Human Rights

The United Nations (UN) has developed a set of foundational international human rights laws and treaties that define the basic rights and freedoms every person should have. Collectively, the core framework is called the International Bill of Human Rights.   

1. The International Bill of Human Rights

The International Bill of Human Rights is the main collection of UN human rights instruments. It consists of three major documents: 

1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – 1948

• Adopted by the UN General Assembly after World War II. 

• It lists 30 fundamental human rights that every person is entitled to. 

• It is not legally binding, but it serves as the moral and legal foundation for many national laws and treaties. 

Examples of rights in the UDHR: 

• Right to life, liberty, and security 

• Freedom from slavery and torture 

• Freedom of speech and religion 

• Right to work and education 

• Right to equality before the law 

 

2. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) – 1966

This treaty makes many UDHR rights legally binding for countries that ratify it.  Key rights include: 

• Freedom of speech 

• Freedom of religion 

• Right to a fair trial 

• Right to vote and participate in government 

• Protection from arbitrary arrest 

• Right to life 

Countries that ratify it must report to the UN Human Rights Committee.   

3. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) – 1966

This covenant focuses on economic and social wellbeing.  Key rights include: 

• Right to work 

• Right to health 

• Right to education 

• Right to social security 

• Right to adequate housing 

• Right to an adequate standard of living 

Governments commit to progressively realizing these rights.   

2. Other Major UN Human Rights Treaties

Beyond the International Bill of Human Rights, the UN has created several additional conventions protecting specific groups or issues.  Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) – 1965  Prohibits racial discrimination.  Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) – 1979  Often called the international bill of rights for women.  Convention Against Torture (CAT) – 1984  Prohibits torture and cruel treatment.  Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – 1989  Protects children’s rights to education, protection, and development.  Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – 2006  Protects rights and equality for people with disabilities.   

3. What These Laws Are Generally Called

Collectively, these are referred to as: 

• International Human Rights Law 

• UN Human Rights Treaties 

• The International Bill of Human Rights (for the core three documents) 

 

4. Important Detail

Unlike national laws, UN human rights laws only apply to countries that ratify the treaties. Enforcement is mainly through international pressure, reporting systems, and monitoring bodies, not a global police force.    ✅ In short: The UN’s human rights framework is mainly called the International Bill of Human Rights, consisting of the UDHR, ICCPR, and ICESCR, along with several additional conventions protecting specific groups and rights.    If you’d like, I can also show you the 30 rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is the document most people refer to when they talk about “UN human rights.”  what is the Israeli law of basic rights  Israel does not have a single written constitution like many countries. Instead, it has a set of constitutional laws called Basic Laws. Some of these Basic Laws protect fundamental human rights and together function like Israel’s “Bill of Rights.”     Israel’s Basic Laws on Human Rights  The main laws protecting basic rights in Israel are: 

1. Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty (1992)

This is the central human rights law in Israel.  Its purpose is to protect human dignity and liberty and anchor Israel’s values as a Jewish and democratic state.   Key rights protected include: 

• Right to life and bodily integrity 

• Protection of human dignity 

• Personal liberty (freedom from arbitrary arrest or imprisonment) 

• Right to property 

• Right to privacy 

• Freedom to leave Israel 

• Right of Israeli citizens to enter Israel  

The law also states that government authorities must respect these rights, and rights can only be limited by laws that serve a proper purpose and are proportional.    

2. Basic Law: Freedom of Occupation (1994)

This law protects the right to: 

• Choose any profession or occupation 

• Work in any trade or job 

It prevents the government from unjustly restricting employment or business activities.    Other Rights in Israeli Law  Some rights are not written explicitly in Basic Laws but have been recognized by the Israeli Supreme Court, including: 

• Freedom of speech 

• Freedom of religion 

• Freedom of protest 

• Equality before the law 

These are derived from democratic principles and court rulings.     How Israeli Basic Rights Work 

• The Basic Laws act as Israel’s constitutional framework.  

• The Supreme Court can strike down laws that violate them. 

• They guide how government policies must respect human rights. 

  ✅ In simple terms: Israel’s equivalent of a constitutional bill of rights is mainly contained in two Basic Laws: 

1. Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty (1992) 

1. Basic Law: Freedom of Occupation (1994) 

Together they form the core of Israel’s constitutional protection of basic human rights.    If you want, I can also explain how Israel’s basic rights differ from the U.S. Bill of Rights or the UN human rights framework, which is actually a very interesting comparison.  yes  Here is a clear comparison between three major human rights frameworks: 

• UN Human Rights (International) 

• Israel’s Basic Laws 

• The U.S. Bill of Rights 

Each protects fundamental rights, but they work very differently.   

1. Structure of the Laws

System	Structure	Legal Status
United Nations	International treaties and declarations	Binding only if countries ratify them
Israel	Basic Laws that function as a constitution	Constitutional status within Israel
United States	Written Constitution with Bill of Rights	Highest law of the land

Key difference: 

• The U.S. has a single constitution. 

• Israel has no full constitution, only Basic Laws. 

• UN law applies internationally but depends on countries agreeing to it. 

 

2. Types of Rights Protected

United Nations  The UN protects a very broad range of rights, including:  Civil & political rights 

• Freedom of speech 

• Freedom of religion 

• Right to vote 

Economic & social rights 

• Right to work 

• Right to healthcare 

• Right to education 

• Right to housing 

These come mainly from: 

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights 

• ICCPR 

• ICESCR 

  Israel  Israel’s rights framework focuses mainly on individual liberty and dignity.  Core rights include: 

• Right to life and bodily integrity 

• Human dignity 

• Personal liberty 

• Property rights 

• Privacy 

• Freedom of occupation 

Some rights like free speech and equality exist mostly through Supreme Court interpretation rather than explicit law.    United States  The U.S. Bill of Rights focuses strongly on protecting citizens from government power.  Key rights include: 

• Freedom of speech 

• Freedom of religion 

• Freedom of press 

• Right to bear arms 

• Protection from unreasonable searches 

• Right to fair trial 

• Protection from cruel punishment 

Unlike the UN system, it does not include social rights like housing or healthcare.   

3. Enforcement Power

System	Enforcement
UN	Monitoring committees and international pressure
Israel	Israeli Supreme Court can invalidate laws
U.S.	Supreme Court can strike down laws

The UN has much weaker enforcement because it relies on cooperation from countries.   

4. Philosophical Differences

UN Model  Focuses on universal human dignity and global standards.  Rights include: 

• Economic equality 

• Social welfare 

• Development 

  Israeli Model  Balances democratic rights with the identity of Israel as a Jewish state.  Many rulings involve balancing: 

• Security concerns 

• Religious law 

• Democratic rights 

  American Model  Strong emphasis on: 

• Individual liberty 

• Limiting government power 

• Freedom of expression 

Social rights are largely left to policy rather than constitutional law.   

5. Age of the Systems

System	Start Date
U.S. Bill of Rights	1791
UN Human Rights Framework	1948
Israeli Basic Rights Laws	1992–1994

Israel’s constitutional rights system is much newer than the other two.    ✅ Simple summary 

• UN Human Rights: global standards for all people 

• U.S. Bill of Rights: protects individuals from government power 

• Israel’s Basic Laws: constitutional rights within Israel, focused on dignity and liberty 

  If you’re interested, I can also explain something very interesting: the big debate in Israel about whether to create a full written constitution and a full bill of rights. It’s one of the most important constitutional debates in Israeli politics today.