Dear Friends,
Human Rights Day, which we mark on December 10, is for me and for the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, a holiday. But it is also a day for self-examination. A day in which we look both to the future and reflect on the past: Remembering the vision that stood at the foundation of the declaration for human rights for all human beings, signed at the UN 68 years ago and which human rights activists around the world have been fighting to uphold to this day. We summarize the year that has passed and examine where we are in relation to this vision, and specify the objectives for the continued efforts in the year ahead.
This year, we unfortunately moved backwards. Knesset members and ministers spearheaded an assault on the media, on human rights organizations, on treaties and on anyone who levies criticism of the government or whose worldview and actions are not in line with the political majority. The government published three unprecedented reports regarding discrimination in the country. Sadly, it does not appear as if this same government will be implementing most of the important recommendations. The maltreatment of asylum seekers continues, and discrimination in the occupied territories is becoming more and more institutionalized.
Please read our annual “Human Rights in Israel – Situation Report 2016.” It sheds light on important advancements in the field of housing, health and disability rights – which are a product of years of hard work by organizations, groups and individuals. Every achievement of this kind is a reason to be optimistic about the continued effort to improve our reality and to advance human rights in Israel.
Where do we go from here? We keep at it. Exposing, exerting pressure and also hoping that next year, on Human Rights Day in 2017, we will have actually moved forward, at full speed.
Yours,
Sharon Abraham Weiss
