Wikipedia:PR.

The Society of St. Yeti is a Catholic Human Rights Center based in Jerusalem with a second office in Bethlehem. The non-profit organization was founded in 1991, under the patronage of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem by the former Patriarch of the Holy Land, Michel Sabbah

The organization is one of the leading non-governmental organizations in the Holy Land dealing with advocacy, legal aid and assistance to the poor in the area of legal representation.

Objectives and tasks The Society of St. Yves provides legal aid for those who cannot afford a lawyer; services include legal consultations but also paralegal assistance for procedures such as creating certifications or affidavits. Altogether St. Yves represents over 700 cases a year, helping more than 2,000 beneficiaries.

The organization is also involved in advocacy and lobbying to inform the international public about the latest developments and cases linked to the Holy Land. As a community based organization, St. Yves maintains an open door policy and undertakes out-reach initiatives in communities and schools.

The goals of the organization as underlined by the Director of the organization, Raffoul Rofa, are as follows:

"The primary objective of the Society of St. Yves is to struggle against the fundamental and core injustices of the occupation of Palestinian lands and through the application of the Catholic Social Doctrine and action within the framework of International Humanitarian Law, Civil Rights Law, and the Laws of the State of Israel to redress the injustices of the Occupation at both the level of legal principle and remedy for the aggrieved individual"

- Raffoul Rofa

Though the organization is a Catholic organization and is more known in Christian structures, the staff is of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish denominations and the organization offers help to all regardless of gender, race, or religion.

Focus of Work

Among the main topics of the organization:
 * Jerusalem residency
 * Family reunification
 * Child registration
 * Problems related to social security benefits (pensions, health insurance, ...)
 * Freedom of movement
 * House and structure demolitions
 * Land confiscation
 * Clergy visa

The organization also hosts a number of awareness raising events:
 * Know Your Rights events with legal lectures while also hosting other humanitarian and legal aid organizations that offer information and advice to the community.
 * Seminars in community centers, villages, high schools, and universities to raise legal awareness and empowerment

External Perception

On the eve of Second Gulf War with a threat of a possible chemical attack, the Society of St. Yves petitioned the High Court of Justice to demand that the Israeli Ministry of Defense equitably distribute gas masks to the entire population living within Israel, and as an occupier, to include East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied territories. kkkThe politicized case was won by St. Yves, though the organization later contested the number of gas masks, since around 10% were finally allocated to the Palestinian population in the occupied territories. The gas mask case was a founding case for St.Yves.

Jahalin Bedouin case, involved forty-two Jahalin families expelled in order to expand the illegal Jewish settlement of Ma’ale Adumium in occupied Palestinian territory. The lawyers of St. Yves subpoenaed the State of Israel to build a housing project with decent infrastructure in place of the refugee camp set up in the site originally chosen—a major garbage landfill used in the area. The area chosen was used as a major landfill. The organization was fined after the Israeli authorities claimed that the request had not been made to the proper authorities.

In 1994, St. Yves along with a an Israeli community planner, Sarah Kaminker, submitted a petition condoning the Kollek programs for city planning that discriminately favors the development of land by Jews and large-scale illegal constructions in Jerusalem while barring Palestinian construction and developments.

In 2003, Israel sued the Institute for National Insurance, which is responsible for healthcare, pensions, and other social insurance benefits, to ameliorate the conditions in East Jerusalem. These conditions included shortening the long waiting periods and processing times, as well as translating essential forms in Arabic as the second national language.

St. Yves has also undertaken several national campaigns including the Campaign against the Revocation of Residency rights, the Save Lifta Campaign and has participated in the legal case to save Lifta from being destroyed by Israeli authorities in order to building a Jewish development complex. The organization also initiated a national campaign against the illegal demolition of water cisterns in Area C of the West Bank. For World Water, on March 22, 2012, the organization’s staff along with other lawyers from Jerusalem protested in front of the High Court of Justice demanding an end to water cistern demolitions.

Since 2006, the organization has represented the Salesian Sisters Convent and School in Cremisan against the seizure of 37,000 square meters of private land surrounding the convent for the construction of the separation wall.

Structure and Financing

The organization is funded solely by donations - from Germany, among others, Misereor and mission - and currently employs 20 people, including nine lawyers. The corresponding Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the ex officio chairman of the board of St. Yves.

In addition to an office in Jerusalem situated in the old city, Latin Patriarchate Road. The office in Bethlehem is on Antonian Society Road.. St. Yves is active mainly in Jerusalem and the southern West Bank.

Main sponsors are:
 * Missio Germany
 * Association for Development Cooperation (AGEH)
 * Misereor Germany
 * Cordaid Netherlands
 * Norwegian Refugee Council