The movement for human rights and democracy in Israel is wide awake.

Looking closely, you cant miss it: The growing and worrying anti-democratic trend, spreading across Israel, has encountered fierce resistance from the countrys resilient civil society. These are hard times, and there are more difficult challenges ahead of us but the sweeping movement for human rights and democracy is gaining momentum and is determined more than ever to turn the tide. December 2009 marked Israels first-ever Human Rights March, which

brought together more than one hundred organizations and thousands of optimistic and strong-willed activists to the streets, marching side by side for the first time. This year on International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2010, we marched again in Tel Aviv. Over 10,000 people and 130 organizations came together to demand that civil liberties and human rights be safeguarded and to protest against the rising waves of racism, the occupation, the growing socio-economic gaps, violence against women, and the increasing threats to our freedom of speech.

They made their voices heard and showed the strength of the human rights movement in Israel and it was a powerful display. In this album, we want to share with you some of the inspiring words and images from that day. For us it was one of the highlights of our work in the past year, and we hope the following pages can explain why.

Sami Michael, renowned author and President of ACRI

We are witnessing an ongoing and alarming process of weakness and incompetence among political parties that were supposed to be the watchdogs of democracy. Thus, this is the hour for voluntary civil society organizations that support progress which is why we are here. The assaults on the status of the judicial system, which is responsible for justice and equality, are increasing which is why we are here. We are here as a stop sign against any anti-democratic legislation. There are those who believe that the security of the State is superior to democracy. To remind them that jeopardizing democracy severely jeopardizes the security of the State we are here. Racists have lost all shame, and because of the silence of the sane majority, they are becoming more and more insolent and aggressive. The racism towards our neighbors is already seeping into our home. The fences built to separate us from our neighbors are burgeoning and are now mounted between us and ourselves. To denounce the curse of racism we are here. To declare that social gaps are a danger to the very existence and stability of Israeli society we are here. To stand up against violence against women, violence in the public discourse, violence on the roads and any other form of violence we are here. We are here to mark the path to the future instead of receding to the past, a past of wars, hatred, and ignorance. The stubborn attempts to force upon us a culture that justifies occupation and accepts oppression will not succeed. To declare that the life and breath of every valuable culture is justice, liberty, and equality we are here. And to the Palestinian people I would like to say that our fate is a joint fate. Despite the voices of aggression and hostility, there is a wide public wishing to live in peace. It is a shame that most of the sane voices, among us and among you, have been stunned into silence. We are here to say that our voice is a joint voice, just as our path is a joint path. We will live together or die together. We are here to say that we have chosen life.

The parade starts. I'm marching with the m. Electricity in the air is what people ghti , this ng for their lives soun d like. We are not cri nals, they shout, we miare refugees. We ha ve rights.
of 'We are here to mark the path to the future.' Sami Michael, child Arabic: 'Our path is a joint path.'" Baghdad, addresses the crowd in

Nirit Moskovich, Yael Maizel, and Ronit Sela, Spokespersons of ACRI:

It seems cynicism is our favorite pill these days, used whenever we get an allergic reaction to the latest ridiculous statement made by our leaders and officials. Our leaders and the press are competing with each other now: Who will speak louder against disloyal traitors? Who will do a better job at silencing and pushing aside legitimate criticism? And who will simply stand idle while our country is losing its mind? Xenophobia and incitement are not the sole actions of the zealous. They are part of an overall scheme by cynical leaders to solve serious problems by simply pointing a figure at someone else. Therefore, any time the average man on the street is caught on TV cameras speaking out against Africans, voicing racial slurs against Arabs, and explaining that the world is against Israel because they are Anti-semitic then the politicians can be satisfied that they have accomplished what they sought out to do. Some of us buy into the explanations our leaders are trying to feed us: They tell us human rights are a luxury for peacetime; they tell us not to be nave, that security comes first; they say, why fight for human rights when our safety is in danger? But without hesitation we ask back: What good is this security you speak of when there are no human rights? What good is it when a teenagers well-being is threatened because of his sexual orientation? What good is it for the homeless woman who cannot afford a roof over her head? What good is it for the Bedouin family and their neighbors who have no electricity in their homes? And how secure am I really, when the government has my personal information stored in a Biometric Database? This is why on December 10 we will march together in the streets of Tel Aviv. We will stand shoulder to shoulder to show cynical politicians, advisers, and journalists that we may be rolling our eyes, but it doesnt mean were not putting up a fight. We have no intention of being silenced, and we demand to get what we deserve: To live in a true democracy and be part of a tolerant and just society. We march to remind Israeli leaders and the general public that there is no real security and no justice without human rights; that there is no way we will tolerate racism and discrimination in our communities, and that we will not allow our democracy to fail us.

