Tag Meir activists organized a solidarity visit to the home of Suhad Abu-Zmiro, the victim of a racist assault in Jerusalem.
DEMOCRACY, HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS
ACHIEVEMENTS
NIF works to protect and promote the rights of all citizens of Israel, and to establish a shared society. From women’s and LGBT rights to the controversial issues of synagogue/state and minority rights, NIF has founded, funded, trained, or led a coalition of every significant human and civil rights organization in Israel.
In a major victory for Bedouin land rights, the cancellation of 51 home demolition orders in the unrecognized Negev Bedouin village of Alsira was upheld in court. NIF grantee Adalah represented the village families. Although unrecognized, Alsira has been in existence since before the founding of Israel. Government planners designated the land as a national industrial zone, but failed to provide alternative housing solutions for the villagers. The now-halted demolition would have left more than 400 homeless. From the near-lynching by Jewish youth in downtown Jerusalem of three young Arab men to ongoing “price-tag” attacks — the price radical extremists exact in response to any government attempt to close down settlements — racism, incitement, and violence have reached alarming levels in Israel. Following the publication of the
NIF-backed Coalition Against Racism’s 2013 Report, the Israeli government acknowledged the growing problem of racism in Israel, and decided to create a joint committee of Ministries to develop a plan to combat it. In addition, the NIF-convened Tag Meir Coalition continues to be a leading voice for tolerance and solidarity in Israel. The Israel Defense Force has begun to allow freedom of movement for Palestinians between the Jordan Valley and the rest of the West Bank following advocacy by flagship NIF grantee the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI). And, for the first time since 1967, the Civil Administration rejected plans for a new Israeli settlement in the West Bank following an objection by NIF grantee Bimkom-Planners for Planning Rights.
nif.org | 2012 Annual Report
13