B'Tselem (, ; ; ), also known as the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, is a Jerusalem-based Israeli nonprofit organization aiming to document human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, combat any denial of the existence of such violations, and help create a human rights culture in Israel. It is headed by Yuli Novak, who took over in June 2023 from Hagai El-Ad. B'Tselem also maintains a presence in Washington, D.C., where it is known as B'Tselem USA. The organization is controversial within Israel, with reactions ranging from harsh criticism to strong praise.
Overview B'Tselem was established in February 1989 by a group of Israeli lawyers, doctors and academics with the support of a lobby of ten members of Knesset. Its objective was to document human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories (the Gaza Strip and the West Bank), while committing to the security and humanistic character of the State of Israel.Talmor, Ronny (July 1990). The Use of Firearms by the Security Forces in the Occupied Territories. Translated by Ralph Mandel. B'Tselem. . Back cover. Between December 1987 and December 1988, Israeli forces had killed 311 Palestinians, of whom 53 were under the age of 17. The killings occurred during a wave of Palestinian protest and rebellion in which 12 Israelis were also killed. The rebellion is referred to as the First Intifada.
B'Tselem's funding comes from private individuals (both Israeli and foreign) and European and North American foundations focusing on human rights.
In 2014, B'Tselem stopped sending the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) complaints it received from Palestinians in Gaza about alleged IDF war crimes there. In 2016, B'Tselem also stopped sending the IDF complaints of alleged IDF war crimes in the West Bank because it alleged the IDF was whitewashing the complaints.
In 2016, B'Tselem executive director Hagai El-Ad asked the UN to take action against Israel's settlements, which he said were compromising a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
In a report published 12 January 2021, B'Tselem called Israel an "apartheid regime" devoted to Jewish supremacy and said the nation was no longer a democracy. This follows a similar report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia released in 2017 that concluded that Israel is "guilty of the crime of apartheid".
History Several years before B'Tselem was founded, David Zucker, Knesset member for the Ratz party, began publishing information pages about several topics, including Israeli involvement in the territories. In late 1988, Zucker flew to the United States and there he met the head of the Human Rights First organization, Michael Posner, who offered him to form an "arranged organization" and Zucker began forming one using the $25,000 he was given in the U.S.
B'Tselem was founded on 3 February 1989. The name comes from Genesis , which states that all mankind was created "b'tselem elohim" (in the image of God), which the organization says is in line with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights that all humans are equal in dignity and so deserve the same fundamental rights. In December 1989, B'Tselem shared the Carter-Menil Human Rights Prize with the Palestinian group Al-Haq.
Some of the key founders were:
Daphna Golan-Agnon, academic and founding director of the feminist peace group Bat Shalom David Zucker, Knesset member for the Ratz party, one of the founders of the Peace Now movement Haim Oron, Knesset member for the Mapam party, one of the founders of the Peace Now movement Zehava Gal-On, Ratz party activist and future Knesset member for the Meretz party formed through the merger of Ratz and Mapam Avigdor Feldman, civil liberties lawyer Edy Kaufman, civil liberties activist.
In 2015 The Washington Post reporter Glenn Kessler described the link between human rights groups and "political entities" in Israel as "at times... very blurry." He noted that after serving as director of B'Tselem, Zehava Gal-on directed the Meretz Party.
Work B'Tselem states that it is devoted to "documenting human rights violations that come under Israel's purview as the occupying power". Between 1989 and 2020 B'Tselem has published 185 reports and position papers which can be accessed through their website. They currently produce 3–4 reports a year.
Israel's land policies in Area C In 2013, B'Tselem released a report called Acting the Landlord: Israeli Policy in Area C, the West Bank. It stated that Area C, comprising about 60% of the West Bank, is under full Israeli control, and stated: Israel strictly limits Palestinian settlement, construction and development in Area C, while ignoring the needs of the Palestinian population. Palestinian residents are ... denied any legal avenue to build homes or develop their communities, so they face the constant fear that their homes might be demolished, and that they be expelled and lose their livelihood.
B'Tselem also stated that some parts of Area A and B only have available land in Area C for construction, which Israel forbids almost completely. Therefore, "Israel’s policy in Area C has ramifications for residents throughout the West Bank. The boundaries outlined for Areas A and B impose an artificial scarcity of land for some of the communities in these areas." B'Tselem accused Israel of violating international humanitarian law and international human rights law by its actions.
View of Israel as an apartheid state
In January 2021, B'Tselem released a report characterizing Israel as an "apartheid" regime, a term the organization had hitherto only used in specific contexts, and which the Israeli government vehemently rejects. B'Tselem director Hagai El-Ad said of the report: "One of the key points in our analysis is that this is a single geopolitical area ruled by one government. This is not democracy plus occupation. This is apartheid between the river and the sea."
