2022-2023 Overview

HIAS ISRAEL
 HIAS Israel
Overview 2022-2023

HIAS ISRAEL 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT HIAS
Our History ....................................................................................................... 1

Vision, Mission, and Values .......................................................................... 2

Our Impact ....................................................................................................... 3

Accountability to Affected Populations ...................................................... 4

Governance, Structure, and Policies ............................................................ 5

HIAS ISRAEL
Context for Vulnerable Refugees and Migrants in Israel ......................... 6

HIAS Programs in Israel .................................................................................. 6

Coordination: Partners and Peer Networks ............................................... 10

Operational Support for Programs .............................................................. 10

Donors and Development ............................................................................. 12

Communications, Policy, and Advocacy ..................................................... 12

Our History
From our beginnings in the 1880s in a storefront on the Lower East Side of Manhattan
providing food and shelter to Jews fleeing antisemitism in Eastern Europe, to our work nearly
140 years later providing social, emotional, legal, and advocacy support to those in need
around the world, HIAS has served as a pivotal force for displaced people for generations.
Indeed, HIAS began its work even before the world had a legal concept of a “refugee.”

Having helped more than 4.5 million refugees and immigrants escape persecution, HIAS is
uniquely qualified to address the modern refugee situation, which has become a global
humanitarian crisis. After over 100 years of serving Jews fleeing persecution around the globe,
HIAS, starting in the 2000s, expanded its work in the U.S. to include assistance to non-Jewish
refugees devastated by the aftermath of conflicts in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Bulgaria,
Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Hungary, Iran, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Tunisia, Vietnam,
and the successor states to the former Soviet Union.

HIAS began a new chapter in 2002 when it established operations in Kenya to provide
protection to refugees from African countries plagued by conflict, to advocate on their behalf,
and to resettle the most vulnerable. Soon after, we began work in Latin America, serving
people displaced by conflict in several countries. Currently HIAS works in 16 countries
including Aruba, Austria, Belgium, Chad, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Greece, Guyana,
Israel, Kenya, Mexico, Panama, Peru, United States, and Venezuela. As the only global Jewish
organization whose mission is to assist refugees wherever they are, HIAS continues to protect,
empower, and resettle refugees of all faiths and ethnicities from around the world.

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Vision, Mission, and Values

Vision
HIAS stands for a world in which refugees find welcome, safety, and opportunity.

Mission
Drawing on our Jewish values and history, HIAS provides vital services to refugees and
asylum seekers around the world and advocates for their fundamental rights so they can
rebuild their lives.

Values
Impassioned by our mission, we bring the lessons of HIAS’ history and Jewish ethics and
experience to our commitment to serve refugees and other displaced persons of concern
around the world through the following values:

Welcome • Acogimiento • Hospitalité • ‫( הכנסת אורחים‬Hachnasat Orchim)

We Welcome the Stranger

Justice • Justicia • Justice • ‫( צדק‬Tzedek)

We Pursue Justice

Empathy • Empatía • Empathie • ‫( חסד‬Chesed)

We Approach our Clients with Empathy

Partnership • Compañerismo • Coopération • ‫( חברותא‬Chevruta)

We Believe in Changing the World through Partnership

Courage • Coraje • Courage • ‫( אומץ‬Ometz)

We Act with Courage to Build a Better World

Resilience • Resiliencia • Résilience • ‫( רוח‬Ruach)

We Adapt and Thrive, Continuously Demonstrating our Resilience

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Photos: Glenna Gordon; Michael Datikash

Our Impact

Around the world, HIAS makes tangible changes in the lives of refugees and other forcibly
displaced people, advancing their legal, social, and economic rights. Our experience and
technical expertise, as well as our integration of international best practices, allows for our
work to have real and sustained impact. We partner with government agencies and other
humanitarian organizations to reach the greatest number of those in need. The core areas
where we work include:

1. Legal Protection
2. Gender-Based Violence Response and Risk Reduction
3. Community-based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
4. Economic Inclusion

Legal Protection
Refugees and other people forcibly displaced from home are fleeing persecution and
violence. They need to be able to safely cross borders into countries where their lives are
not at risk. Once over the border, they need information and legal representation to secure
legal status and access their rights. Without that status, refugees are forced to live on the
margins of society, sometimes for generations, without access to healthcare, education,
dignified work, or safe shelter. HIAS begins by educating refugees about their rights, then
secures protection by engaging in advocacy, legal representation, and strategic litigation,
and working with government authorities.

