Targeting of Human Rights Organizations Destroys Israeli Democracy
Thirteen Israeli human rights organizations sent an urgent letter (attached) to the president, the Knesset speaker and
the prime minister, protesting the increasing and systematic campaign against human rights organizations in Israel: "A
democracy must not silence critical voices; protecting human rights is vital."
In their letter, the organizations cite former head of the Oz unit Tziki Sela and Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who
accused organizations assisting refugees of "aiming to destroy Israel" and "undermining the Zionist enterprise;" Deputy
Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon, who said of human rights organizations "your enemies will come from within;” the summoning
of human rights activists for investigation by the Israel Security Agency (the General Security Service) and warnings
not to engage in "political activity;" an IDF announcement stating it was cutting off relations with the human rights
organizations that operate in Gaza, including restricting humanitarian activity to save lives; and severe restrictions
on the entrance of human rights activists into the West Bank, to provide nonviolent protection of Palestinians subject
to violence by their neighbors.
Added to this are the events of the past days, which set new records in this dangerous trend in the form of the
unbridled attack by “Im Tirtzu” on Professor Naomi Chazan, the Chairwoman of the New Israel Fund, and on human rights
organizations in Israel.
Hagai El-Ad, Executive Director of the Association of Civil Rights in Israel: "Human rights organizations are the moral
conscious of our society. Their activity is a critical element of a healthy democracy. A democratic country does not
support the deliberate silencing of the critical voices that operate within it but deals honestly with what needs to be
corrected."
ENDS