Gaza war (2023–present) Vivian Silver, a former board member of B'Tselem, was killed in the Be'eri massacre during the October 7 attacks.
In August 2024, B'Tselem released a report entitled "Welcome to Hell," which drew upon the testimony of 55 Palestinian and Israeli Arab detainees. The report alleged that systematic abuse, neglect, torture and killings against Palestinian and Israeli Arab prisoners in Israeli custody had intensified since the beginning of the Gaza war. B'Tselem's report also claimed that prisoners were forced to live in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions. B'Tselem's International Advocacy Officer Sarit Michaeli asserted that these abuses were not the work of "rogue elements" but were endorsed by the Israeli government and prison system.
In October 2024, during Israel's siege of North Gaza, B'Tselem released a statement accusing Israel of ethnically cleansing North Gaza and urging the international community to stop the war. B'tselem stated that the "magnitude of the crimes Israel is currently committing [...] is impossible to describe" and reported dire conditions in North Gaza including starvation, bombings, and lack of medical care.
B'Tselem published a report in July 2025, assessing that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Staff and board B'Tselem's executive director is Yuli Novak, former chairwoman of Breaking the Silence (Shovrim Shtika). In 2011, the group staff had 38 employees, organized in research, data coordination, communications and administration departments. Field data research in the West Bank and Gaza Strip for B'Tselem was, until the Second Intifada, conducted by Israeli Arabs. Data analysis and dissemination was conducted at the Jerusalem office. Because of restriction on entry to these areas for Israeli citizens, the Israeli Arab field workers were replaced with similarly qualified Palestinian Arabs who transmit research data to the office via fax or phone, sometimes negotiating checkpoints to reach the Jerusalem office for debriefings. B'Tselem board members include Orly Noy, Thair Abu Rass, and Elias Khouri.Board members, B'Tselem. Notable former board members include: David Kretzmer, Anat Biletzki, Danny Rubinstein, Vivian Silver, and Oren Yiftachel.
Funding B'Tselem describes itself as an independent NGO, "funded by contributions from foundations in Europe and North America... and by private individuals in Israel and abroad", and by the governments of several EU countries and the European Commission.
According to B'Tselem's 2016 financial report, they had received NIS 9,549,286 in donations, of which NIS 4,665,144 was received from foreign governmental bodies.
According to the New Israel Fund's 2016 financial report, they transferred $414,433 US to B'Tselem over the course of the year.
B'Tselem's revenue for 2024 was NIS 11,302,609.
Reception Historian Mordechai Bar-On wrote that B'Tselem's reports "frequently included ugly accounts of the behavior of Israeli security officials" and that Israelis "were often disturbed by these reports." At the same time, the Israeli media viewed the organization as "a reliable source of information" and their reports were in most cases proven to be accurate. Israeli military authorities also frequently turned to B'tselem to confirm the IDF's own information.'In one case the IDF chief of staff publicly challenged the numbers B'Tselem reported on Palestinian casualties, and subsequently apologized when he learned that his figures were wrong and B'tselem's report was correct. In later years the military authorities often asked B'tselem to confirm their own information.' Mordechai Bar-On, In Pursuit of Peace: A History of the Israeli Peace Movement, US Institute of Peace Press 1996 p.401 n.119 It has also been called the best neutral source for incidents in the Palestinian territories. 'Information on Israeli human rights violations is highly politicized. B'tselem, the Israeli Information center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories is perhaps the best neutral source.' Jack Donnelly, 'International human rights: unintended consequences of the war on terrorism,' in Margaret Crahan, John Goering, Thomas G. Weiss (eds.), The Wars on Terrorism and Iraq: Human Rights, Unilateralism and US Foreign Policy, Routledge, 2004. pp. 98-111, p. 110 n. 10
Critics of B'Tselem, including the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, and Caroline B. Glick, have challenged the accuracy of its reports, arguing that B'Tselem has at times classified Arab combatants and terrorists as civilian casualties.Amos Harel, מחקר: "בצלם" מפרסם מידע שגוי ומשמיט פרטים חיוניים, Haaretz, 26 October 2008. B'tselem has issued rebuttals to its critics.B'Tselem Official written response to the CAMERA Organisation, Fax & Press Release, 22 August 2007Jessica Montell, B’Tselem chief: "Caroline Glick a hack who parrots any drivel", +972 Magazine, 21 January 2011"Explanation of statistics on fatalities" from the B'Tselem website.
In 2011, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called for a parliamentary investigation of B'Tselem and other human rights organizations. In a speech to fellow members of his right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu ("Israel our home") party he said such groups "are clearly not concerned with human rights. They spread lies, they slander and incite against the state of Israel and against Israeli soldiers... Clearly these organizations are abetting terrorism and their only objective is to undermine Israel".