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Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) is one in a string of Israeli NGO with a bad track record when it comes to its condemnation of Israel.
Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)
Hebrew: האגודה לזכויות האזרח בישראל;
Arabic:جمعية حقوق المواطن في اسرائيل
ACRI Claims to be “committed to promoting the universality of human rights and defending the human rights and civil liberties of all, regardless of religion, nationality, gender, ethnicity, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.”
Steven Plaut writes in the Israel National News;
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) is an anti-democratic extremist group that does not endorse free speech.
ACRI, like B’tselem, Physicians for Human Rights and many other assorted splinter far-left, anti-Israel, pro-PLO groups in Israel, pretends it is nothing more than a neutral human rights watchdog. This is an Orwellian lie. ACRI is an extremist anti-Israel group that only cares about “human rights” when “defending them” is part of delegitimizing Israel (such as in this case). It has never heard of a human right for Jews it wishes to defend, such as their right not to be murdered by terrorists.
I urge you to read this link. It shows them up for the hypocrites they are.
- Acri Claims to be “committed to promoting the universality of human rights and defending the human rights and civil liberties of all, regardless of religion, nationality, gender, ethnicity, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.”
Funding: 2013 annual income of NIS 9,263,274 (accessed August 20, 2014). It’s funders including some of the worst Israel haters on the planet.
United States (State Department’s MEPI program),Diakonia (Sweden), European Union, Christian Aid (UK), NGO Development Center (joint funding of Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands), Norway, Netherlands, Oxfam, EED (Germany), and Kerk in Actie (Netherlands).
Based on financial information submitted to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits, in accordance with the Israeli NGO transparency law, ACRI received NIS 1,318,700 from foreign governmental bodies in the first quarter of 2014, NIS 1,868,233 in 2013 and NIS 4,100,876 in 2012. (accessed August 20, 2014). (See chart on NGO Monitor for detailed funding information).
Political Advocacy: ACRI views “international advocacy as an essential channel through which to advance key human rights concerns in Israel and the Occupied Territories. It submits reports to UN committees, meets with foreign diplomats and government representatives, and participates in international conferences and NGO networks.
Publishes reports and organizes public events alleging
“violations committed by the Israeli authorities in Israel, the Occupied Territories, or elsewhere.”
One of the worst thing is that it accuses the Israeli government of implementing “racist” and “discriminatory” policies of “apartheid,” “collective punishment” and “house demolitions” in “violation of international law.”
Many people don’t click links. I know everyone is short on time these days, but if you don’t, you are missing out on so much valuable knowledge of what is happening.
Their demonisation of Israel goes on and on.
- ACRI organises public events alleging “violations committed by the Israeli authorities in Israel,Judaea and Samaria or elsewhere.
- ACRI accuses the Israeli government of implementing “racist” and “discriminatory” policies of “apartheid,” “collective punishment” and “house demolitions” in “violation of international law.
- ACRI publishes an online database, “Information Center for Demonstrators in the Occupied Territories,” funded by the European Union, presenting a biased and one-sided narrative as well as false and distorted legal claims. Many of the legal claims are inapplicable in a situation of “occupation”. Therefore, the territory cannot, as claimed by ACRI, both be “occupied” and also benefit from the selected “rights” as presented by the NGO.
Bear in mind here when reading that these people are Israeli Jews, who for some mis-guided reason think that what they are doing is good for Israel. ??
ACRI is one of the most politically active NGOs in opposing Israeli policy regarding the Bedouin in the Negev. Published a 2013 position paper, together with Israeli NGO Bimkom, urging
“Members of Knesset to vote against the [Prawer-Begin] bill,” maintaining that it “only causes problems, mistrust and alienation of Bedouin citizens”. The position paper claims that the Bedouin are the “original inhabitants of the Negev” and that “[a]fter the establishment of the state, Israel began to ignore the existence of the Bedouin villages in all planning laws and master plans, and disregarded their property rights”.
This approach seeks to demonize Israel in the international arena by advancing the idea that the Bedouin are the native and legitimate residents of the land and that Israel is a foreign, occupying power.
How they come to the conclusion that the Bedouin are the “original inhabitants of the Negev” is beyond me.
Anywhere you care to look it points out that they are nomadic people, who originate in Arabia and were the predecessors of the Arab people. Even today they live in greatest numbers in Saudi Arabia, followed by Jordan, Libya and Egypt.
There is very interesting comprehensive account of the Bedouin from Regavim.
In February this year, 2014, ACRI called on the army to rescind its order barring soldiers from taking part in protests and demonstrations.
“There is no place for such orders in a democratic nation that acts to uphold freedom of expression for all of its citizens,”
wrote attorney Dan Yakir, chief legal counsel for the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, and law professor Adam Shinar to the head of the Israel Defense Forces’ counsel and legislative department, Col. Tamir Muritz.
“Just as a prisoner does not give up his rights upon imprisonment, so does a soldier hold on to his rights upon entering his base, or donning a uniform,” continued the letter.
How can anyone with any sense not realise that when a person is a member of the armed services, then they are representing their country, and therefore cannot demonstrate against the country. That to me is akin to treason.
Yakir and Shinar argued that the order did not meet legal standards, nor did it “take into account the constitutional rights of IDF soldiers to freedom of expression, granted to them by a Basic Law, that can only be restricted under special circumstances.” Therefore, they claimed, “the order to be illegal and must be nullified.”
This is the order, which to me is fully acceptable.
Last Tuesday Yariv Levin, a Likud Knesset member, presented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a draft of temporary legislation which would allow the state to revoke the citizenship or residency of terrorists and their family members. This was amongst other things and it was requested by the Prime Minister.
According to Levin’s plan, fthe state will revoke the citizenship or residency permit of those convicted of terror activities, which include the hurling of Molotov cocktails, and expelling them to Gaza after they’ve served their prison sentence.
The bodies of terrorists killed during the course of attacks would not be transferred to their families for a proper funeral and would be buried at undisclosed locations without granting the families access to the graves.
The homes of families of terrorists would face the demolition of their homes within 24 hours of an attack and family members who show public support for the attack may also lose their citizenship or residency permit and be deported to Gaza
Even those who do not commit offenses classified as terrorism, such as stone-throwers, “inciters” and masked participants in protests where fireworks are shot or firebombs thrown, will also face harsh penalties, including arrest and imprisonment throughout their legal proceedings.
If convicted, they would lose their social security benefits permanently and forfeit their driving privileges for 10 years.
The bill also has a provision allowing for the closure of businesses that print posters supporting terrorists or terrorism.
The organization also noted in a statement that
“the Knesset is currently holding hearings on a detailed government anti-terror bill, which itself contains many draconian provisions.”
“The government bill currently being discussed in the Knesset also includes significant human rights violations, but at least it is being debated in the framework of a serious process,” Margalit added.
