Israeli Center Keeps Focus On Human Rights
Naela Khalil reports on B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights center that documents Israeli violations in the Palestinian territories.
It may seem surprising to some that B'Tselem — the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories — documents and exposes violations carried out by its country’s army against Palestinians. However, these doubts quickly disappear when you witness Palestinian victims dialing the numbers of B'Tselem personnel for emergency help when they are exposed to settler attacks and army abuses.
B’Tselem’s work in documenting and exposing human rights violations in the occupied territories has been so extensive that mere mention of B'Tselem vexes Israeli settlers and soldiers alike. Its consistent success in bringing hundreds of cases against settlers and soldiers to the Supreme Court has earned it Israeli ire and Palestinian praise.
B'Tselem research manager Karim Jibran said, “Yes, it is an Israeli organization. But after 24 years of documenting and exposing the practices of the occupation it has earned our respect and widespread approval across the Palestinian occupied territories because of our penchant for human rights.”
According to B'Tselem, it was founded by a group of prominent academics, attorneys, journalists and Knesset members. It endeavors to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the occupied territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and uphold the principles of international law. It is funded by contributions from foundations in Europe and the United States of America that support human rights activity worldwide, and by private individuals in Israel and America.