Israelis will mar ch 4 democracy , human & civil rights

The march was an incred ible experience. We got the re, ASSAF activists together wit h hundreds of refugees, wa lking from Levinsky Park to Hab ima Theater. When we got there, we realized how powerful we are, it was amazing.

What a wonderful march it was! And what a wonderful rain is pouring down now!

A testimony by T.A.W. from Eritrea, who entered Israel through the Sinai Desert and is currently being held in the Saharonim Detention Center:
I escaped from Eritrea to Sudan, where I was kidnapped by strangers. These people demanded money for my release, but I had no one to ask for that. They held me hostage in the desert for five months, during which I was raped and forced to prepare meals for my kidnappers and to clean up after them. Eventually, I managed to get the sum they demanded from my aunt, and so I was released and sent with a group of refugees who crossed the border to Israel.

Meital Russo, activist with ASSAF

The Aid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel:
I learned most of all about the meaning of my protest being a young, Sephardi, Jewish Israeli woman when I encountered he unbelievable policy that this state, the State of the Jews, employs vis--vis refugees and asylum seekers. I feel that my protest is not solely an individual one, but rather follows from great compassion which, so I feel, should be a most basic thing for any man and woman who live freely anywhere. Apart from the fact that most of our mothers and fathers were refugees, and that one of Israels most advanced industries exports weapons that are used in conflicts in African countries (from where some refugees now here originate), there is the basic, shining premise that the strong must help the weak. This is the foundation of it all. I do not wish to compel anyone, but I do feel that this is our moral obligation. Come march with us, asylum seekers, men and women, alongside activists from the entire spectrum. Join the cycle of compassion in which we open our arms to receive more and more people, until we succeed in making Israel (which sometimes makes it hard and makes us despair) an equal and containing state. Because, after all, ours are the arms that uphold it and its leaders.

Just as the m arch started m oving, a refuge holding a micro e phone shouted Refugee rights We need protec now! tion! Tears wel led up in her ey and in my eyes es, , too.

Letter by Abdallah Abu Rahmah, Coordinator of the Bilin Popular Committee against the Wall and the Settlements, who was arrested on 10 December 2009. This letter, which he sent from prison, was read during the Human Rights March.
A year ago tonight, on International Human Rights Day, our apartment in Ramallah was broken into by the Israeli military in the middle of the night, and I was torn away from my wife Majida, my daughters Luma and Layan, and my son Laith, who at the time was only 9 months old. As the Coordinator of the Bilin Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, I was convicted of organizing illegal demonstrations and incitement. The illegal demonstrations refer to the nonviolent resistance campaign that my village has been waging for the past 6 years against Israels Apartheid Wall, which is being built on our land. I nd it strange that the military judges could call our demonstrations illegal and charge me for participating in and organizing them, after the worlds highest legal body, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, has ruled that Israels wall in the Occupied Territories must be dismantled. Even the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the walls route in Bilin is illegal. Despite the occupations constant incitement to violence, in Bilin we have chosen a different path. We have chosen to protest nonviolently together with Israeli and International supporters. We have chosen to carry a message of hope and real partnership between Palestinians and Israelis in the face of oppression and injustice. It is this message that the Israeli occupation is attempting to crush through its various institutions, including the military courts. In the year that I have spent in prison, the military has carried out dozens of night raids in Bilin, with the purpose of removing those involved in the popular struggle against the occupation. In 2010, children in Bilin and throughout the West Bank are still being awakened in the middle of the night to nd guns pointed at their heads. My eldest daughter, Luma, was 9 years old when I was arrested. She is now 10. After my arrest, she began going to the Friday demonstrations in our village. She always carries a picture of me in her hands. The adults try to look after her, but I still worry about my little girl. I wish that she could enjoy her childhood like other children, that she could be studying and playing with her friends. But through the walls and barbed wire that separate us, I hear my daughters message to me, saying: Baba, they cannot stop us. If they take you away, we will take your place and continue to struggle for justice. This is the message that I want to bring you today from beyond the walls, the barbed wire, and the prison bars that separate Palestinians and Israelis.

