Israel Struggles to Fully Implement Victims' Rights Law Despite Government Efforts
The Israeli Center for Civic Empowerment (CECI) and Globes monitor government decision implementation, focusing on the gap between policy and practice. Their recent investigation highlights the ongoing challenges in enforcing the 2022 government decision aimed at improving rights and support for crime victims in Israel. Despite formal recognition of victims' rights, only 3.8% of crime victims whose cases ended in conviction filed civil claims for compensation, revealing significant barriers to accessing justice and support.
The 2022 decision, involving multiple ministries including Justice, Welfare, and Digital Government, sought to establish victim assistance units in the prosecution, integrate social and victimology advisors, improve multilingual information access, and enhance victims' participation in parole committees. It also aimed to strengthen civil procedures for compensation. However, monitoring of 40 operative clauses shows only 25% fully implemented, 30% partially, and nearly half not implemented at all.
Progress includes the establishment of interministerial teams, legislative amendments allowing victims of sexual and violent crimes to present their views orally in parole hearings, and the allocation of social worker positions in welfare departments. Digital initiatives to improve victim guidance online are underway, with plans to expand information and personalized support tools by 2026. Yet, key gaps remain: formal regulations for victim assistance units are pending, Arabic-speaking staff integration is incomplete, and dedicated centers for sexual and violent crime victims have not materialized despite calls for proposals.
Financial and administrative obstacles hinder full execution. Budgets allocated for trauma training and technological models remain underutilized. A unified government database on victims is absent, complicating service delivery and policy evaluation. The 2023 war further delayed public consultations and implementation steps. Civil legal support enhancements, critical for victims seeking compensation beyond criminal convictions, are still mostly in planning or review stages.
In 2024, a new Victims' Rights Commissioner was appointed to coordinate interministerial efforts and oversee implementation. While this may mark a turning point, success depends on the commissioner's authority to enforce transparency, timelines, and budget accountability. The report concludes that while the decision has initiated important systemic changes, the persistent gap between victims' legal rights and their practical realization continues to leave many victims unsupported and isolated within a complex legal system.
