In November 2017, Yesh Din received the New Israel Fund UK human rights award in acknowledgement of our work to protect the human rights of Palestinian residents of the West Bank. Yesh Din is honored to receive the award, and thankful for the opportunity to raise international public awareness of the many difficulties and problems Palestinians face on a daily basis due to the occupation.

The award was given in an event held in London. Yesh Din Executive Director Lior Amihai and Ruti Keidar, one of the organization’s co-founders, who were in attendance, thanked the New Israel Fund for its show of support at a critical time for Israeli human rights organizations which are fighting persecution and public de-legitimation campaigns.

In his speech, Yesh Din executive director said: “These days we in the human rights community in Israel are working in a difficult environment. We are attacked by right wing groups, and also, I’m sorry to say, by the government as well. But the situation in Israel today is not sustainable. I personally believe that a way must be found to end the occupation. But until that happens, a minimal requirement for a democracy is to observe the rule of law, maintain that the law is of high moral standard and that is applied equally and fairly to all, and to stop the expansionist policies of the government. The work of Yesh Din does amount to a challenge: our government must make a choice. If it doesn’t improve human rights practices and observe the rule of law – the very future of Israel as a democracy is under threat.”

Watch the YouTube video produced in honor of the event.