Rabbis for Human Rights

Last updated
Rabbis for Human Rights
Founded1988
Focus Human rights activism
Location
Area served
Israel, Palestine
Website www.rhr.org.il/eng

Rabbis for Human Rights is an Israeli human rights organization that describes itself as "the rabbinic voice of conscience in Israel, giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights". [1]

Contents

Their membership includes Reform, Orthodox, Conservative and Reconstructionist rabbis and students. According to their web site, the organization includes "over one hundred ordained rabbis and rabbinical students". [1]

The organization received the Niwano Peace Prize in 2006. [2]

Organization

The organization was founded in 1988. Its membership consists of Israeli rabbis and rabbinical students. RHR has a nineteen-member board of directors. [3] Rabbi Arik Ascherman served as co-director of Rabbis For Human Rights, becoming executive director in 1998. [3] Ayala Levi took over as executive director in 2010. In the past, the organization received funds from the EU, UK and Spain. [4] [ better source needed ]

Activities

RHR is best known for dispatching volunteers to act as a protective presence to protect the Palestinian olive harvest from vandalism and assault by settlers living on nearby land; every year, clashes are reported between settlers and Palestinian farmers. [5] In 2008, the volunteer effort encompassed 40 villages. [6] The effort was launched in 2002 when a Palestinian peace activist solicited RHR's help to protect olive pickers against attacks by settlers living near the village of Yanun. [7]

RHR opposes the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier in any place where it entails the expropriation of Arab-owned land, the division of villages, or cutting farmers off from their fields. RHR achieved a major victory in 2006 when it won a lawsuit to prevent the division by the fence of the village of Sheikh Sa'ad. [8]

In December 2004, RHR executive director Rabbi Arik Ascherman was among three defendants on trial in Jerusalem for standing in front of bulldozers in an effort to block the demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem. [9] He was charged with "interfering with police performance of duties on two occasions in 2003, and the intention to commit acts to prevent police from performing their duties." In March 2005, a magistrate court ruled Ascherman guilty, but said that he wouldn't have a criminal record. [9]

A movie produced in 2013 by RHR, Fiddler with No Roof, compares the Prawer Plan to Jews' expulsion during the antisemitic Tsarist regime. [4] [ better source needed ]

Durban UN Anti-Racism conferences

David Bedein from Independent Media Review Analysis has criticized RHR, accusing it of joining "forces with the PLO to support the idea that Israel, was indeed, an apartheid, racist regime" at the 2001 UN Anti-Racism conference in Durban, South Africa. [10] Rabbi Ascherman strongly denies this account, saying: "I want to clarify that RHR’s representative at Durban, Rabbi Jeremy Milgrom, actively voiced our criticism of the inflammatory rhetoric and Israel-bashing". [11]

Rabbi Ascherman and RHR also expressed concern about the second Durban conference, saying "that Israel has committed human rights violations [is an issue that] can appropriately be discussed at a conference like this. But if you allow the conference to be hijacked as if Israel is the only place in the world where there are issues of racism and human rights, then it makes a farce of the whole thing. We're not trying to protect Israel from being criticized, but as people who are really concerned with human rights and racism, and think it is important that there be a body among the community of nations dealing with these things, we don't want to see another hijacking." [12]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Rabbis for Human Rights home page, accessed 27 April 2011.
  2. 'Rabbis For Human Rights' Gets Niwano Peace Prize accessed 30 March 2007
  3. 1 2 "שומרי משפט - רבנים למען זכויות האדם". שומרי משפט - רבנים למען זכויות האדם (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 2009-04-29. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  4. 1 2 "RABBIS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (RHR)". NGO Monitor. August 11, 2015.
  5. Lazaroff, Tovah (10 October 2011). "Settlers, Palestinian farmers collide in Itamar". The Jerusalem Post . Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  6. "Settlers clash with rabbis guarding Palestinian olive harvest near Hebron". Reuters. 3 October 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  7. McGreal, Chris (25 March 2005). "The rabbi who pricks Israel's conscience: Zionism is moral, not military, says activist convicted of blocking West Bank bulldozers". The Guardian . Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  8. Israel Today, May 2006.
  9. 1 2 Rabbi convicted for blocking demolition. AlJazeera.
  10. Rabbis for Human Rights Slam Israel in Durban and Raise Funds for the PLO IMRA – September 2, 2001
  11. Rabbi Ascherman strongly denies Durban accusations Haaretz – September 11, 2001
  12. RHR joins petition against Durban II [ permanent dead link ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab–Israeli peace projects</span>

