Issue No. 17, July 2009 | Donate  | Subscribe  | Acri on Facebook 
In Brief



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Defending the Right to Demonstrate

ACRI intervened in June before the Attorney-General, demanding he drop the charges against six Israelis who were arrested in a protest demonstration in Beersheva during Operation Cast Lead, and against whom indictments were hastily filed the following day. One demonstrator was put under "town arrest" at his sister's home in the Galilee, while two others were forbidden entry to Beersheva for 14 days. ACRI views this as yet another alarming sign of silencing opposition voices and disrespect for civil liberties during wartime.

 
ACRI Protests Immediate Expulsion of Nearly 10,000 Migrant Workers

ACRI and partner organizations intervened in May before government ministers to protest a proposal to immediately and drastically reduce the number of migrants working in agriculture in Israel, and in effect expel 10,000 migrant workers. The intervention stressed the severe and irreversible harm that would be inflicted on these workers, many of whom arrived in Israel in recent months, in light of the huge financial debt accumulated by migrants throughout the process of arriving in Israel and attaining a legal work permit. 

ACRI Attorney Oded Feller writes in Oxford University's Forced Migration Review on 'No Place to Go: Statelessness in Israel'
 
Prioritizing Youth Education


Studies published in the past few years have revealed very troublesome trends among Israel’s youth, including the spread of racism, intolerance and anti-democratic attitudes towards minority groups in particular. In light of these trends, ACRI has identified Jewish and Arab youth in Israel as a key target group for our human rights education programs. In recent months, our Education Department has focused on developing innovative programs with youth movements, community centers, middle and high schools, and other youth forums, combining human rights education with activism. 

If you are interested in contacting our education team, please click here.
 
Restrictions on Books and CDs for Prison Inmates

ACRI petitioned the Tel Aviv District Court on behalf of three female inmates from Neve Tirtza prison against new regulations, which prevent prisoners from receiving books and CDs from visitors, and sets a limit of one book and ten music CDs allowed for each inmate to hold in their cells. The regulations force inmates to rely on the limited collection of books in Neve Tirtza's library, which holds some 1000 books, of them 80% in Hebrew and only 18% in Russian and 2% in Arabic. ACRI's Criminal Justice Project continuously strives to ensure that Israeli authorities respect civil liberties and human rights of all, including prisoners and suspects.

 
Deteriorating Situation at Qalandiya Checkpoint

In a recent intervention, ACRI and partner organization Ir Amim demanded the lifting of severe restrictions on freedom of movement for Palestinians passing through Qalandiya Checkpoint. Following the closing of Al-Ram checkpoint in the north of Jerusalem in February 2009, Qalandiya remains the only passageway into the city for Palestinian Jerusalemites cut off by the Separation Barrier, who arrive at the checkpoint daily on their way to school, work, medical treatment, etc. Qalandiya is also a central passageway for West Bank Palestinians who have attained permits to enter Israel. Deteriorating conditions at the checkpoint include new regulations demanding passengers exit vehicles and proceed on foot to the other side of the checkpoint, and verbal assault by personnel manning the checkpoint. 

To read the full intervention in English click here
 
Public Hotline Success: Annulling Age Discrimination

ACRI's Public Hotline assisted in recent months an applicant for a position with the Eilat firefighters, who was refused due to his age. The Labor Court accepted the petition ACRI submitted on the man's behalf, ruling there was no legal basis for such discrimination, thus enabling the petitioner to present his application. The Hotline staff of volunteers provide free of charge assistance in Hebrew, English, Arabic and Russian.
 
 
ACRI's Public Hotline
ACRI operates a “Public Hotline” for consultation and information on rights entitlement: 02-6521218 (Jerusalem and the south), 03-5608185 (Tel Aviv, the Sharon area and the center of the country), and 04-8526333/4/5 (Haifa and the north of the country).


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© ACRI 2009
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel
PO Box 34510
Jerusalem 91000
Israel

Tel: +972-2-652-1218
Fax: +972-2-652-1219
E-mail: mail@acri.org.il
www.acri.org.il

Click here to donate to ACRI.
 
A Message from Hagai El-Ad, ACRI's Executive Director




Freedom of expression - a cornerstone of democracy, without which ACRI's longtime efforts would be made impossible - has been repeatedly targeted and challenged in recent months from within the halls of governance. Following the election of the Israeli Knesset and the formation of a new government, several draft bills have been debated within parliament and among the public, aimed at restricting alternative voices and opinions, in particular those of the Arab minority.

To give but one example, the Loyalty Oath Bill, an amendment to the Citizenship Law, would require pledging an oath to the "State of Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state" as a precondition for attaining an Israeli I.D card. Bear in mind, I.D cards are mandatory in Israel, hence the further bewilderment caused by this outrageous piece of legislation. To put it differently, being born in Israel to parents who are Israeli citizens would no longer suffice in order to receive a key official document which citizens are required to carry with them by law. To be able to follow the law and even be granted an I.D card, citizens will be required to declare their loyalty not only to the State but also to Jewish and Zionist principles.

