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Support Human Rights? Support Israel

Support Human Rights? Support Israel cards

 

Israel is a model of human rights and democratic values, particularly in the Middle East, a region consisting otherwise of dictatorships that severely limit personal freedoms. Hasbara Fellowships presents a new series of attractive and informative postcards on topics including freedom of the press, gender equality democratic government civil liberties, and religious freedom in Israel.

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Order Support Human Rights? Support Israel cards Here

MEET THE 2011 AND SOME OF THE 2012 ISRAELI AMBASSADORS WHO REPRESENT THE MULTICULTURAL AND DIVERSE NATURE OF ISRAELI SOCIETY.  DON’T ONLY VIEW THE VIDEOS BUT ASK THEM YOUR QUESTIONS DIRECTLY. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN MEET THE AMBASSADOR GROUPS VISITING CITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND EUROPE BEGINNING FEBRUARY 24th THROUGH MARCH 3rd.

Israeli Human Rights: What You Need To Know

In its annual report, Freedom House listed Israel and the United States as ‘free’ with Israel sharing the same ranking as Italy, Japan and Greece. While no nation has a perfect human rights record, most Americans are unaware of the scope of freedoms, including equality of social, political and religious rights, recognized by the state of Israel for all, irrespective of religion, race or sex. This Leadership Action Network Alert provides an overview of Israel’s human rights.

Talking Points:

1) Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people but does not dictate a state religion. All religions are free to practice and each religious community has legal authority over family matters, including issues of marriage, divorce, and burial.

2) The holy sites of all religions are protected under Israeli law, making damage to any holy site a criminal offense. 

3) Like the United States, Israel is a melting pot welcoming people from over 100 countries, both Jews and non-Jews. A number of programs have been put in place by the government focusing on minority communities that may need additional support in adjusting and integrating into a modern society like Israel. There are many immigrants of diverse backgrounds who have succeeded and serve as role models including Ethiopian immigrant and current Knesset Deputy Speaker Shlomo Molla and Eli Marom, the first Commander of the Israeli Navy of Chinese descent, appointed in 2007.

4) Women and men are equal before the law in Israel.  In fact, there are multiple Israeli laws written specifically to protect women including the 1951 Women’s Equal Rights law which states that, “a man and a woman shall have equal status with regard to any legal proceeding.”  Well before Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of Great Britain, Golda Meir was elected the Prime Minister of Israel. Currently, two of Israel's major political parties are led by women.

5) All Arab citizens are endowed with equal rights under the law.  In fact, even Palestinians who are not Israeli citizens may appeal to the High Court. The only legal distinction made between citizens is one of civic duty as all Israeli Arabs but the Druze and Circassians are exempt from compulsory military service, although they may volunteer. Representatives from numerous Israeli-Arab political parties have been elected to every Israeli Knesset since the re-establishment of the state.  Israeli Arabs hold prominent positions throughout society. Certainly there are tensions with elements of the Arab population, particularly given the dynamics of the region, but note that fully 40% of Jerusalem Arabs indicated in a poll that they would move to Israel if their neighborhoods became part of a Palestinian State.

6) In stark contrast to other Middle Eastern countries, gays and lesbians can live openly in Israel. In fact, many gay men from Arab countries come to live in Israel to avoid persecution and even death sentences for the “crime” of being gay. Israeli law prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gays and lesbians have the right to adopt children, share partner benefits and serve openly in the military. 

7) Disabled Israelis are protected under the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law. This law “protects the dignity and freedom of persons with disabilities and provides a basis for his right to equal and active participation in society in all spheres of life.”  The law also stipulates that public transportation be made available for disabled people throughout Israel.

8) 92% of the land of Israel belongs to the State and is not for sale but can be leased by anyone, regardless of race, religion or sex. All Israeli Arab citizens are eligible to lease government land[1].
9) Each Israeli citizen is guaranteed healthcare from birth. The Israeli government alsoprovides medical care for Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip who are not citizens. 

