Written by Ruby Ong

Message from Daniel Sokatch These are tough but also inspiring times for progressive supporters of Israel.  Those of us who cherish the forward-thinking, outward-looking, democratic and prophetic vision enshrined in Israel’s Declaration of Independence work to protect this vision from proponents of harsh, exclusionary ultra-nationalism.  2010 saw a raft of anti-democratic bills, still pending in the Knesset, that would require loyalty oaths for non-Jews, de-fund and demonize human rights organizations,  and strip non-Orthodox rabbis of the authority to preside over State-recognized conversions.  And just yesterday, the Knesset plenum approved the proposal of Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party to set up a parliamentary committee to investigate Israeli human rights organizations that monitor IDF actions. Read more   NIF Protests Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into Human Rights Funding Without much prior publicity and with a rainstorm looming, more than 10,000 Israelis turned out to rally in Tel Aviv last Saturday night to protest a recent parliamentary committee of inquiry - established at the behest of Avigdor Lieberman’s far-right Yisrael Beitenu party - to investigate funding of human rights organizations. NIF was prominent among dozens of social change and human rights organizations, public figures, celebrities and ordinary concerned citizens who marched from the city’s Meir Park to the Tel Aviv Museum in a show of strength by the "Democratic Camp”. Read more   Democra-T - Top Designers Produce Shirts Depicting the Threat to Israeli Democracy NIF, through its “Don’t Remain Silent” campaign has produced a fashionable response to the rising wave of racism and threats to democratic values that are engulfing Israel. NIF commissioned Israel’s top young designers and graphic artists to produce a series of unique t-shirts depicting freedom of speech, opposition to racism and support of human rights. The designers provided their talents pro-bono. Read more   Empowering Women to help each other Ghadir Hani had heard enough complaints about exploitative and discriminatory working conditions from friends and neighbors in the Negev Bedouin town of Hura. She decided it was time to do something about the fact that some women worked 10-hour days in the fields, were paid half the minimum wage, received no salary slips, insurance or protective gear. Or that preschool assistants were fired from their municipal jobs and now worked as contractors with no benefits. Together with three other graduates of SHATIL's Bedouin Women's Rights and Leadership course, Hani initiated a project to teach Negev Bedouin women about their employment rights. Read more   Transforming social workers into agents of change – and other SHATIL trainings As a child, Elisheva Katz learned the importance of helping others from her religious family, and she became community social worker focusing on helping immigrants to help themselves.  After participating with colleagues in a SHATIL course run in collaboration with the Haifa Municipality, the Ministry of Welfare and the Social Economic Academy, Elisheva feels she is now in a position to help not only her clients but also her colleagues – and herself. Read more   Share