Access to Social Justice in Israel

Access to justice and to resources is crucial in insuring that individuals and groups realize their fundamental human rights.  Despite the existence of laws, institutions and programs in Israel intended to address needs, the ability of individuals to actually realize their rights and access the benefits and services offered by these social institutions is not equal.  Often the obstacles that limit, or even prevent, the realization of rights are particularly prevalent in the case of the excluded social groups most in need of these rights: the poor, immigrants, and ethnic or national minorities. Clearly the lack of access to the means to attaining social justice serves to exacerbate existing social gaps and disparities that are unjustifiable, unnecessary and preventable. Access to social justice has an important role in enhancing a sense of social cohesion and belonging. Its absence contributes to a feeling of exclusion, alienation and frustration. The obstacles to accessing social rights stem from a variety of causes: among them a lack of material resources and knowledge, the existence of language and cultural barriers, as well as a lack of understanding of how the justice system works. The goal of this book is to underscore and analyze various aspects of access to social justice, to understand better the obstacles that prevent people from accessing justice and their sources, and to try to identify solutions for facilitating greater access to social rights in Israeli society.

Available in Hebrew only