About ACRI
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) is Israel's oldest and largest human rights organization and the only one that deals with the entire spectrum of human rights and civil liberties issues in Israel and the Occupied Territories. ACRI's work encompasses litigation and legal advocacy, education, and public outreach as the most effective way in which to build toward our long-term vision of a just and democratic society that respects the equal rights of all its members.
ACRI's mandate is to ensure Israel's accountability and respect for human rights, by addressing violations committed by the Israeli authorities in Israel, the Occupied Territories, or elsewhere. As such, human rights abuses perpetrated by foreign governments or non-state actors are beyond the scope of our mandate.
As a fledgling democracy without a constitution, and an increasingly segmented and polarized society, Israel needs an organization such as ACRI that is committed to promoting the universality of human rights and defending the rights of all, regardless of religion, nationality, gender, ethnicity, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background. As an independent and non-partisan organization, ACRI uses this multi-pronged strategy to advance the concept of civil and human rights as an integral part of democratic community building and as a unifying force in Israeli public life.
Founded in 1972, ACRI has built its reputation by:
- bringing precedent-setting litigation to the Supreme Court;
- issuing and disseminating high-profile reports on key human rights issues;
- offering free legal information and advice through our public hotline;
- running human rights education programs for school teachers;
- providing expert opinions before the Knesset;
- conducting human rights training workshops for security forces;
- and mounting public outreach campaigns in order to place human rights concerns high on the public agenda.
Since its inception, ACRI has been consistently successful in bringing precedent-setting litigation to the Supreme Court and has contributed significantly to the protection of human rights in Israel and in the Occupied Territories. ACRI has built a solid reputation for professionalism and integrity and is widely respected within the legal community, and among decision makers, the media and the public at large. This reputation enhances ACRI’s ability to make a real and lasting difference.