Arab–Israeli peace projects are projects to promote peace and understanding between the Arab League and Israel in different spheres. These are part of a broader attempt at a peace process between Palestinians and Israelis. Sponsors of such projects can be found both in Israel and Palestine.

Bimkom - Planners for Planning Rights is an Israeli human rights organization formed in 1999 by a group of professional planners and architects, in order to strengthen democracy and human rights in the field of spatial planning and housing policies, in Israel and in Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli control. Drawing on values of social justice, good governance, equality and community participation, Bimkom advances the development of planning policies and practices that are more just and respectful of human rights, and responsive to the needs of local communities. Bimkom strives to assist the weakest sectors of society through research and reports, community planning assistance and through awareness raising among planning authorities. Bimkom works with both Jewish and Arab communities among others, in attaining fair, equitable and appropriate planning of the physical spaces in which they live.

Arik is a given name and may refer to:

The 2001 World Conference against Racism (WCAR), also known as Durban I, was held at the Durban International Convention Centre in Durban, South Africa, under UN auspices, from 31 August to 8 September 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Association for Civil Rights in Israel</span> Israeli human rights organization

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) was created in 1972 as an independent, non-partisan not-for-profit organization with the mission of protecting human rights and civil rights in Israel and the territories under its control. ACRI is Israel's oldest and largest human rights organization. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, with offices in Jerusalem, and Nazareth, the organization promotes transparency and accountability in government.

<i>Occupation 101</i> 2006 American film

Occupation 101: Voice of the Silenced Majority is a 2006 documentary film on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict directed by Sufyan Omeish and Abdallah Omeish, and narrated by Alison Weir, founder of If Americans Knew. The film focuses on the effects of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and discusses events from the rise of Zionism to the Second Intifada and Israel's unilateral disengagement plan, presenting its perspective through dozens of interviews, questioning the nature of Israeli–American relations—in particular, the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and the ethics of US monetary involvement. Occupation 101 includes interviews with mostly American and Israeli scholars, religious leaders, humanitarian workers, and NGO representatives—more than half of whom are Jewish—who are critical of the injustices and human rights abuses stemming from Israeli policy in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yisroel Dovid Weiss</span> Haredi Jewish anti-Zionist activist

Yisroel Dovid Weiss is an American Haredi Jew, activist, and spokesman for the worldwide religious group Neturei Karta, a Haredi anti-Zionist group. Residing in Monsey, New York, he believes that Jews should peacefully oppose the existence of the Israeli state: "It would be forbidden for us to have a State, even if it would be in a land that is desolate and uninhabited." He emphasized the need for a complete return of land to Palestinians, rejecting the '67 borders and advocating coexistence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silwan</span> Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem

Silwan or Siloam is a predominantly Palestinian district in East Jerusalem, on the southeastern outskirts of the current Old City of Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burin, Nablus</span> Municipality type C in Nablus, State of Palestine

Burin is a Palestinian village in the Nablus Governorate of the State of Palestine, in the northern West Bank, located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) southwest of Nablus. The town had a population of 2,844 in 2017.

