Honenu (Hebrew : חוננו) is an Israeli right-wing legal aid nonprofit. [1] [2] The organization has provided legal support to Israelis charged with violence against Palestinians, as well as financial support to the families of right-wing Israeli prisoners. [3] [4] Honenu describes itself as "a non-profit legal aid organization providing legal assistance to soldiers and citizens, who at times due to the security situation are persecuted by certain government authorities and a court system heavily influenced and pressured by anti-Israel 'human rights' groups." [5] It was founded in 2001 by Shmuel Meidad, a resident of Kiryat Arba. [4] [5] [3] In 2019 it had 10 employees. [4]
Honenu's name derives from Psalm 123: “Favor us [Honenu], Hashem, favor us, for we are fully sated with contempt.” [5]
Most of Honenu's budget goes towards legal aid. [4] Honenu's national profile increased during the 2005 Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip, when the organization provided legal representation to many protestors. [4] The bulk of its clients since then have been young Israeli settlers (hilltop youth) detained after confrontations with Palestinians or the Israeli security services. [4] Honenu has also represented Israeli soldiers and Border Police officers under investigation for incidents that occurred on duty. [4] The organization also provides legal counsel to prisoners and financial aid to their families--this has included the families of Yigal Amir and Ami Popper. [4] It has also provided legal counsel to the families of people killed in terrorist attacks. [4]
In 2019 Ynet reported that Honenu's annual donations exceeded 4 million shekels. [4] In its early years, about half of its funding came from the United States. [4] In 2010 it began receiving funding from the Central Fund of Israel, which gave Honenu 1.135 million shekels in 2015. [4]