The Open Society Foundations in Israel and Palestine

The Open Society Foundations have been working in Israel and Palestine since 1999 with a focus on the rights of minorities in Israel, the rights of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza, and efforts toward reaching a peaceful solution to the conflict.

We work on the principle that all people living in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories have the right to safety and dignity. We have proudly supported efforts to improve the living conditions and rights of Palestinians, and to contain escalating violence between state and non-state actors on both sides.

In the Occupied Territories, we support an array of different civil society groups including:

• human rights organizations that document Israeli abuses and advocate for accountability 
• policy think tanks that address various aspects of the conflict
• university programs training future lawyers and social scientists and carrying out research
• partners focused on arts and culture, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, disinformation, and other issues affected by the conflict
  

Internationally, we have worked with partners to bolster this rights-based approach, whether in mainstream policy areas, or among specific constituencies in the West and in the Global South.

Over more than two decades working in the region, we have consistently condemned all attacks on civilians, including the abhorrent taking of hostages.

During times of direct military conflict, including the current fighting in Gaza, we advocate for maximum efforts to protect civilian populations under the laws of war, for the investigation and prosecution of atrocity crimes, and for the speediest possible end to hostilities.

All the groups we support are committed to nonviolence and adhere to the principle that human rights and safety should be enjoyed by Israelis and Palestinians alike, both currently and in whatever political solution eventually emerges in the region.