Gender-Based Violence Response and Risk Reduction

Compounded by rampant gender inequality, forced migration and displacement quickly
erode the limited protections women, girls, and LGBTQ populations have, even in times of
stability. HIAS is driven by their voices and needs, working to empower them and engage
the whole community to reduce the risk of gender-based violence. We raise awareness so
survivors know where and how to get help after experiencing violence. We train advocates
and support existing services so that no survivor—regardless of age, sexual orientation, or

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gender identity—suffers alone. We help communities begin the kind of transformative work
that leads to longer-term change. We stay connected to and raise our collective voice
alongside those of displaced women, girls, and LGBTQ populations globally.

Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

Violence, conflict, and displacement disrupt relationships and daily life, break down existing
support systems, and have a devastating impact on mental health, overall wellbeing, and
recovery. A supportive environment is essential to healing and recovery for refugees and other
people forcibly displaced from their homes. One of the best ways to build a supportive
environment is to strengthen existing relationships, networks, and practices which promote
mental health and well-being and allow communities to cope and heal. We facilitate community
support groups and psychological support from both lay and professional providers and ensure
access to services for more intensive mental health support. Crucially, we sustain our efforts by
building the psychosocial competence of HIAS personnel and stakeholders to respond to the acute
distress of forcibly displaced persons.

Economic Inclusion
When refugees and forcibly displaced people arrive in countries of asylum, they often need
to adapt their skills to earn sustainable and safe livelihoods. HIAS supports refugees on their
road to self-reliance, helping them to find programs focused on poverty eradication,
employment, entrepreneurship, and financial services. We advocate for the rights of both
refugees and local host communities to access dignified, sustainable, and safe work,
alongside economic development.

Emergency Response
In 2021, with the support of a transformational grant from MacKenzie Scott, HIAS embarked
on an exciting new initiative to strengthen our global capacity to respond quickly to new
humanitarian emergencies. HIAS’ Emergency Department will work closely with country
offices to create emergency preparedness plans and provide guidance to adapt core
programs to emergency contexts. HIAS will also train a cadre of staff with specialized skills
able to deploy quickly during emergencies for assessments, response activities, donor
engagement, external communication, and advocacy. Through this multiyear initiative, HIAS
will build the skills, systems, and organizational culture needed for effective coordination
and response to emergencies.

Accountability to Affected Populations

HIAS’ Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) Framework ensures the inclusion of
refugees, other forcibly displaced people, and vulnerable host communities throughout the
program cycle. Informed by the Core Humanitarian Standards and the principle of “Do No
Harm,” the framework pillars are: communication and transparency; feedback and response;
participation and inclusion; and learning and adaptation.

HIAS ensures that program design is based on evidence from needs assessments, including
the annual UNHCR participatory needs assessment, and consultation with affected

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communities. HIAS shares information about its accountability commitments and available
services in all country offices. HIAS proactively invites affected people to provide feedback on
planned and ongoing activities through context-appropriate, accessible channels, ensuring
that all affected people can voice feedback, recommendations, and concerns safely and
equitably. HIAS uses feedback received to adapt ongoing programs and shape the design and
implementation of future programming.

Governance, Structure, and Policies

Globally, HIAS employs more than 1,300 staff in 16 countries, with headquarters in Silver
Spring, Maryland (U.S.).

HIAS‘ Board of Directors is made up of 22 members, including 10 women. It meets at least

four times a year. The Board has three officers and operates with six active committees that
meet regularly. Board members bring a wide range of professional and business experience to
their service, including law, finance, education, and non-profit and refugee advocacy
leadership.

