Overview
It would be quite unfair, particularly in the face of the current anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli propaganda in the international community, to write about civil rights problems in Israel without first presenting a factual context. The state of Israel, contrary to popular opinion, is not the foremost opponent of human and civil rights in the Middle East, not by a long shot.
Israel is not connected in any way with the child executions in Iran, or the horrid practice of female circumcision practiced in Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, or the ruthless Iranian terror campaign in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The recent genocide in Sudan and the fighting between Yemen and Saudi Arabia have absolutely nothing to do with Israel. Likewise, the Taliban war in Afghanistan, the war between Egypt and Yemen where the Egyptians used the chemical weapons, and Saddam Hussein's use of poison gas against his Kurdish citizens have absolutely no relation to Israel. Certainly, Hussein did not attempt to conquer Kuwait because of Israel. In fact, from the genocide and ethnic cleansing in the last few years in Algeria, the ruthless murder of thousands of Syrian citizens in El Hamma by their own government, to the Libyan hijacking and destruction of the Pan-Am flight a few decades ago, none of these horrible abuses of human rights have anything to do with Israel whatsoever.
The main problem in our region, which includes 22 nations stretching from Afghanistan to Morocco and from Turkey to Somalia, is radical Islam, which has effectively booted over 300 million Moslems back into the dark ages. This whole region, with a land mass exceeding that of the USA, and massive oil and natural resources, has a combined GDP smaller than that of the nation of Italy. The gaps between those who have and those who have not, in this sad reality, are simply staggering. The status of women's rights is deplorable. Millions of children are exploited, abused and indoctrinated with militant hatred. Minority religions, such as Christianity and Judaism, are tolerated, but have virtually no rights, public representation, or substantive freedom to share their faith. In the heart of this terribly dysfunctional region, a tiny fledging democracy called Israel has somehow succeeded in not only surviving; indeed, it is thriving.
The fact that there are more Israeli companies traded on NASDAQ than all of Europe combined, even more than India, China, Korea and Japan combined, and that Israel has the fastest growing entrepreneurial economy, in the midst of an international global economic crisis, is quite impressive. But it is nothing less than a miracle that this miniscule Jewish nation, located in the midst of the most chaotic region on the globe, has succeeded in building a strong, democratic society, which places the highest value of the sanctity of human life, liberty and freedom of religion.
We are by no means stating that Israel is a utopia. If it were, there would be no need for the advocacy of a civil rights organization like the Jerusalem Institute of Justice. Anyone who has lived in this nation, for even a relatively short amount of time, knows that Israel, like every nation, has serious weaknesses and struggles.
The existence of a liberal democracy in a Jewish state has given rise to a distinct difference between Israel’s legal idealism and realism. Oftentimes, members of the Jewish majority discriminate against non-Jews, or those whom they do not consider Jewish. By offering pro-bono and/or highly subsidized litigation and consultation services, and by spearheading various other projects, the Jerusalem Institute of Justice stands at the forefront of the battle for religious freedom and religious tolerance in Israel.
Over the last few years, since its inception, the Jerusalem Institute of Justice has been successful in handling well over 350 cases, including 15 successful petitions to the Israeli High Court of Justice. It has combated the unequal application of the Law of Return and the Law of Citizenship, prevented revocation of citizenship and residency rights, safeguarded freedom of worship, prevented unlawful termination of employment based on religious affiliation, and fought for the rights of refugees from genocide regions and victims of sex trafficking. Today, our organization is comprised of a staff of lawyers and legal activists, who fight together for a more pluralistic and democratic Israeli society.
Jerusalem Institute of Justice pioneers education initiatives geared toward teaching religious and ethnic minorities their legal and political rights. The organization also hosts periodic "Know Your Rights" conferences that educate current and future leaders of religious and ethnic communities, refugees and migrant workers, with regards to crucial rights of individuals and congregations, and helps members of such communities navigate difficult legal issues.
Furthermore, the Institute initiates ongoing social justice advocacy that focuses on facilitating humanitarian and social projects for the poor and needy in cooperation with government organizations and independent NGOs. We feel that dedication to justice, in the broader sense of the term, obligates us to help meet the needs of underprivileged Israeli citizens, who because of age, place of residence or socio-economic background lack the means to break out of the poverty cycle without assistance from friends and fellow-citizens.