Naomi Chazan, President of the New Israel Fund:

This year was not an easy year for civil rights and for human rights organizations in Israel. In this year, we have experienced harsh persecution, sometimes on a personal level, because of our pursuit of equality, tolerance, and social justice. And we were not the only ones under attack so were academia, the judicial system, conscientious artists, and anyone who truly believes that the basic values of our democracy are under an unprecedented assault. In the past year, Israeli legislators have lost all restraint in a ood of racist, shameful, and cruel legislation. It was a year in which many chose to incite and to stir up hate against the other, instead of educating to core human values. And mostly, it was a year that deepened the divide between the different peoples living in this land. A year in which Arab citizens of Israel, and particularly their leaders, were attacked in an unprecedented manner. A year in which the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people has only expanded, and a peace agreement got further from our grasp. But in the face of all of these assaults, the past year has also offered us hope for a better future. In this past year, we have seen citizens who decided not to give up on the possibility of a different Israel. We have seen determined young people leading an unprecedented struggle against the deportation of migrant workers and they won. We have seen one brave man, who dared to go out against racial discrimination at a school in Immanuel and he won. We saw visionary people struggling against real-estate developers to protect our beaches and they won. We have seen a small and resolute group struggling against the handing of public resources to gas tycoons and I hope they shall win. We have seen young Israelis and Palestinians struggling against the eviction of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah. All over the country, citizens are organizing and fighting for Israeli society and their victory shall be our victory. In the face of all those who choose a path of hatred, incitement, and violence stand these heroes of civil society, who have chosen to not give up on the possibility of a better Israel. They are the ones who give us hope in order to continue our struggle against the attacks and the attempted delegitimization, the ones who remind us that when we see discrimination or injustice, the most important thing is to not be silent.

to get "The Rabbi tried to convince me Arab tenants, and sent old rid of my r, friends to try and persuade me. Late threatened to burn someone called and a sign down my house. Then they put up e my gate. I do what I do in the nam on who agree with of many good citizens, ived me. I am 89 years old; I have surv caust and captivity; I've been the Holo through a lot, but I feel strong, I feel ved great. I still believe now what I belie h is that I must safeguard my then, whic rd their rights; that all people must safegua who rented out rights". Elli Zvielli, pite his home to Arab students des intimidation and pressure from the local ofcials and residents

are here, and r want to separate us. But we The rabbis who signed the lette red future. The march is a together, we want a sha jointly we declare: We stand and to all the challenges we ory, it is our answer to racism celebration of our vict ctor of Ajik The el A-Sana Al-Hajuj, co-dire are forced to face daily. Am Bedouins in Israel ivist for the rights of Negev Institute, and an act

Ron Gerlitz , C o - Ex ec utive D ire c tor of Sik k uy, th e

Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel:
Over the past few years, we have been experiencing an increase in violations of the rights of Israeli citizens. I will come to march because the majority of the population in Israel is apathetic. Apathetic to the suffering of African refugee children, apathetic to the continued occupation of the West Bank, apathetic to the hours that Palestinians from the Occupied Territories are made to wait each day at checkpoints, apathetic to the fate of women who are sold like merchandise to panderers in South Tel Aviv, apathetic to crowds of migrant workers, whose rights are trampled upon day after day. I will come to the march because in the twentieth century many democracies collapsed, and it is clear that in these cases, the collapse began with violations of minority rights, of foreigners or those resisting the structure of power, and with the perpetual exhaustion of all opposition, until it turned into silence. Israeli democracy is failing. The forces overrunning it from the inside in the government, in the Knesset and in society are growing stronger, and the publics silence is very loud. It is hard for me to fathom a public struggle more important in Israel than the fight to resist the dissolution of democracy. I will come to the march in Tel Aviv because I dont have a foreign passport stashed in my desk drawer. I dont dream of living elsewhere. I want to struggle so that life in this country, my country, will be based on social justice and defense of the innocent and the dignity and freedom of all people living here. I will come to the march because of a combination of fear and faith: fear of the continuation and amplification of violations of human rights and civil liberties and the deterioration of democracy; and faith that we have an interest and a duty to fight these trends faith that the only hope for a future for this country is in building a society based on equality, democracy and an unwavering commitment to human rights and faithsharp and firm. And faith that we have the power to change reality.