HIAS staff are subject to a robust Code of Conduct and set of internal policies, including PSEA,
Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment, Conflict of Interest, Privacy, Whistleblowing,
Security and Emergency Preparedness, Information Security, Data Breach, Finance and
Accounting, as well as others relating to procurement, travel, and reimbursements.

HIAS Israel law fellows in training, August 2020. Photo: HIAS Israel

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Context for Refugees and Vulnerable Migrants in Israel
There are approximately 30,000 asylum seekers in Israel,
the majority having fled genocide in Sudan and forced
military conscription in Eritrea, entering Israel after a
perilous journey through the Sinai desert, where many
experienced torture and sexual violence at the hands of
smugglers. In 2013, Israel completed construction of a
secure fence along the border with Egypt, virtually ending
the influx of migrants. The vast majority of asylum seekers
in Israel live in legal limbo waiting for their claims to be
processed, which limits their access to protection and
makes it difficult to lead a stable life. The Israeli
government continues to struggle to implement an
appropriate response, instead focusing primarily on pressure to leave and deterrence. As a
result, it has been nearly impossible for applicants to gain asylum, with Israel’s approval rate less
than 1%. This is especially the case for asylum seekers with no legal representation. Although
some refugees have been in the country for several years and speak Hebrew fluently, few
prospects for local integration, immigration status, and access to basic rights exist. The COVID-
19 crisis hit the asylum seeker community particularly hard, with over 70% losing their jobs.

HIAS Programs in Israel

HIAS officially registered in Israel in 1950, but operated in the region even earlier, assisting
Jews that were seeking safety from their home countries. For several decades, the office
assisted newly arrived immigrants to integrate in Israel, helping them with education, jobs,
housing, and financial support. HIAS Israel also assisted with the immigration of Jews from
Ethiopia to Israel in the 1980s and 1990s. To this day—and for the last three decades—HIAS
Israel has been awarding scholarships to student immigrants. In 2001, HIAS Israel taught the
first class of refugee law in Israel, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and in 2003 co-
founded the first Refugee Law Clinic at Tel Aviv University. Today, HIAS Israel provides
critical legal protection to asylum seekers, both through direct representation by HIAS
Israel’s lawyers, as well as by pro bono attorneys and law students volunteering with the
program. In addition to representation, the program provides legal counseling and
information about rights, status, and access to services. HIAS realizes people carry a
diversity of experiences and intersecting identities requiring unique support and solutions.
As such, HIAS takes a holistic approach to its interventions and offers integrated
programming in GBV prevention and response, community-based mental health and
psychosocial support, economic inclusion, and legal protection.

HIAS Israel focuses on vulnerable clients, including survivors of torture and trafficking,
LGBTQ asylum seekers, survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), single-parent households,
and individuals suffering from serious medical conditions. When asylum seekers fled
kidnapping and torture by smugglers in the Sinai prior to Israel’s 2013 completion of the
border fence, HIAS Israel was central to providing protection and support upon their arrival
in Israel. HIAS Israel’s persistent advocacy and coalition building spurred a new movement

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within Israeli civil society to push for more humane and fair treatment for asylum seekers
and led to the emergence of a trailblazing pro bono legal network to support their cases.
HIAS Israel continues to build on its legacy to advance more holistic protection and
empowerment of asylum seekers most in need.

To respond to heightened needs during the pandemic, HIAS Israel modified its services and
provided support remotely when necessary. HIAS Israel developed innovative solutions to
support clients throughout the pandemic including cash assistance, providing paralegal
support through social media, and training volunteers to help asylum seekers apply for
unemployment benefits online.

In 2014, HIAS Israel created and now maintains a network of pro bono lawyers and students
that can provide legal aid to asylum seekers and refugees. HIAS Israel has built the capacity
of more than 200 attorneys to assist over 1,300 clients in 2019-2021, increasing the pro
bono assistance available to asylum seekers in Israel by over 600%. HIAS Israel also served
over 2,000 asylum seekers in those years through legal counseling, information sessions,
and paralegal support. HIAS maintains a success rate of over 90% in legal cases, secured
residency permits for at least 90 individuals over the last three years, and successfully
initiated strategic litigation that challenged policy and had a broader impact on the refugee
community in Israel. HIAS is the only NGO in Israel that offers pro bono legal representation
to asylum seekers regarding family law issues.

