Human Rights and Democracy
A Just Society at Peace with Itself and Its Neighbors
NIF works to transform Israel’s founding ideal of complete equality for all into reality, and to protect the human rights of all people living under Israel’s control.
Over the past decade, respect for democracy and human rights has declined, both among government leaders and the Israeli public. These values are too frequently derided as illegitimate or are distorted to mean unbridled majority rule. The ultra-nationalist right continues to propose legislation and policies to curtail freedom of expression.
NIF’s program is designed to advance pro-democracy values and their expression in Israel’s public life, safeguard human and civil rights—particularly in the occupied territories—and strengthen public trust in and support for democratic rights and values.
Our program focuses first on preserving freedom of speech, a right that is the mainspring for other democratic values, by empowering activists with the information they need about their own rights and protecting those rights in court. Our second focus, safeguarding democratic institutions and processes, aims to counter legislative threats to democracy while developing mechanisms for public participation and transparency. And finally we invest in partners who remind Israelis of the human, social, and economic cost of the occupation, as well as those attempting to bring equity and social justice to all the residents of Jerusalem.
Exposing Settlement Expansion
NIF grantee B’Tselem released a new report showing strong evidence for systematic cooperation between the State of Israel and illegal outposts in the West Bank in the quest to expand Israeli settlements.
Protecting Migrant Workers in Israel
Kav LaOved and Physicians for Human Rights Israel uncover violations of health rights of Thai migrant workers in Israel.
Exposing Settler Violence in the West Bank
NIF grantees faced censorship as they attempted to present their findings on Jewish Extremist Violence in the West Bank to a Knesset Committee.
Hundreds Protest Settler Violence and Lack of Water in Hebron Hills
Following a a major settler attack on Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills, NIF grantees and other human rights organizations organized a march to protest the violence and support Palestinians’ water rights.