This year, due to a case of the u, I had to stay in bed, from where I followed this impressive march which doubled the number of its participants since last year. This is wonderful. You are creating a movement, a movement to safeguard democracy and human rights, which increases the visibility of these issues and of whats being done to them, and hopefully also expands the circle of those who support these values. Dalia Dromi, Executive Director of Bimkom Planners for Planning Rights

Dorit Abramovitch, an Israeli feminist and LGBT activist:

On December 10 International Human Rights Day we will march together, womens organizations, and we will once again lift our voices to protest, because we are sick of the systematic violations of our rights. Every woman has been sexually harassed at least once in her life. Every third woman has been sexually assaulted. Every seventh woman has suffered from sexual abuse committed by a family member. Most of the people who earn minimum wage are women. Most of the civilians wounded in wartime are women. Most of the people whose freedom of movement is limited are women. The majority of the people at the lowest levels in terms of employment, income, and social position are women. Women are murdered in the name of honor. They are beaten and bruised in the name of love. Women are fired from their jobs when they are sexually harassed, when they are pregnant, when they are undergoing fertility treatments, when they are older, and when they no longer fulfill the bosss idea of standard appearance. Women work from morning til night inside and outside the house but they are paid for only a fraction of their labor. Women are required to provide all sorts of services from dawn to dusk, because that is how our role was defined by society, a society in which men are in control of womens lives. Women are exposed on a daily basis to an environment that is filled with violent pornography, from sexist advertisements to sexual harassment. For a significant proportion of the female population, home is a place that is not only small, but which also tends to be dangerous.

For us, the Human Rights March on December 10 will serve as an excellent opportunity to remind ourselves of that which we too often tend to forget: That the public sphere belongs to everyone, men and women alike. Attorney Einat Horowitz, Legal and Public Policy Department Director, Israe l Religious Action Center

Letter by Mary Vansovsky, Chairperson of the Labor Union of Cleaners at Ben Gurion University:
During our many years of work as temporary agency workers we were discriminated on every level. The agency and its representative treated us with total disrespect, both as people and as employees. The university treated us with condescension and alienation, because we didnt belong there, because we were agency workers which automatically placed us on a lower level in the hierarchy. We still have to struggle for the most basic rights that every university worker accepts as obvious, such as additional pay for additional work, getting a room for an hour to raise a glass in celebration of special occasions, or turning on the air-conditioning in the heat of the summer at 6 a.m., when we arrive, and not only at 7:30 a.m. when the universitys employees come to work. We have been working, and we still work, under a regime of fear and the daily threat of being red. Why? Because we are agency workers. But we have made much progress since the election of our rst labor union. Mostly, we developed awareness to our social and economic rights, and we have learned to demand them. Only unied, brave, and humane leaders can bring social and moral change. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but the sky is the limit.

start ts March that will r the Human Righ ly the hail and e weather holds fo ful Lets hope th . tomorrow. Hope time of 10:30 a.m wont start till later. at the oddly early for this weekend re promising us ey t (and, lets not be thunderstorms th Israeli governmen , so do are something the ld be reminded of Human rights government) shou l Aviv Guide al about it, every hypocritic use. DIY Te mber for a good ca come and be a nu

Coalition in Israel:
The right to a healthy environment means that every individual has the right to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and build their home on uncontaminated land. That right also means that every individual has the right to fight for a healthy environment: To struggle against a plant that would not install filters because they are costly; fight for promoting public instead of private means of transportation; and encourage the exposure of documents that attest to failed environmental planning. I can see that the causes we are fighting for may differ but are nonetheless similar in many ways. Whether it be

