are respected and diversity embraced. SPPR's basic goals are threefold: to work for full legal, social and cultural equality for Israel's gay, lesbian, and bisexual community; to provide support and social interaction for members of the community; to educate the public about related issues and perspectives in order to achieve better understanding and tolerance of the "other", as well as a sense of pluralism within Israeli society

Society of St. Yves
A legal service for oppressed and exploited people. Struggling against house demolitions, land confiscations, and use of force against occupied civilians.

Ta'ayush
We -- Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel -- live surrounded by walls and barbed wire: the walls of segregation, racism, and discrimination between Jews and Arabs within Israel; the walls of closure and siege encircling the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip; and the wall of war surrounding all inhabitants of Israel, so long as Israel remains an armed fortress in the heart of the Middle East.

In the fall of 2000 we joined together to form "Ta'ayush" (Arabic for "life in common"), a grassroots movement of Arabs and Jews working to break down the walls of racism and segregation by constructing a true Arab-Jewish partnership. A future of equality, justice and peace begins today, between us, through concrete, daily actions of solidarity to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and to achieve full civil equality for all Israeli citizens.

Women's Affairs Technical Committee
The WATC operates as a coalition between several Palestinian women's committees and institutions that lobbies on behalf of women's rights and issues. WATC organizations work together in order to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, an integral part of achieving a democratic society that respects human rights.
Among the top priorities of the WATC is the enhancement of awareness among social institutions regarding gender issues and women's rights in Palestine and the Arab World.

Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling
The WCLAC, established in 1991 in Jerusalem as an independent Palestinian organization, aims to contribute to the establishment of a democratic Palestinian society, based on social justice and equality between women and men.
'Our mission is to contribute to the rectification of the long-standing neglect of women's human rights in Palestinian society.'

Workers Advice Center (WAC - Ma'an in Arabic)
The Workers Advice Center (WAC - Ma'an in Arabic) provides support for the many unorganized workers in Israel. WAC is open to any worker, although Arabs in particular suffer from lack of union representation. The problem has been especially severe since the early 1990's, when the forces of globalization became rampant.
WAC is active in the areas of Galilee, Jaffa and East Jerusalem. WAC has also proved to be the only effective address for unemployed Arab workers who have been deprived of their benefits.

 

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page last updated 4 February, 2007