Demonstrators, including HIAS Israel staff, in Tel Aviv protesting the deportations of African asylum seekers in
March, 2018. Photo: HIAS Israel

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HIAS Israel’s referral sources have broadened in the past three years as more organizations
and individuals become aware of the program. HIAS Israel receives many referrals for legal
aid from shelters for victims of domestic violence, and there is a significant unmet need
among this population. HIAS Israel supports GBV survivors who have experienced intimate
partner abuse, human trafficking, and other forms of violence, as they seek protection from
further risk, as well as referrals for other supports needed for recovery. HIAS Israel also
assists LGBTQ asylum seekers who are often targeted by family and community members
and continue to face risk in their host country, while struggling to sustain themselves
without a work permit in Israel. Clients in this program come from all over the world,
including Sudan, Eritrea, Sri Lanka, Georgia, Venezuela, and the West Bank.

In addition to offering direct legal representation, HIAS Israel and its partners initiate
strategic litigation interventions to protect and advance refugee rights. These strategic
interventions have included petitioning for the rights of older asylum seekers, challenging
the deportation policy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, preventing the expulsion of
Ukrainian asylum seekers to European countries, advocating against the “Deposit Law”—
which requires asylum seekers to forfeit a significant portion of their wages unless and until
they permanently leave the country—and challenging a fast-track asylum procedure that
resulted in reopening many asylum claims that had been rejected.

HIAS Israel has also been actively responding to the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The team has advocated for fair entry and enhanced protection for Ukrainian women and
girls, provided individual legal assistance to prevent deportation and reunite families, and,
with local partners, assessed the immediate needs of newly arrived Ukrainians, including
relating to gender-based violence, housing, and livelihoods. HIAS Israel has coordinated
closely with government authorities, local service organizations, and the private sector to
meet urgent needs. As the humanitarian and displacement crisis continues to unfold in
Ukraine and the region, HIAS Israel will continue to provide Ukrainian refugees with the
immediate help they need to live safely during their displacement.

In partnership with HIAS Austria HIAS Israel provides resettlement support and processing
for those asylum seekers in Israel who have been referred to the U.S. Refugee Admissions
Program (USRAP).

HIAS Israel implements HIAS’ global Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)

Framework and staff are trained on AAP principles and standard operating procedures. HIAS
Israel shares information about its accountability commitments and available services in Tel
Aviv through written information and through standard operating processes for case
management with clients. New participants sign a power of attorney and a client’s
agreement both with HIAS and the volunteer working on their case. Volunteers sign an
agreement with HIAS and all cases are updated in HIAS Israel’s Case Management system.
HIAS Israel also uses feedback and response mechanisms that are accessible and context
appropriate. Clients take part in decision-making on the legal strategy for their own cases.
HIAS Israel invites community leaders in Tel Aviv to serve as contact points during activity
implementation, creating a link to the community and ensuring that all affected people can
access services.

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Looking ahead at programs, HIAS Israel is poised to expand its impact in the coming years with
integrated GBV and economic inclusion programming. Clients who are trafficking victims or GBV
survivors who have fled from abusive relationships and lack status in Israel are in a precarious
situation, often finding themselves without shelter, struggling to sustain themselves, or
resorting to survival sex. HIAS Israel would like to address gaps in GBV response with a
dedicated protection caseworker to offer comprehensive support to clients most at risk. HIAS
Israel also plans to develop additional capacity to better serve Palestinian clients seeking
protection in Israel.

