Rights Advocacy

JICC’s Atta’a Center assists East Jerusalemite Palestinian residents to overcome bureaucratic, language and cultural obstacles in order to access their civil, health, and welfare rights, guaranteed to them by Israeli and international law.

Impact

8.5K

East Jerusalemites receive social and economic rights advocacy

20M+

In public funds return to the community via rights-based discounts

200K

Followers on social media platforms

Volunteer lawyers and advocates provide pro-bono services

Context

Structural obstacles to basic rights and services stem from the fact that most Jerusalemite Palestinians carry permanent residency status, but not Israeli citizenship.

Maintaining residency status requires Jerusalemite Palestinians to prove to local authorities that they live and reside in the city, and a failure to do so means that this status can be revoked. This complex bureaucratic arrangement is unparalleled elsewhere in Israel and is complicated first by a general lack of trust between this community and Israeli institutions, and second because Jerusalemite Arabs tend not to be proficient in Hebrew, the official language used in government offices.

Strategies

Walk-in and On-line

Residents access Atta’a services in Arabic via any of six intake centers that are spread throughout the city, via a web-based hotline service, and through reliable information hubs on social media.

Facilitating Connections

Atta’a staff are trained to work with the full complement of rights afforded to East Jerusalemite families, and after conducting a professional assessment are able to identify gaps. They then develop a personalized work plan and initiate the necessary connections with relevant authorities.

Holistic Approach

Relevant Staff

Daud Alian

Atta’a Center Director