10) As in any free society, there are troubling issues that capture the news headlines, often caused by individuals or groups not reflective of the mainstream. The United States experiences this every day. Such is the case of the recent actions by a fringe group of ultra-orthodox haredim in Bet Shemesh who exhibited religious intolerance and acted against women’s rights, even against other sects of haredim. Bet Shemesh is a modern, diverse community with numerous secular Israelis and those of various religious affiliations calling it home.  The mainstream of Bet Shemesh and Israeli society responded to these actions with revulsion. Prime Minister Netanyahu reached out to the Attorney General to make sure the laws prohibiting discrimination and violence against women would be enforced. He said, “Discrimination against women goes against the tradition of the Bible and the principles of Judaism.” At the same time, thousands rallied in Bet Shemesh to protest. In this creative protest, 250 women of all ages and across the religious spectrum were part of a flash mob in the public square that has gone viral worldwide.

CALL TO ACTION:

Post these facts and the Israeli Ambassador videos above to your Facebook, Twitter and any other social media tools. Distribute these facts and videos to your friends, organizations, and religious institutions with particular focus on families, high school and college students. Come to meet the ambassadors visiting in your city and bring friends. Be particularly aware during the next few months when heightened anti-Israeli activity on campuses and elsewhere is anticipated and don’t hesitate to change the conversation with the facts you now have at hand.

Additional Facts:

• Human Rights in Israel are steeped in its Declaration of Independence that states, “Israel will foster the development of all of its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the holy places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”
• Hebrew and Arabic are the national languages of Israel.
• Saudi Arabia does not accept Israeli passports or any passports with an Israeli stamp[2]. Thus, the Israeli government permits its Muslim citizens to obtain temporary Jordanian passports to go on the Haj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are to take at least once in their lifetime.
• Within the last decade, Israel has taken in thousands of refugees fleeing Sudan and Eritrea, all of whom are not Jewish. Some have become Israeli citizens. Clickhere to see a video about Israel’s Eritrean refugees
• There is an annual gay pride parade in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
• Israel has a number of welfare programs in place for those making aliyah, with a particular focus on communities that may require additional support adjusting to Israeli society. For example, Israel’s Ethiopian immigrants—many of whom had not even seen a staircase before coming to Israel—are eligible to receive additional government support including grants, vocational training, and job placement. Affirmative action programs create incentives for hiring Israeli Ethiopians.  Special educational programs have also been instituted to help this population excel.
• It is apparent that Israel is a proud, multicultural country when looking at those who play prominent roles in all facets of Israeli society. Here are just a few examples: 
  
  o   Israel has had two openly gay members of the Knesset including current MK
  Nitzan Horowitz.
  o   There are currently 24 female members of the Knesset including Israeli-Arab.
  Hanin Zoabi. Dalia Itzik was Speaker of the Knesset from 2006-2009.
  o   Israeli Arabs hold prominent positions in and out of government, from Israel’s
  former Ambassador to Ecuador and Consul General to the Southeast United
  States Reda Mansour to Dr. Masad Barhoum, the Director General of the
  Western Galilee Hospital.
  o   As of March of 2010, 52 Israeli Arab judges presided in Israel’s judiciary
  system, including Salim Joubrand, who currently serves on Israel’s Supreme
  Court.
  o   In 1969, Golda Meir became the first female Prime Minister in Israel. She was
  the third female elected to serve as Prime Minister in the world, following
  Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka (1960) and Indira Gandhi of India
  (1966).

Background and Further Reading Material:

Freedom House
Freedom of the World Report, 2011

International Labor Organization
National Labor Law Profile: The State of Israel

Israel’s Declaration of Independence

Israeli Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty

L.A. Times
Chinese Jews Feel More at Home in Israel

Israel Up Close

StandWithUs
Apartheid in the Middle East

Jewish Virtual Library:
Human Rights In Israel
Freedom of Religion in Israel

America-Israel Public Affairs Committee
Near East Report: Women’s Rights in Israel

Christian Science Monitor
Israel to Grant Darfur Refugees Citizenship

National Post
Middle East Truth-Telling, From an Unlikely Source

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Behind the Headlines: The Israeli Humanitarian Lifeline to Gaza

The Jewish Federations of North America
Myth and Fact: Israeli Checkpoints and Medical Care for Palestinians

Special thanks to Mindy Stein for her contributions to this alert.