Ometz Movement

The Ometz Movement (Hebrew: תנועת אומ"ץ) is an Israeli non-profit association (amuta) established in May 2003 as an upgrade of the earlier Amiti association, which had ceased operating. According to its founding announcement, it was created in response to what its members saw as the cynical use of security and political issues for the private business interests of senior government officials and their associates, and the penetration of criminal elements into national and local political systems. It describes itself as apolitical, funded by donations and membership dues rather than state budgeting, with members working on a volunteer basis. The movement's stated goals are to act for proper administration, social and legal justice, against the mutual entanglement of capital and government, against corruption, and for equality of all before the law. It was headed by the journalist Aryeh Avneri until his death; since April 2016 it has been headed by Felice Feld. Its legal adviser is attorney Yitzhak Mina, who also chairs the public council attached to Ometz. Ometz is best known for filing petitions to the High Court of Justice (Bagatz) and complaints to official bodies. In 2024 alone it filed nine petitions to Bagatz, each costing between 7,000 and 10,000 shekels, which the movement notes weighs heavily on its budget, so it acts only in important and necessary cases. Its petitions have addressed issues such as the cancellation of the Israel Prize recommendation, the closure of the public broadcaster Channel 1, the state's obligation to transfer the New York residence registered in the name of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the state, and an open investigation against a senior police officer. It also files complaints with the Knesset Ethics Committee and other authorities. Beyond litigation, Ometz grants an annual "Ometz Award" (אות אומ"ץ) to figures it considers to have contributed to the state in line with its goals, including politicians, journalists, and anti-corruption activists. The movement also runs educational projects and participates in public protests, such as against draft evasion. It maintains a membership structure with dues and general assemblies.

