Page 21 - annual report 2023

Foster Parents S homrim worked in cooperation with Haaretz for the first
to Foreign time to produce this investigation: two journalists and their
Children Don’t editorial staff worked together from the very beginning of the
Understand Why project – from collecting data and testimonies and uncovering the
the Children documents to publishing the investigation in both media outlets.
are Taken This is an important and significant model of operation that
Away Without Shomrim intends to expand to include additional media outlets.
Warning The investigation exposed the modus operandi of Tel Aviv
Municipality’s Mesila unit, in cases of foreign children placed
Daniel Dolev (Shomrim) in foster families. The testimonies by the foster families
and Bar Peleg (Haaretz ) revealed that the authorities were brushing off the foster
parents’ concerns and rushing to get the children back with
their biological mothers even if nothing had changed regarding
the mothers’ ability to raise their children. Along the way, the
foster families claim, there were lies, dismissive attitudes, and
a lack of concern for the children’s welfare..

In 2023, Shomrim kept close Other stories
tabs and published follow-up published by Shomrim
articles on issues such as: in 2023 include:

• The misuse of the role of honorary • The growing number of Druze
consul. residents of the Golan Heights
who are applying for Israeli
• The mishandling of the opioid epidemic citizenship.
in Israel.
• The expansion of the powers
• The severe food insecurity suffered by of the rabbinical courts, in the
students in Israeli schools. judicial overhaul that no one is
talking about.
• The growing phenomenon of postmortem
insemination and the lack of regulation. • The assault on the independence
of the civil service.
• The number of Israelis who have been
officially recognized as missing. • Gender violence in Arab society
and the price of silence.
• Follow-up articles on ministers’ conflict-
of-interest declarations. • Over 100 data stories.

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