HIAS Israel's deputy director, Nimrod Avigal, assists a Sudanese asylum seeker to request temporary residency status
in January, 2022. Photo: HIAS Israel

HIAS Israel also hopes to integrate economic inclusion programs to better support vulnerable
asylum seekers. HIAS has already done significant work to assist at-risk refugees, including
helping women secure child support payments through the family law program and bringing
strategic litigation on the right to work. In addition to these legal tools, HIAS Israel would like to
offer additional support to clients to secure and maintain stable and dignified sources of
income. HIAS Israel is currently exploring joint programming with local grassroots partners and
will conduct a labor market assessment in 2022 to identify gaps and opportunities. One
potential intervention that is strongly tied to both legal protection and economic inclusion is

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labor mobility. HIAS Israel would like to develop a labor mobility pilot program in the next two
years and eventually scale up to support a range of populations, including asylum seeker
youth. In collaboration with the headquarters-based emergency team, HIAS Israel will also
continue to prepare for new emergencies.

Coordination: Partners and Peer Networks

HIAS Israel will maintain and strengthen close working relationships with relevant local,
national, and international stakeholders to advance protection for refugees and asylum
seekers. Currently, HIAS Israel is part of a network of refugee-serving NGOs in Israel and
participates in smaller working groups within this network. HIAS Israel works closely with
UNHCR on issues related to protection and policy. HIAS Israel is also a member of the Israel
Bar Committee dealing with immigration issues, as well as the Platform for International
Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants in Europe. HIAS Israel is part of a coalition of
feminist organizations and will strengthen collaboration with grassroots feminist groups and
community-based refugee organizations. HIAS Israel would also like to explore building and
fostering new relationships with feminist organizations assisting Palestinian women in Israel
and the West Bank, while recognizing the political complexities. Going forward, HIAS Israel will
also invest further in partnerships with international organizations including IRAP and PILnet.

Graph 1: Populations Served in 2021

Sudan Eritrea Ethiopia Other (Palestine, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, etc)

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Operational Support for Programs
As HIAS’ programs expand to meet new global needs, HIAS remains committed to delivering
the highest quality of services to those it seeks to support and empower. To enable country
teams to succeed and thrive, HIAS will invest new operational resources in our programs,
processes, and people.

The HIAS Israel team is comprised of 13 staff located in Tel Aviv. HIAS Israel’s Country Director,
Deputy Director, and project coordinators make up the leadership team. Each HIAS Israel staff
member abides by HIAS’ Code of Conduct and other HIAS policies and procedures in line with
global best practices. All staff members have completed trainings on Protection from Sexual
Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). These trainings are updated and repeated regularly to ensure
both prevention and response to any reported incidents of SEA. HIAS applies a gender lens
when analyzing, planning, and making decisions across all its operations, in order to ensure
the safety, security, and wellbeing of the entire organization’s staff.

HIAS Israel law fellows in training, August 2020. Photo: HIAS Israel

HIAS invests in the skills and capacity of staff worldwide, supporting a wide range of local,
national, regional, and international trainings for staff. Going forward, HIAS will ensure that
all international staff have diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) training. HIAS Israel
will request additional training resources in line with emerging programming and operational
needs, including language skills and management courses and support with teambuilding.

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To support the wellbeing of staff, HIAS has a global contract with the Konterra Group, which
provides support both for work-related and personal issues. HIAS Israel staff participate
monthly in group sessions with a psychologist to prevent burnout and vicarious trauma and
to give staff tools for enhancing their wellbeing. The goal of these efforts is to enhance
program outcomes as well as improve staff satisfaction, retention, and wellbeing across the
country team.

HIAS is committed to developing an effective, sustainable safety and security risk

management system that is in line with its values and mission. In the next two years, HIAS
Israel will continue to participate in security trainings and workshops with support from
headquarters. HIAS Israel has hired security guards for activities. HIAS Israel has access to
bomb shelters and there are contingency plans in place should escalating violence occur.
The HIAS Israel’s team is currently split between several offices on three floors in the office
building and would like to identify a larger office space that would allow its legal teams to
be in one location (the USRAP office would need to remain in a separate space).