The Durban Review Conference is the official name of the 2009 United Nations World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), also known as Durban II. The conference ran from Monday 20 April to Friday 24 April 2009, and took place at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference was called under the mandate of United Nations General Assembly resolution 61/149 with a mandate to review the implementation of The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action from the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance which took place in Durban, South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arik Ascherman</span> American rabbi

Arik Ascherman is an American-born Israeli Reform rabbi, and Executive Director of the Israeli human rights organization Torat Tzedek-Torah of Justice. For 21 years, starting in 1995, he served as Co-Director (1995-1998), Executive Director (1998-2010), Director of Special Projects (2010-2012) and President and Senior Rabbi (2012-2017) for Rabbis for Human Rights, an Israeli organization.

Racism in Israel encompasses all forms and manifestations of racism experienced in Israel, irrespective of the colour or creed of the perpetrator and victim, or their citizenship, residency, or visitor status. More specifically in the Israeli context, racism in Israel refers to racism directed against Israeli Arabs by Israeli Jews, intra-Jewish racism between the various Jewish ethnic divisions, historic and current racism towards Mizrahi Jews although some believe the dynamics have reversed, and racism on the part of Israeli Arabs against Israeli Jews.

Durban III is an informal name for a high-level United Nations General Assembly meeting marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action that was held in New York City on 22 September 2011. It was mandated by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 64/148 of 18 December 2009 to commemorate the World Conference against Racism 2001, and given additional form and visibility by a UNGA Third Committee draft resolution adopted on 24 November 2010. It followed the Durban Review Conference, the official name of the 2009 United Nations World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), also known as Durban II.

<i>Israel vs Israel</i> 2010 Swedish film

Israel vs Israel is a 2010 documentary on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict by Swedish freelance journalist and filmmaker Terje Carlsson about Israeli peace activists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Price tag attack policy</span> Acts of vandalism and violence committed by extremist Israeli settler youths

The price tag attack policy, also sometimes referred to as "mutual responsibility", is the name originally given to the attacks and acts of vandalism committed primarily in the occupied West Bank by extremist Israeli settler youths against Palestinian Arabs, and to a lesser extent, against left-wing Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, Christians, and Israeli security forces. The youths officially claim that the acts are committed to "exact a price from local Palestinians or from the Israeli security forces for any action taken against their settlement enterprise".

Einat Ramon was the first Israeli-born woman to be ordained as a rabbi. She was also the first woman and the first sabra to head a Conservative rabbinical school, specifically the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem, where she was dean from 2005 to 2009. Since 2011 she no longer identifies as a rabbi, heads the Marpeh training program for spiritual caregivers in Jerusalem, and teaches modern Jewish thought and Jewish feminism at the Schechter Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T'ruah</span> US-based human rights organization

T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, often referred to as T'ruah, is a left-wing nonprofit organization of rabbis who act on the Jewish imperative to respect and protect the human rights of all people in North America, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories. Approximately 2,000 American and Canadian rabbis and cantors, very predominantly non-orthodox in denomination, are affiliated with T'ruah. T'ruah was founded as Rabbis for Human Rights-North America (RHR-NA) in 2002. On January 15, 2013, RHR-NA ended its formal affiliation with Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel, and was renamed T'ruah. The name T’ruah is based on one of the sounds of the shofar acting as a call to take action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orit Strook</span> Israeli politician

Orit Malka Strook is an Israeli politician. She serves as the Minister of Settlements and National Missions in the thirty-seventh government, and is a member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionist Party, and served as member of the Knesset for Tkuma between 2013 and 2015. Strook is also among the leaders of the Jewish settlement in Hebron, and she established the Israeli non-governmental organization Human Rights Organization of Judea and Samaria, which she headed between 2004 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestinian Centre for Human Rights</span> Independent human rights organization

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights is a Palestinian human rights organization based in Gaza City. It was founded in 1995 by Raji Sourani, who is its director. It was established by a group of Palestinian lawyers and human rights activists and receives funding from governmental, non-governmental, and religious sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Nations Café</span>

The All Nations Café was a cultural hospitality project founded by a team of Israelis, Palestinians and internationals in East Jerusalem, near the Garden of Gethsemane in 2003, during the Second Intifada.