Current Projects in Israel

Together, we support projects and programs in Israel that fight for social and economic justice, religious freedom, civil and human rights, shared society and anti-racism, Palestinian citizens, and democracy itself.

Rapid Response Emergency Projects

Throughout this year, NIFC will be devoting $200,000 towards emergency projects that confront emerging threats and fuel new grassroots initiatives defending democracy, pushing back on extremism, and protecting vulnerable populations.

Haqel: In Defense of Human Rights

Emergency Human Rights Monitoring in the Area C of West Bank 

After Israeli settlers violently rampaged in the Palestinian village of Huwara, NIFC is responding to protect against further settler and military violence in Area C of the the Occupied Palestinian Territories by funding this emergency project with Jewish-Arab human rights group Haqel. This project immediately increases monitoring, legal aid, and advocacy for Palestinian residents particularly in the South Hebron Hills, Bethlehem area, and the northern West Bank.

Free Jerusalem

Educating Israelis about the Inflammatory Flag March

In reaction to the inflammatory Flag March held annually in Jerusalem, activist group Free Jerusalem leads a coalition of organizations that will raise awareness of the harm done by the march. The coalition will hold a demonstration in the center of Jerusalem and members include Ir Amim, Standing Together, Breaking the Silence, Tag Meir, the Kol Haneshama congregation, Emek Shaveh, and Looking the Occupation in the Eye. This advocacy project will challenge extremist voices and broaden the participation of Israelis who oppose the Flag March in its current form.

The Alliance for Israel's Future

The Faithful Left

In reaction to emboldened religious ultranationalists in Israel, a group of educators with roots in the National Religious, ultra-Orthodox, and other communities saw the need to counter growing extremism. “The Faithful Left” hosted an initial star-studded conference in January and will now continue their education. The project aims to educate Israelis about the diversity of perspectives and peoples who identify as religious, and ultimately, to challenge extremist voices.

The National Committee for Arab Local Authorities in Israel

Supporting the bereaved families of crime-related violence

In the absence of a government response to an epidemic of criminal violence, NCALA partnered Women Against Weapons to initiate the “We Want to Live” campaign. This project seeks to create three regional forums for bereaved Arab Israeli families, educate Jewish Israelis, and engage the protest movement with this urgent issue.

aChord: Social Psychology for Social Change

Public Opinion Research on the Protest Movement 

The aChord Center is a social research organization with expertise in mapping Israeli social divides and crafting messages to overcome them. This project will map and identify the issues and messages that motivate diverse participants. The results will be provided to civil society organizations, including the protest leaders themselves.

Human & Civil Rights

FakeReporter

Protecting Israeli Citizens and Democracy Online

FakeReporter exposes malicious online activity aimed at democratic systems, inauthentic influence campaigns, fraud, hate speech, incitement, conspiracies, and lies. FakeReporter exposes the mechanisms and actors behind online malicious activity, assists activists and organizations under attack, increases the accountability of tech companies and involvement of civil servants, as well as provides real time crisis response. In 2023, this project will proactively combat online incitement and digital organizing by extremists by empowering the public to report and expose malicious online activity.

Breaking the Silence

Educating Young People on the Occupation

Breaking the Silence is an organization of veteran combatants who have served in the Israeli military since the start of the second intifada. They work to stimulate public debate about the price paid for a reality in which young soldiers rule over a civilian population and control Palestinians’ everyday lives. For most young Jewish Israelis, discussion of the occupation is absent from Israel’s education system; military service will be their first encounter with Palestinian and the reality of the occupation. In 2023, this project will educate students and educators about human rights in the Occupied Territories in both formal and informal settings, such as youth group chapters and high schools.

