The non-profit organizations that we represent include:
- HIAS Israel: An international Jewish organization operating as a non-profit to protect refugees forced to flee their homes, including those persecuted based on ethnicity, religion, or gender identity. The Israeli branch of HIAS assists immigrants and asylum seekers in Israel, providing support and counseling in various matters, with a focus on legal advice to protect their rights.
- ILAN: An association that provides comprehensive support for the integration of children and adults with disabilities, particularly those affected by polio, into society. Its goal is to enable individuals with physical disabilities to lead meaningful, quality lives, through rehabilitation programs that it runs in over 30 cities nationwide.
- The Aguda – The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel: An organization that works to promote the full rights, well-being, and security of the LGBTQ community in Israel.
- Heznek La’atid: An initiative that develops unique, innovative programs to promote education and empowerment, providing tools for social and economic leadership for marginalized populations.
- PHOTO IS:RAEL: An independent public-benefit non-profit organization, dedicated to the promotion of the art of photography in Israel and abroad.
- The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) Israel: A public association working to promote a fair and egalitarian Israeli society, advocating for policy change and supporting women’s rights.
- Eliya Association: A non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of children with visual impairments or visual disabilities, operating day centers throughout the country.
- Yesod Association: An organization that aims to lead and impart civic education by emphasizing universal democratic values, such as the rule of law, resistance to tyranny, and the preservation of human dignity. Yesod underscores the importance of the law in maintaining social order and individual rights.
- Kol V’Oz: An association that works to prevent sexual abuse in the Jewish world, and assists survivors of pedophilia.
- Yesh Hava Cazot (There’s a Farm Like This): A rehabilitation and rescue center for abandoned animals, with an educational space for promoting compassion for all living beings.
- Beit Kesler (Kesler House): A residence for people with physical and functional disabilities, established by ILAN.
- Association for Education and Excellence in English: An association creating bilingual (Hebrew/English) educational environments that are challenging, enjoyable and inspiring, in kindergartens in Tel Aviv.
- Yedidim: An organization that provides legal services to volunteers from abroad, working in Israeli kindergartens.
- National Council of Young Israel: An organization that promotes Jewish social activities for disadvantaged communities. This includes activities such as hosting an annual Bar/ Bat Mitzvah ceremony for the deaf and hard of hearing community, operating a youth club centered on Jewish culture in the development town of Pituach, emotional support for women who are refused a religious divorce (get), and more.
- Schar Mitzvah: A program operated by the Israel Bar Association aimed at making the legal system accessible to those who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Our office has provided legal assistance to needy residents in community centers in Beit Shemesh and the Shapira neighborhood in Tel Aviv for over 15 years.
- Friends of the University of Haifa: An organization that promotes fruitful partnerships between the business community, the public, and institutions of academic excellence, supporting the University of Haifa and the State of Israel as a whole.
- 15 Minutes Public Transportation Alliance: An association that aims to promote fast, accessible, high-quality public transportation as a viable alternative to private cars.
- Adam Teva V’Din: An association focused on sustainability, environmental protection, and promoting environmental and social change in Israel.
- Natal – the Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center: A non-political, non-profit organization specializing in aiding those suffering from trauma resulting from terrorism or war.
- IDF Widows & Orphans Organization: An organization established in 1991, operating under the Fallen Soldiers’ Families Law 5710-1950, to strengthen and empower widows and orphans of those who paid the highest price in the defense of the State of Israel.
- Hamaniot (Sunflowers): An association providing emotional and social support for orphaned children.
Pro Bono Work – Highlights
Updating and increasing the livelihood allowances of soldiers in the IDF
We take pride in the initiative and leadership of Amnon Lorch, a longstanding partner of the firm, in a socio-economic initiative aiming to update and increase the livelihood allowances of conscripted soldiers in the IDF. This battle, which included a petition to the High Court of Justice against the State, has spanned several years, culminating in a number of significant achievements – including the establishment of clear criteria by the State for determining livelihood allowances, and a budgetary increase of one billion NIS – which have resulted in a tangible improvement in the economic well-being of conscripted soldiers.
