Rabbis for Human Rights

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Rabbis for Human Rights describes itself as "the rabbinic voice of conscience in Israel, giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights".^[1] Their membership includes Reform, Orthodox, Conservative and Reconstructionist rabbis and students. According to their web site, the organization includes "some ninety ordained rabbis".

The organization was founded in 1988. In December 2004, their executive director, Rabbi Arik Ascherman was among three defendants on trial in Jerusalem for standing in front of bulldozers in an effort to block the demolition of Palestinian homes. RFHR opposes the construction of Israel's Security Fence in any place where it entails the expropiation of Arab-owned land, the division of villages, or cutting farmers off from their fields. RFHR achieved a major victory in 2006 when it won a lawsuit to prevent the division by the fence of the village of Sheikh Sa'ad. (Israel Today, May 2006).

The organization has received the Niwano Peace Prize in 2006.