B'Tselem
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|
| Founded | 1989 |
|---|---|
| Type |
Non-profit NGO |
| Focus | "acts primarily to change Israeli policy in the Occupied Territories and ensure that its government, which rules the Occupied Territories, protects the human rights of residents there and complies with its obligations under international law." |
| Location | |
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Area served
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Palestinian territories |
|
Key people
|
Hagai El-Ad |
|
Employees
|
38 |
| Mission | "to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel." |
| Website | www |
B'Tselem (Hebrew: בצלם, IPA: [beˈtselem], "in the image of [God]") is a Jerusalem-based independent non-profit organization whose stated goals are to document human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied territories, combat denial and help to create a human rights culture in Israel. Its executive director is Hagai El-Ad. B'Tselem also maintains a presence in Washington, D.C., known as B'Tselem USA. B'Tselem has come under intense fire for what its critics describe as misrepresenting and distorting facts.
B'Tselem was founded in 1989, during the First Intifada, by Israeli academics and members of civil rights organizations. B'Tselem's funding comes from private individuals (both Israeli and foreign), governments, and European and North American foundations focusing on human rights.
B'Tselem has published over a hundred reports on various issues such as torture, fatal shootings by security forces, restrictions on movement, expropriation of land and discrimination in planning and building in East Jerusalem, administrative detention, house demolitions, violence by Israeli settlers and Palestinians, and Israeli operations in the occupied territories.
In December 1989, B'Tselem shared the Carter-Menil Human Rights Prize with the Palestinian group, Al-Haq. B'Tselem has been harshly criticized by Israeli nationalists. In 2011, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman charged the group with abetting terrorism and weakening Israel's defense forces.
B'Tselem was founded on February 3, 1989. The name comes from Genesis 1:27, which states that all mankind was created "b'tselem elohim" (in the image of God), which the organization says is in line with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights that all humans are equal in dignity and so deserve the same fundamental rights.
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