Rabbis for Human Rights
Encyclopedia
Rabbis for Human Rights-Israel is an Israel
i human rights
organisation describing itself as "the rabbi
nic voice of conscience in Israel
, giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights
".
Rabbis for Human Rights-Israel is the partner organization of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, which works on human rights issues in North America, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories.
Their membership includes Reform
, Orthodox
, Conservative
and Reconstructionist
rabbis and students. According to their web site, the organization includes "over one hundred ordained rabbis and rabbinical students".
The organization received the Niwano Peace Prize
in 2006.
served as co-director of Rabbis For Human Rights, becoming executive director in 1998. Ayala Levi took over as Executive Director in 2010.
was among three defendants on trial in Jerusalem for standing in front of bulldozer
s in an effort to block the demolition of Palestinian
homes. RFHR opposes the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier
in any place where it entails the expropriation of Arab-owned land, the division of villages, or cutting farmers off from their fields. RFHR achieved a major victory in 2006 when it won a lawsuit to prevent the division by the fence of the village of Sheikh Sa'ad. (Israel Today, May 2006).
After stopping Israeli bulldozers from demolishing the homes of Palestinian
families in Jerusalem, Ascherman was charged with "interfering with police performance of duties on two different occasions in 2003, and the intention to commit acts to prevent police from performing their duties." In March 2005, a magistrate court ruled Ascherman guilty, but said that he wouldn't have a criminal record.
In March 2008, Arik Ascherman
was arrested for "inciting Palestinians to oppose the police" near the ongoing archaeological dig in the City of David.
The RfHR act as human shield
s during the annual settler violence during the olive harvesting season to protect Palestinian farmers.
.
Rabbi Ascherman and RHR expressed concern about the second Durban conference, saying "that Israel has committed human rights violations [is an issue that] can appropriately be discussed at a conference like this. But if you allow the conference to be hijacked as if Israel is the only place in the world where there are issues of racism and human rights, then it makes a farce of the whole thing. We're not trying to protect Israel from being criticized, but as people who are really concerned with human rights and racism, and think it is important that there be a body among the community of nations dealing with these things, we don't want to see another hijacking."
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organisation describing itself as "the rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
nic voice of conscience in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
".
Rabbis for Human Rights-Israel is the partner organization of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, which works on human rights issues in North America, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories.
Their membership includes Reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
, Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
, Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
and Reconstructionist
Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of Mordecai Kaplan . The movement views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. It originated as a branch of Conservative Judaism, before it splintered...
rabbis and students. According to their web site, the organization includes "over one hundred ordained rabbis and rabbinical students".
The organization received the Niwano Peace Prize
Niwano Peace Prize
Niwano Peace Prize is given to honor and encourage those who are devoting themselves to interreligious cooperation in the cause of peace,and to make their achievements known...
in 2006.
Organization
The organization was founded in 1988. Its membership consists of Israeli citizens predominantly Rabbis but includes rabbinical students. RfHR has a nineteen member Board of Directors. Rabbi Arik AschermanArik Ascherman
Rabbi Arik W. Ascherman is the Director of Special Projects for Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel, an organization where he previously served as Executive Director...
served as co-director of Rabbis For Human Rights, becoming executive director in 1998. Ayala Levi took over as Executive Director in 2010.
Activities
In December 2004, their executive director, Rabbi Arik AschermanArik Ascherman
Rabbi Arik W. Ascherman is the Director of Special Projects for Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel, an organization where he previously served as Executive Director...
was among three defendants on trial in Jerusalem for standing in front of bulldozer
Bulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
s in an effort to block the demolition of Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
homes. RFHR opposes the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier
Israeli West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
in any place where it entails the expropriation of Arab-owned land, the division of villages, or cutting farmers off from their fields. RFHR achieved a major victory in 2006 when it won a lawsuit to prevent the division by the fence of the village of Sheikh Sa'ad. (Israel Today, May 2006).
After stopping Israeli bulldozers from demolishing the homes of Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
families in Jerusalem, Ascherman was charged with "interfering with police performance of duties on two different occasions in 2003, and the intention to commit acts to prevent police from performing their duties." In March 2005, a magistrate court ruled Ascherman guilty, but said that he wouldn't have a criminal record.
In March 2008, Arik Ascherman
Arik Ascherman
Rabbi Arik W. Ascherman is the Director of Special Projects for Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel, an organization where he previously served as Executive Director...
was arrested for "inciting Palestinians to oppose the police" near the ongoing archaeological dig in the City of David.
The RfHR act as human shield
Human shield
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in...
s during the annual settler violence during the olive harvesting season to protect Palestinian farmers.
Durban UN Anti-Racism conferences
David Bedein from Independent Media Review Analysis has criticized RHR, accusing it of joining "forces with the PLO to support the idea that Israel, was indeed, an apartheid, racist regime" at the 2001 UN Anti-Racism conference in Durban, South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Rabbi Ascherman and RHR expressed concern about the second Durban conference, saying "that Israel has committed human rights violations [is an issue that] can appropriately be discussed at a conference like this. But if you allow the conference to be hijacked as if Israel is the only place in the world where there are issues of racism and human rights, then it makes a farce of the whole thing. We're not trying to protect Israel from being criticized, but as people who are really concerned with human rights and racism, and think it is important that there be a body among the community of nations dealing with these things, we don't want to see another hijacking."
External links
- Rabbis for Human Rights-North America Site
- Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land: Media & the Israel-Palestine Conflict, documentary directed by Sut JhallySut JhallySatvinder "Sut" Jhally , is a professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is one of the world’s leading experts on cultural studies, advertising, media, and consumption. He is the producer of 40+ documentaries on media literacy topics and the founder and executive...
and Bathsheba Ratzkoff (2003) quotes Rabbi Arik Ascherman - VIDEO: Rabbi Arik Ascherman – Rabbis for Human Rights, talk at the Neveh Shalom SynagogueNeveh Shalom SynagogueThe Neveh Shalom Synagogue is the only synagogue of the Ashkenazi community in Suriname.The Neveh Shalom Synagogue is the only synagogue of the Ashkenazi community in Suriname....
in PortlandPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, on May 5, 2003.