Globally, HIAS is rolling out a Digital Transformation Strategy to ensure that participants’
personal information is digitally secured and protected. The strategy will also create one
universal source of information and collaboration; ensure all organizational knowledge is
standardized, digitized, organized, and discoverable; ensure data around inputs, outcomes,
and impact is readily accessible; help employees collaborate on gathering and building
resources on this information platform; and easily share and leverage data from partners
and affiliates. HIAS will be providing annual refresher training to all country offices on IT
tools and procedures. To improve internet speed, HIAS Israel hopes to transition to fiber-
optic communication in 2022.

With support from headquarters, HIAS Israel will also continue to review and strengthen as
needed procedures and tools related to data and reporting as well as finance and
compliance, in line with donor requirements and international standards. HIAS Israel will
work with headquarters to establish an Enterprise Resource Planning - (ERP) system. The
ERP system will improve alignment of operations, finance, programs, and human resources,
allowing for more efficient and cost-effective country operations.

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 Graph 2: People Reached by Program Area in 2021

Food

Legal Protection

0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600

Legal Protection Food

Donor and Development Strategy

HIAS is committed to growing and diversifying its donor base in each country of operation.
With support from headquarters HIAS Israel is developing a resource mobilization strategy
to sustain, increase, and diversify funding sources, building on its longstanding reputation
for comprehensive and flexible programming in a challenging operating environment. HIAS
Israel gratefully acknowledges support from UNHCR and longstanding partnerships with the
Rukin and Shapiro foundations. HIAS Israel will map and identify new private sector,
philanthropic, and government donors to advance new partnerships and programs in the
coming years. HIAS Israel will present new programming ideas such as integrated GBV and
women’s empowerment and economic inclusion programs to current and prospective
donors, including private sector partners. HIAS Israel will also look to European funders and
others to continue to build its core legal aid program.

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Attorney Rachel Friedman, HIAS Israel’s family law program coordinator, and a client of the family law program in
2020. Photo: HIAS Israel

Communications, Policy, and Advocacy

HIAS Israel’s advocacy efforts for over a decade have focused on the need for a fair asylum
system in Israel. This includes advocating for a higher rate of refugee recognition and for
policies that reflect Israel’s obligations to protect refugees rather than pressure them to
leave the country. HIAS Israel will continue to advocate for asylum seekers’ access to rights
and services, and greater protection and support for the vulnerable groups among the
asylum seeker population. HIAS Israel will also continue to advocate for expanding state-
funded legal aid for asylum seekers. HIAS Israel is also strengthening advocacy around the
inclusion of a gender sensitive lens among different state authorities and decision makers
who assess claims brought by asylum seeking and stateless women who are GBV survivors
or at risk of GBV.

To maximize impact, HIAS Israel coordinates advocacy strategy and messaging through the
NGO refugee working group. This collaboration is particularly strong during times of crisis
like the COVID-19 pandemic, or in response to new government policies such as
deportations or newly introduced economic measures. HIAS Israel’s legal team is a part of a
forum of lawyers in Israel who represent asylum seekers and often coordinate strategies
and share information. HIAS Israel plans to strengthen ties with organizations like the
European Council on Refugees and Exile and PILnet.

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HIAS Israel communicates regularly with key stakeholders, particularly refugees and asylum
seekers, the legal community, and the general public in Israel to provide critical information
and updates, as well as generate support for the mission. Public criticism of the Israeli
government is often channeled through Israeli media outlets, although in some instances
HIAS Israel will turn to international or U.S. media. With support from headquarters, HIAS
Israel holds public events and webinars with U.S.-based organizations which also advocate
for similar issues concerning asylum seekers in Israel.

HIAS Israel would like to increase its social media visibility, including Facebook updates and
blog posts which could be shared with donors and supporters. HIAS Israel’s informational
videos include Arabic and Tigrinya translation. Going forward, HIAS Israel would welcome
additional in-country support to advance communication and advocacy objectives.
Regionally, HIAS will work to ensure that people traveling across Africa and Eurasia are
aware of HIAS services and locations and other available resources across different
countries through digital and other information tools.

Cover Photo: HIAS Israel

©2022 HIAS

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