New Israel Fund

Achievements Since 2005, the New Israel Fund took a visible role in Israeli public life – expanding our capabilities in assisting people with disabilities; being an all-round support for all involved in the disengagement; continuing our support for environmental justice; and awarding grants to new organisations that promote dialogue and coexistence. Take a look! • Security Fence • “Jews Only” Land Sale Offers Barred • Reform and Conservative Conversions Recognised • Gay and Lesbian Rights • Another Bedouin Village Recognised • First-Ever Appointment • Property Expropriation Stopped • Accessibility • Minimum Wage Rights • Racist Soccer Chants Outlawed • Haifa’s Coastline Preserved • Sexual Abuse Victims • Deportation of Foreign Workers’ Children • Ethiopian-Born Israeli Wins Compensation • Anti-Trafficking Media Campaign Wins • Education Benefits for Single Parents • Housing for Beer Sheva Families • Ethiopian Women • Kiryat Gat Open Spaces • First Female Non-Orthodox Rabbi Petitions for Recognition • Fair Hearings for Single Mothers • Funds for Pluralistic Jewish Education • Chemical Waste Dumping • Disengagement from Gaza and the Northern West Bank • Against All Odds
Security Fence Security Fence In a historic decision, the Supreme Court ordered the state to dismantle 13 kilometres of the Security Fence near the settlement of Alfei Menashe because it violated Palestinian human rights by creating an enclave cut off from the rest of the West Bank. ACRI brought the petition on behalf of residents of the affected Palestinian villages; Bimkom: Planners for Planning Rights prepared an expert opinion.
“Jews Only” Land Sale Offers Barred Attorney General Meni Mazuz instructed the Israel Lands Administration (ILA) that it must no longer issue “Jews only” land sale offers. Mazuz's instruction followed a petition to the Supreme Court by ACRI, Adalah and the Arab Centre for Alternative Planning challenging the ILA's land sales policies as discriminatory.
Reform and Conservative Conversions Recognised The Supreme Court recognised Reform and Conservative conversions in Israel, although Israeli converts will still have to travel abroad to a recognised Jewish community for a formal conversion ceremony. The Israel Religious Action Centre (IRAC) of the Movement for Progressive Judaism in Israel (Reform) brought the petition on behalf of 14 Reform and Conservative converts.
Gay and Lesbian Rights Attorney General Meni Mazuz ruled that same-sex partners are entitled to receive widow/widower benefits from the government’s National Insurance Institute (NII); ACRI supported the petition. The Supreme Court overturned a 1997 lower court decision and ruled that a lesbian couple can adopt each other’s children. New Family: Organisation for Family Rights supported the couple’s petition.
Another Bedouin Village Recognised The government granted recognition to the Negev Bedouin village of Umm Batin, making it the fifth of the eight villages in the Abu Basma region to have been recognised.
First-Ever Appointment Dr. Faisal Azayzah, a founding member of Sikkuy, the Association for the Advancement of Civil Equality in Israel, became the first Arab Israeli to serve on the Revivi Commission, which investigates and confirms senior appointments to the civil service and government-owned companies.
Property Expropriation Stopped Attorney General Mazuz ordered the government to stop expropriating property from absentee Arab owners in East Jerusalem after ACRI rallied opposition to the move.
Accessibility The Knesset unanimously approved the Accessibility Chapter of the Equal Rights for People with Disabilities Law, which was formulated by Bizchut: Centre for Human Rights for Persons with Disabilities, making Israel one of the world's most accessible countries.
Minimum Wage Rights A number of New Israel Fund grantees, including ACRI, Israel Women's Network (IWN), Kav LaOved: Workers' Hotline and Mehuyavut: Commitment to Peace and a Just Society, supported a new amendment to Israel's minimum wage law compelling employers to post details about the law's requirements in Hebrew, English, Arabic and Russian. And the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labour agreed to publish a list of at least 500 companies violating the law after Kav LaOved petitioned the Jerusalem Administrative Court under Israel's Freedom of Information Act.
Racist Soccer Chants Outlawed The Knesset passed a law allowing Israel's courts to sentence soccer fans for up to one year in prison for racist chants at games. New Israel Fund’s New Voice in the Stadium launched the campaign that inspired the legislation and was consulted during the law’s formulation. Arrests and convictions have now become routine.
Haifa’s Coastline Preserved The National Planning and Building Council threw out an ambitious plan to develop southern Haifa’s coastline. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, which is funded by the Green Environment Fund, coordinated opposition to the plan.
Sexual Abuse Victims The Knesset approved a new law enabling minors who have been sexually abused to sue for up to 10 years after they reach the age of 18; the Association of Rape Crisis Centres in Israel (ARCCI) was key to the law’s introduction. ARCCI also launched a new web site for sexual violence victims in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and English.
Deportation of Foreign Workers’ Children The Hotline for Migrant Workers successfully petitioned the Supreme Court to bar the State from deporting the children of the families of illegal foreign workers who have applied for permanent residency. The order applies to children over 10 who were born in Israel and have known no other home.
Ethiopian-Born Israeli Wins Compensation Tebeka – Centre for Legal Aid and Advocacy For Ethiopian Jews in Israel won $25,000 in damages for an Ethiopian-born woman in Arad who was fired from her job at a falafel stand after a kashrut supervisor questioned her Judaism.
Anti-Trafficking Media Campaign Wins Television, radio and Internet ads that were part of a public awareness campaign sponsored by the SHATIL-coordinated Coalition Against Trafficking in Women won a number of Golden Cacti awards, the most prestigious prize of Israel's public relations and advertising industry.
Education Benefits for Single Parents Yedid, the Association for Community Empowerment persuaded the Finance Ministry to subsidise unemployment benefits for single parents who want to take college courses.
Housing for Beer Sheva Families The Housing Ministry found public housing for 90 homeless families in Beer Sheva after they demonstrated for weeks, assisted by The Movement for Dignified Living.
Ethiopian Women Sister for Women in Israel initiated its first employment creation programme for Ethiopian women in the Negev development town of Kiryat Gat.
Kiryat Gat Open Spaces Yedid: The Association for Community Empowerment and the Israel Union for Environmental Defence collaborated on a plan for public parks in Kiryat Gat, a Negev development town. Local residents are helping to plan the project, which will be funded by the municipality.
First Female Non-Orthodox Rabbi Petitions for Recognition Rabbi Miri Gold of the Birkat Shalom congregation in Gezer has petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to be recognised as a state-paid official. She submitted her petition with the Israel Religious Action Centre (IRAC) of the Movement for Progressive Judaism in Israel (Reform) and the Gezer Regional Council.
Fair Hearings for Single Mothers Itach – Women Lawyers for Social Justice negotiated the right for single mothers to challenge termination of their benefits by the National Insurance Institute.
Funds for Pluralistic Jewish Education The government budget, which was passed by the Knesset at the end of March, included $14 million for pluralistic Jewish activities thanks to Panim and the Movement for Progressive Judaism in Israel (Reform).
Chemical Waste Dumping The SHATIL-coordinated Coalition for Public Health organised a successful campaign to stop a waste disposal site at Tivon from treating waste sent by Haifa Chemicals, which was in violation of environmental statutes.
Disengagement from Gaza and the Northern West Bank New Israel Fund worked with all involved parties, i.e. left to right, religious to secular. In the end, the disengagement passed relatively peacefully and was as notable for what didn’t happen as for what did.
Against All Odds Against All Odds, an innovative 12-part weekly talk show about Israel’s social change leaders initiated and produced by New Israel Fund began its run on Channel Two. The programme drew ratings surpassed only by the most popular reality TV and game shows.