B'Tselem Announces Formation of Public Council of Prominent Figures from Israeli Public, Intellectual, and Cultural Life

B'Tselem announced the inauguration of the organization's first public council today (27 March). The council is comprised of 34 leading Israeli academic, cultural and social figures, spanning a wide spectrum of opinions and fields. At this especially important juncture, these persons have chosen to openly declare their support for human rights, in general, and for B'Tselem's work to advance protection of human rights in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in particular.

Jessica Montell, Executive Director of B'Tselem, said: “We are honored and excited, to receive the public support of such an inspiring group of Israelis. By joining our Council, they are expressing much more than support for our work: they are saying that, even in our complex reality, protection of human rights is vital for the future of a democratic Israel.”

Council Member Makram Khoury: “The simple truth that the rights of every person must be respected now needs to be fought for. The very legitimacy of this notion is no longer a given in public discourse. I hope that public support will bolster the struggle to protect human rights and will put place this issue where it properly and legitimately belongs.”

Council Member Rivka Michaeli: “I joined B'Tselem because I want to remain B’Tselem (‘in the image of [God]’).”

Council Member Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer: “‘Beloved is human kind, for it was made in the image [of God].’ A struggle is being waged in Israeli society over commitment to human dignity – whether it should be to the dignity of every person or to the dignity of Jews alone. In this struggle, it is imperative to stand with those who protect human dignity as a universal value. Among them, B'Tselem is one of the most important.”

Members of the Public Council 

Adv. Hussein Abu Hussein

Chava Alberstein

Gila Almagor-Agmon

Retired Judge Michael Ben-Yair

Dr. Yosef Jabareen

Nora Grinberg

David Grossman

Ruth Dayan

Prof. Ariel Hirschfeld

Aluf Hareven

Prof. Neta Ziv

Makram Khoury

Clara Khoury

Prof. Galit Hasan-Rokem

David Tartakover

Prof. Yossi Yona

Dr. Alon Liel

Amal Murkus

Ronit Matalon

Rivka Michaeli

Prof. Avishai Margalit

Prof. Sasson Somekh

Prof. Sammy Smooha

Amos Oz

Rona Kenan

Dani Karavan

Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer

Miki Kratsman

Prof. David Kretzmer 

Prof. Yigal Schwartz

Prof. Alice Shalvi

Victor Shem-Tov

Rabbi David Rosen

Abraham B. Yehoshua