Impact

Following the election of Israel’s extremist, rightwing government, NIF grantees spearheaded the pushback against the government’s radical agenda. With NIF support, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), Standing Together (Omdim Beyachad-Naqef Ma’an), and Mehazkim raised awareness about the diverse threats and organized key pro-democracy protests around the country.

NIF is working to combat settler violence, which soared last year, and even more so after October 7, by supporting Israeli activists working side by side with Palestinians. These activists, who often act as physical buffers in violent situations, have become targets for harassment in the form of political arrests, civil suits, and social media attacks. In response, NIF’s action arm, Shatil, created a comprehensive support system for human rights activists.

NIF established the Civil Society Protection Hub to enable activists and organizations to operate safely and effectively in a climate shaped by a far-right-wing government. The Hub connects individuals and NGOs that have been attacked with an array of NIF-funded services. It has helped more than 100 individuals and organizations—providing legal aid to protesters who were arrested; thwarting online attacks against activists; and supporting activists that protect Palestinians in the West Bank from settler attacks.

Israel’s Supreme Court struck down an amendment to the “reasonableness clause”—the cornerstone of the government’s plan to overhaul the judiciary and remove basic checks and balances in Israel’s governing system—in response to a petition by ACRI representing 38 organizations. NIF and partners also were instrumental in thwarting a bill that, if passed, would levy a 65% tax on donations from foreign governments to NGOs.

NIF more than tripled its rapid response grants pool to $1.7 million, providing grants to dozens of organizations and activists opposing the government’s extreme agenda. The grants funded different needs, including pro-democracy demonstrations across Israel; initiatives that safeguard liberal democratic values in education; efforts to protect the rights of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank; and campaigns to ensure the rights of women, asylum seekers, and the LGBTQ community.

The Anti-Occupation Bloc, a coalition guided by Shatil, brought a strong message that “there is no democracy with occupation” to the weekly pro-democracy demonstrations, and aroused debate about the true meaning of democracy. With support from NIF, the bloc grew from a few local chapters to 25 groups nationwide in 2023.