The Ometz Movement was founded in May 2003 as an upgrade of the Amiti association, which had ceased operating. Its founding announcement stated that it was established because of what its members viewed as the cynical use of security and political issues for the private businesses of several senior government officials and their associates, and the penetration of criminal elements into the national and local political system. It is an apolitical association, sustained by donations and membership dues, without state funding, and its members act voluntarily. It was headed by the journalist Aryeh Avneri until his death. Since April 2016, Felice Feld has stood at its head. Over the years, Ometz has been active in filing petitions to the High Court of Justice (Bagatz) and complaints to official bodies. In the years 2004–2008, it also dealt with issues such as dangerous facilities containing hazardous materials and non-ionizing radiation risks from cellular phone systems and related standards for radiation measurement. Following a complaint by Ometz, the Knesset Ethics Committee reprimanded four senior Labor Party members — Shimon Peres, Dalia Itzik, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, and Haim Ramon — for receiving benefits. However, the committee canceled the reprimand of MK Itzik after her appeal, and the High Court effectively overturned the Ethics Committee's decision regarding Ramon and rejected Ometz's petition demanding that Ramon repay money and that a criminal investigation be opened against the four MKs (Bagatz 10339/05; February 15, 2006). Ometz also petitioned regarding Rabbi Yona Metzger. The Chief Rabbi of Israel temporarily suspended himself from the Great Rabbinical Court and the committee for selecting judges until the Attorney General decided whether to indict him in the affair of receiving benefits from a Jerusalem hotel. Following this announcement and the court's recommendation, Ometz withdrew its petition (Bagatz 4983/05) against Metzger's appointment. In February 2009, the High Court justices rejected the association's renewed petition to prevent Metzger from serving as a judge on the Great Rabbinical Court. On September 26, 2006, it again filed a petition (Bagatz 7802/06) against the Minister of Justice, demanding Metzger's dismissal. Following Ometz's approach to the Minister of Justice and the President of the Supreme Court to convene the committee for selecting judges, it was decided to convene the committee to discuss the continuation of Judge Hila Cohen's tenure. Following the degrees affair of MK Esterina Tartman, Ometz approached Attorney General Meni Mazuz demanding a criminal investigation; Mazuz rejected the demand, saying it was a matter for the public sphere rather than the criminal one. In July 2011, the movement filed a complaint with the Knesset Ethics Committee against MK Haim Katz for advancing a law benefiting the Equital-Isramco group, in which he personally held shares. After Katz promoted Amendment 44 to the Securities Law in the Labor, Welfare and Health Committee he chaired, the amendment provided that when a commercial company encounters difficulties, it must first repay its debt to bondholders. The law was conceived and promoted by Moti Ben-Ari, the finance director of the Equital group, who also attended the initial discussion of the bill in the Knesset on November 25, 2010. Katz did not tell the participants who this additional participant was and how he was connected to him, nor did he note that the bill, if passed, would have a great impact on Isramco of the Equital group, a company in which he himself held shares. The amendment would have benefited Isramco, which at the time managed an investment portfolio of about 350 million shekels, most of it — more than 200 million shekels — invested in bonds of Israeli companies. In May 2018, it was published that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit was considering prosecuting Katz, subject to a hearing, for bribery, receiving something fraudulently under aggravated circumstances, and fraud and breach of trust, following the promotion of Ben-Ari's bill. On August 14, 2019, Mandelblit announced his decision to file an indictment against Katz for fraud and breach of trust, after the bribery suspicion was dropped in the hearing. The Knesset committee, discussing his request for immunity, decided to grant it. In 2015, the association petitioned the High Court demanding an open investigation against the head of Yah"a, Deputy Commissioner Efraim Bracha, and his suspension, "due to alleged criminal offenses committed by Dep. Comm. Bracha, as revealed in detail on the News1 website by journalist Yoav Yitzhak." About a week later Bracha committed suicide, and afterward the Ministry of Justice praised Bracha's integrity and dedication to the rule of law. In January 2021, following a petition by the Ometz Movement, the state undertook to transfer the official residence in New York, registered in the name of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to the possession of the State of Israel. The apartment's value was roughly estimated at about 17 million dollars, property belonging to the State of Israel since its purchase 34 years earlier but still registered in the name of Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. The Ometz Movement also grants the annual Ometz Award to figures it considers to have contributed to the state in line with its goals. Recipients have included politicians Tzipi Livni and Avshalom Vilan, journalists Moshe Negbi, Ruti Sinai, and Ilana Dayan, the Council for the Welfare of the Child, retired Dep. Comm. Dr. Meir Gilboa, and architect Gila Hertz (2006); Yaron Zelekha (2007); journalist Raviv Drucker, radio broadcaster Natan Zahavi, MK Aryeh Eldad, radio reporter Carmela Menashe, and Professor Rachel Lev-Wiesel (2008); Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar, journalists Mickey Rosenthal, Keren Neubach, and Stella Korin-Lieber, and others (2009); former Attorney General Meni Mazuz, Dep. Comm. Shlomi Ayalon, attorney Susie Navot, and others (2010); Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon (2011).

• Ometz Movement founded as an upgrade of the Amiti association.

• High Court rejects Ometz petition (Bagatz 10339/05) against four Labor MKs.

• Ometz files petition (Bagatz 7802/06) against the Minister of Justice demanding Rabbi Metzger's dismissal.

• High Court rejects Ometz's renewed petition against Rabbi Metzger.

• Ometz files complaint with Knesset Ethics Committee against MK Haim Katz.

• Ometz petitions High Court demanding open investigation against Dep. Comm. Efraim Bracha.

• Felice Feld becomes head of the Ometz Movement.

• Following Ometz petition, state undertakes to transfer the New York residence registered to Netanyahu to the State of Israel.

• Ometz files nine petitions to the High Court of Justice.

Apolitical, volunteer-based Israeli civil society association focused on good governance, anti-corruption, and legal accountability.

1. 1תנועת אומ"ץ - דף הביתometz.org.il
2. 2Ometz Movement - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3תנועת אומ"ץ - Wikipedia (Hebrew)he.wikipedia.org