Ronit Piso, Public Health

Human Rights March in Tel Aviv: Solidarity against Fascism Ha'aretz
the environment, the Occupied Territories, the refugees, or the protection of children our country avoids making decisions, issuing policies, or enforcing the law. This is why I will be marching next Friday. I wish to call on my state to realize that public life needs organization and policy; and that in many, too many issues the State decides not to decide for irrelevant reasons, and because each ministry strongly defends its own share, and because the State of Israel is privatizing itself to death and surrendering to the wishes of the wealthy and affluent.

Thousands in the square: the legislation is racist, the Rabbis are inciting Ynet

Thousands attend the march in Tel Aviv: 'We will not be silent in the face of racism' Maariv

Thousands mark International Human Rights Day in Tel Aviv Jerusalem Post

Thousands march in Tel Aviv: 'No to racism, yes to human rights' Walla

Over 10,000 march for human rights in Tel Aviv AFP

had past year we haven't As you all know, in the l real enthusiasm to fee too many opportunities s Human Rights hope, which is why thi and us at more important. All of March was all the RI on this great ulate AC NIF and Shatil congrat mocratic public in vement. There is a de achie work towards helping Israel, and we must all bring about the change it grow, so that it may chel Liel, Executive we are all seeking. Ra w Israel Fund Director of the Ne

Come Join the March of the Many / Hagai El-Ad, Executive Director of ACRI, in Haaretz:
The government and its institutions are those responsible for safeguarding our rights all of our rights. They have the power to enforce the law or break it, to foster an atmosphere of equality or of discrimination; it is in their hands to decide whether collective resources are equitably distributed among different groups in order to close socioeconomic gaps or whether they are channeled into the hands of the few. Ultimately, the actions of our leaders are what will determine whether they back the States commitment to the rights of all those living under its jurisdiction. Alas, the past year seems to have set a new standard in the way the State betrays its commitments to the public. In government circles, the Knesset, academia, and other spheres, Israeli democracy finds itself under threat. Looking at this gloomy picture today, International Human Rights Day, one might ask: What hope is there for human rights in Israel? The events of the past year showed that this hope lies primarily in the hands of the citizens. It is critical that we remember that the power of the State and its institutions, and the budgets and resources they use, are given to it by us, the citizens all the citizens. The chief responsibility of the State and all those working on its behalf is to be loyal to the public. The public still remembers its rights. Israelis demand that their government safeguard the basic rights of all those under its authority, they oppose cuts in public services, and they support equality and human rights. Everyones rights. Today, Friday, December 10, as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is celebrated worldwide, thousands of people will be gathering for the second year in the streets of Tel Aviv, for Israels Human Rights March. Working toward many different causes through shared values, we will call out together: Human rights are everyones rights. In order for the State to change direction, in order for the democratic forces to continue believing in our values and fighting for them even in the face of extremism, we will march together in the largest annual human rights event held in Israel. This is the march of the many who, despite the attacks against them, are determined to continue believing.

sun, We arrived at the There was sun, sun, eeches, there was square, there were sp rmances, there was sun. There were perfo rted the end, nally it sta sun. Then, towards erything. raining. Timing is ev

Indeed, the statements of 130 organizations participating in the march are diverse, but there is at least one light we can follow: the concept of human rights. the target audience of todays march were its own participants. We saw that we are a multitude, that we get along well, that we are not afraid and we can make a difference. Yes, a sudden rainstorm did scatter people out of the square right as things were coming to a close, but even brave people dont see a reason to get drenched. I saw the bravest people I know at that parade today. Yuval Ben-Ami, +972 Magazine

Photos: Meged Gozani / Activestills.org, Tom Raviv, Libby Lenkinski Graphic Design: Noa Olchovsky Graphics: Oso Bayo Studio Editing: Yoana Gonen, Libby Lenkinski Thanks to ACRIs staff, members, volunteers, and supporters, whose commitment and generosity enabled this Human Rights March.