Shared Society & Combating Racism

Abraham Initiatives

Shared Cities Initiative

The Abraham Initiatives is a shared society organization that models solutions for equal and positive Jewish-Arab relations in Israel. This year, Abraham Initiatives anticipates major efforts to roll back rights for Palestinian citizens and to demonize Jewish-Arab partnership. The Abraham Initiatives educates municipal leaders in how municipal authorities in “mixed cites” can close gaps in budgets, services, and decision-making for Jewish and Arab residents jointly – and how the local level can be a bulwark for safeguarding minority rights and preventing intercommunal violence. In 2023, this project will work with municipal leaders of Jewish-Arab mixed cities to protect Jewish-Arab partnership and equality at the local level.

Palestinian Citizens of Israel

Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel

Litigation and Media Outreach to Protect and Defend the Human Rights of Arab Bedouin Citizens of Israel living in the Naqab (Negev)

Adalah is the leading Palestinian legal center and human rights organization based in Israel and the sole Palestinian-run organization that works before Israeli courts to protect the human rights of Palestinians in Israel. In the coming year, Adalah anticipates major efforts to displace Bedouin communities in the Negev-Naqab by the central government. Legal interventions can critically delay and even prevent unfair demolitions of impoverished communities’ homes and livelihoods. In 2023, this project will defend the residents of unrecognized and newly-recognized Bedouin villages through litigation and advocacy.

New Israel Fund's Shatil

Developing New Young Palestinian Leadership

Shatil is the operating department of NIF in Israel and is committed to fostering new civil society leaders in Israel, especially among Palestinian citizens. Within the Israeli-Arab sector, many young people are motivated – but struggle — to address skyrocketing crime, poor post-secondary opportunities, institutional discrimination, women’s equality, and more. In answer, Shatil in 2022 piloted Rawabit (Connections), a year-long leadership program designed to develop young Palestinians who have the potential to lead social change from within. In addition to trainings, each participant will lead a new initiative in their community. In 2023, this project will develop stronger future Palestinian civil society leaders through a year-long, intensive leadership course.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Israel Hofsheet (Be Free Israel)

Center for Training and New Initiatives

Israel Hofsheet is the leading grassroots advocacy organization fighting for religious freedom. This year, Israel Hofsheet anticipates major efforts to roll back a wide swath of women’s and LGBTQ rights and to advance religious control over public spaces. Their training centre educates local-level and especially young leaders in how their city councils and municipal authorities set policy on these issues – and how the local level can be a bulwark for protecting religious freedom and gender equality. In 2023, this project will train local and young leaders at the municipal level to protect religious freedom.

New Israel Fund's Shatil

The Forum Against Women’s Exclusion: Combating Anti-Feminist Legislation in the Public Sphere

Shatil is the operating department of NIF in Israel and in 2018 created the Forum Against the Exclusion of Women, a coalition of Israel’s most important 17 women’s rights and religious freedom organizations from across the religious spectrum. This year, the Forum anticipates major efforts to roll back a wide swath of women’s and LGBTQ rights and to advance religious control over public spaces. In 2023, this project will coordinate the Forum Against the Exclusion of Women as they respond to legislation, policy changes, and public debate.

New Initiatives for Democracy

The Heschel Center for Sustainability

Sustainability Partnerships Program

The Heschel Center for Sustainability promotes sustainable values, planning, and living for a just society. This leadership program is a collaboration between the Heschel Center, A Place for Change, and the Arava Institute that fosters long-term collaborations between progressive organizations that work in different fields. The program educates 20+ individuals from eight organizations over nine months to study social change successes around the world and to craft joint campaigns on gender equality, labor rights, religious freedom, and especially Jewish-Arab partnership. In 2023, this project will develop stronger future Israeli civil society leaders through a year-long leadership program that deepens collaborations between social change groups.

Social & Economic Justice

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)

Protecting Social and Economic Rights

ACRI’s pursuit of economic and social justice for all is anchored in Israel’s basic law protecting human dignity. This year, ACRI anticipates major efforts to roll back protections over civil liberties of Israel’s most vulnerable populations and exacerbate socioeconomic hardships. In 2023, this project will use litigation and advocacy defend the rights citizens, residents and asylum seekers in Israel related to health, education, and the welfare system.

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