The 2016 Racism Report was published by the Mossawa Center on Monday on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The data indicated an alarming increase in the frequency of incidents of racism. The report points toward 465 cases recorded between March 2015 and March 2016. This is double both of the figures recorded in the last two years. The Mossawa Center warns against the escalation in civilian clashes as well as the increase in frequency of systematic attacks carried out by organized groups and the disregard of the state as well as its collaboration with racial incitement.
The report refers to the escalation of racial incitement during the last election period and the subsequent comments made by the Prime Minister, members of the Knesset, and Jewish religious leaders. The Mossawa Center affirms that the report includes cases that have not been documented and, unfortunately, there are hundreds of cases that do not reach human rights institutions or the press.
Last year’s data points to 237 documented cases. The escalation to 465 cases confirms the increase in both verbal and practical implementation of racist practices. The Mossawa Center works to encourage the victims of racism to file formal complaints and submit claims for compensation against institutions that carry out racial classification or racist attacks.
The report points to a number of successful claims for compensation, including against El-Al airlines and Super Land amusement park which discriminated against Arab students by preventing them entry to their facilities on specific days.
Human Rights institutions filed a number of complaints and claims for compensation to the court of justice in cases of job dismissals; the latest case was on the compensation of an Arab employee from the company “Shekem Electric”. Mossawa is currently involved in court cases against the website “Avoda Ivrit” (Hebrew Labor) and the company “Alpha Cosmetics”.
The Mossawa Center will present the 2016 Racism Report in a Knesset conference led by the Coalition Against Racism on Tuesday, March 22nd. We will demand from Members of the Knesset to enact a law to establish a commission that fights against racism. This commission will be responsible for education that promotes anti-racism and coordinates the necessary legal efforts to fights racism.
The report confirms that government institutions are responsible for their actions or lack of efforts to fight the escalation in racism. These institutions refuse to investigate cases of racial incitement and fail to investigate cases of racism and police violence.
The following are cases that have been documented:
- 10 Proposals of racist laws that affect the status of Arab citizens and democratic freedoms.
- 30 cases, which target the freedom of political activism of Arab political leadership.
- 38 racial statements and incitements by the public and elected officials.
- 12 cases of desecration of holy places and actions against religious beliefs.
- 103 cases of discrimination by state institutions and economic institutions both private and public.
- 123 racist acts carried out by civilians
- 39 violent racist acts carried out by security personnel.
- 31 cases of racism in academic and educational institutions.
- 60 racist activities in football stadiums
- 19 racist posts and publications in the media
The report includes public opinion that has been published during last year, which confirms the escalation of violence.
For more information please contact Jafar farah at the Mossawa Center - (+972) 4-855-5901
Additional contacts for information:
Advocate Nidal Othman – Director of Coalition against Racism
Advocate Alber Nahas- compensation cases of racial profiling at airports
Advocate Shafik Rafoul – compensation in the case of Super Land amusement park
For the full report please click on the link below
