• Anti-Israel NGO that aims to "assist Palestinians whose rights are violated by the Israeli authorities"

Established by Dr. Lotte Salzberger in 1988, HaMoked is a registered Israeli NGO whose broad objective is to "provide assistance to persons who have fallen victim to acts of violence, abuse, or deprivation of basic rights by governmental authorities (including local government), especially those needing assistance in conveying their complaints to these authorities, and also to protect basic rights." Vis a vis the Middle East in particular, HaMoked aims to "assist Palestinians whose rights are violated by the Israeli authorities or as a result of Israeli policy."

Hamoked alleges that Israeli authorities systematically oppress and abuse innocent Palestinians by means of beatings, torture, murder, harassment and threats, unwarranted detention, theft and confiscation of property, and damage to the Palestinian Authority's infrastructure. HaMoked further objects to Israel's demolition and seizure of Palestinian houses (an activity directed against terrorists and their abettors); Israel's construction of an anti-terrorism separation barrier in the West Bank; roadblocks and curfews imposed on Palestinians; and the deportation of suspected Palestinian terrorists. HaMoked regularly publishes reports condemning Israel for such alleged transgressions.

HaMoked works closely with other highly politicized NGOs, including: Al-Haq, Betselem, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, Adalah, Machsom Watch, the International Solidarity Movement, the Palestinian Prisoner's Club, LAW, Amnesty International, Physicians for Human Rights - Israel, and Human Rights Watch.

Hamoked's major funders include the European Commission; the Ford Foundation; the International Commission of Jurists; the New Israel Fund; the Dutch Foreign Ministry; the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs; and the British, Norwegian, Danish, and Finnish embassies in Tel Aviv.

Staffed by approximately 30 employees, HaMoked deals regularly with Palestinians claiming to have been abused by Israeli authorities. In such cases, the organization contacts the relevant authorities and, when necessary, files legal claims and submits petitions to the High Court of Justice. The NGO also works to introduce policy changes and legislative amendments "that would improve the status of human rights in the Occupied Territories." Since its inception, HaMoked has handled more then 50,000 complaints on various subjects.


This profile is adapted, with permission, from the NGO Monitor.