Advancing the rights of minors, the children of migrant workers born in Israel
Adv. Dr. David Tadmor, a managing partner in the firm, has been working since 2019 to advance the rights of minors who are children of migrant workers who came to Israel at the age of establishing a family and contributed to the State, but did not leave Israel when required. These children were born and have been educated in Israel, growing up as Israelis in every way. Israel is their only home, and they have no connection to the countries of origin of their parents. Following two government decisions in 2005 and 2009, these children were protected from deportation from Israel. However, in 2019, during the tenure of the transitional government, the Population and Immigration Authority unilaterally changed this policy, resulting in the potential deportation of these children along with their parents.
Since then, Dr. Tadmor and his team have been tirelessly advocating for the families of migrant workers and their minor children, on a pro bono basis. The thousands of hours of work carried out by lawyers and specialists in the firm have included appearances on behalf of this vulnerable sector of society, before the Population and Immigration Authority, the Ombudsman’s Office, the Administrative Court, the Supreme Court, and the Ministry of Justice.
Significant, meaningful results have been achieved, including the establishment of a new policy emphasizing the principles of the best interests of the child as the central consideration, and much greater fairness in the procedures followed by the Population and Immigration Authority regarding the deportation of migrant workers who have children born in Israel and are educated here. The rights of minors who were previously subject to neglect have been safeguarded; the detention of children pending possible deportation, including holding them in custody, has been abolished; and the hearing rights of deportation candidates in general, and minors in particular, have been strengthened. In many cases, where it became clear that the relevant authorities had not considered the bests interest of these children at all in the decision-making process regarding the deportation of their parents – the migrant workers – the actual deportation of these children from the country was prevented.
Dr. Tadmor’s professional achievements and those of his team in advocating for human rights are a significant contribution to public-practical law in Israel and its development.
The unique case of Danielle Lev
In December 2021, Dr. Tadmor represented Danielle Lev, a 7-year-old girl born in Israel to a Thai mother and an Israeli father, in a pro bono case. Danielle’s had father passed away when she was just eight months old, and since then, the Population and Immigration Authority had been working towards deporting her mother, who had not completed the citizenship process before her husband’s death. This would have meant one of two things: an almost absolute severance of ties of the mother with the child, or the deportation of the child from Israel along with her mother.
The timing of the referral to Dr. Tadmor, just before the conclusion of the proceedings against the Population and Immigration Authority, the courts, and the Ministry of Justice, required the formulation of a last-minute policy to prevent the unreasonable outcome that was expected.
On December 2, 2021, the day after the referral, and with the family’s consent, Dr. Tadmor filed an application for his appointment as Danielle’s guardian ad litem – an unprecedented step at that time. The basis of the request argued that the severe harm to Danielle (apart from the harm to her mother) due to the expected deportation of her mother had not been considered at all by the Authority, and in ignoring the best interests and rights of the child, the proceedings were being conducted on an improper legal basis.
As Danielle’s guardian ad litem, Dr. Tadmor could represent her and her interests adequately before the immigration authorities, the courts, and the Ministry of Justice, before her mother’s deportation. He was able to reach an agreement with Ministry of the Interior – led, at the time, by Minister Ayelet Shaked – and her office staff, that the mother would leave the country for 30 days, and upon her return, both she and Danielle would be granted permanent residency, which would be periodically renewed. As a result, Danielle is now entitled to grow up in Israel, in the care of her mother.
High Court of Justice case involving NGOs – ILAN, ALUT, and AKIM
Led by Amnon Lorch, our firm represented three non-profits that work for the welfare of the disabled community, including people with autism and various degrees of cognitive impairment. The case was based on the failure of the then Prime Minister – who also served as the Minister of Welfare, and the National Insurance Institute – to appoint members to the National Insurance Council, as mandated by law. As a result, funds that had been approved by all relevant professional levels for the non-profits were being withheld, pending final approval of the Council or one of its committees. Projects totaling over 15 million shekels were being delayed.
The firm submitted a petition demanding the immediate appointment of members to the National Insurance Council, and included documents demonstrating that delaying these projects was causing significant harm to the populations that relied on them. In some cases, irreversible damage was caused to disabled, cognitively impaired, and autistic children, their families, and their immediate environment.
High Court of Justice case – The Israeli Women’s Network (IWN)
The Israeli Women’s Network (IWN) is dedicated to promoting the status of women through public advocacy, legislative initiatives in the Knesset, educational activities, and research efforts. Led by Dr. Dudi Tadmor and Adv. Idan Arnon, the organization has petitioned for equality in the number of male and female judges in the Supreme Court, because the road to gender equality also passes through the Israeli judicial system, and systematically the list for the Supreme Court consists of a clear majority of men