These unprecedented proposed bills reflect a disturbing trend in Israel, whereby democracy is perceived as the privilege of the majority alone. In the words of ACRI President Sammi Michael, "It extends far beyond the issue of the legitimate rights of the Arab minority . It crushes the moral boundaries we have set for ourselves and points to the surest way to brutal oppression of everyone's freedom of speech". 

Given a choice, whose mouth would you shut up?

Rising to the challenge, ACRI is working tirelessly to combat new waves of anti-democratic sentiment and policies, particularly through media outreach activities aimed at shaping public discourse, and at the same time working to influence decision makers to protect the fundamental values of our democracy. 

One example is ACRI's innovative spoof website www.lystom.com (lystom is Hebrew for "shut up"), which invites readers to suggest new ideas for silencing others in defense of national moral and public sensitivities. In front of one's very eyes, society slips into silencing everyone. The website thus conveys to the public the dangers of that ever-so-familiar slippery slope. [Full article on Lystom.com on The Huffington Post]

We invite you to write to us and share your ideas for media or public outreach initiatives, which would assist in advancing the principles and values ACRI strives to advance. Reasons for discouragement are bountiful: clearly, we are facing more and more challenging times for defending human rights. In the face of these challenges, ACRI is committed to continue our efforts to strengthen democracy and ensure human rights, equality, and social justice for all.

Hagai El-Ad
Executive Director
 
 
High Court Ruling on Ni'ilin Shooting Sets Human Rights As Prime Consideration
In a landmark decision, the High Court of Justice ruled in favor of changing the indictments filed by the military against an officer and soldier who were involved in the shooting of a handcuffed detainee in the West Bank village of Ni’lin, saying the indictment was too lenient and did not reflect the gravity of the action. ACRI and partner organizations filed the petition after the two were charged with conduct unbecoming a soldier, a crime which does not leave a criminal record.

This unprecedented ruling marks the first time the High Court has intervened to reject an indictment by a military prosecution: "We are not talking about a marginal difference between a harsh charge and one that is somewhat less harsh", the judges wrote, "but rather about a large and wide gap between a possible criminal charge that expresses the true gravity of the act, and a criminal charge that is regarded by the legislature as the lightest of crimes in the military penal code".

ACRI welcomes the decision and the crucial message it conveys, that safeguarding human life and dignity must be a primary consideration for law-enforcement agencies.
 
 
Homelessness Report Portrays Authorities' Failures


ACRI and the Tel Aviv University Law and Welfare Clinic published in May a joint report entitled "No Forwarding Address: Violating the Rights of the Homeless in Israel, Status Report and Proposed New Policies". The report harshly criticizes the authorities for failing to provide appropriate solutions to those living on the streets or in low-grade housing. The writers, attorneys Gil Gan-Mor and Dana Freibach-Heifetz, lament the current situation whereby there is no official government address for the homeless to seek help. To coincide with the publication of the report, a conference was held at Tel Aviv University, attended by representatives from various ministries.

For an executive summary in English click here
 
 

Marking Discrimination in East Jerusalem on Jerusalem Day




A first of its kind Jerusalem Day protest demonstration took place on Thursday, May 21, near the entrance to Damascus Gate in the Old City. Hundreds of Jerusalem residents from West and East Jerusalem called on the authorities to end the discriminatory policies in East Jerusalem, under the banner "Wake Up from the Fantasy: Jerusalem is not Unified". The demonstration, which received extensive local and international media coverage, was spearheaded by ACRI in collaboration with East Jerusalem neighborhood committees and residents, Rabbis for Human Rights, and The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

Coinciding with Jerusalem Unification Day, ACRI published two reports that present an alarming picture of systematic discrimination along with routine and deliberate violation of the political, social and economic rights of the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem:

- Facts and Figures: The State of Human Rights in East Jerusalem 2009
- 200 Days of Grace: Israeli Policy in East Jerusalem in the Nir Barkat Era

Recent accomplishments of ACRI's East Jerusalem Project also include a decision by the Jerusalem Municipality to translate all municipality forms from Hebrew to Arabic, as currently only 13 of 90 forms are available in Arabic. ACRI intervened before the current and previous mayor on this matter, stressing the municipality's duty, by law, to provide forms that are accessible to all.

Attorneys Tali Nir and Nisreen Alyan who head the project recently received a special award from representatives of neighborhood committees in Silwan, thanking the two for their dedication and perseverance in the battle to ensure the rights of East Jerusalemites are respected. During the award ceremony, representatives highlighted ACRI's efforts to work jointly with local residents through empowerment and civil action.
 
 
Health Ministry Triples Budget for Schoolchildren's Dental Treatment



On June 7, the Health Ministry notified the High Court of Justice of its decision to triple the budget for preventative dental care among schoolchildren. The announcement was made in response to a High Court petition submitted by ACRI and Physicians for Human Rights, demanding all Israeli schoolchildren be provided with free-of-charge dental checkups, as clearly required according to the National Health Insurance Law. 

ACRI applauds the Health Ministry decision, but cautions that unless additional steps are made, this decision will not be sufficient in and of itself to ensure dental care to all students.