Non-profit

Just Vision

Website:

www.justvision.org/

Location:

WASHINGTON, DC

Tax ID:

20-4898729

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2017):

Revenue: $2,023,991
Expenses: $1,232,636
Assets: $2,198,097

Formation:

2003

Executive Director:

Suhad Babaa

Executive Director's compensation:

Gross Salary: $115,000

Total Disbursements: $120,838 14

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Just Vision is an educational non-profit focused on promoting a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, supporting an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank though it does not “advocate for any particular final status agreement.” 1 It mainly produces documentaries focused on the conflict, especially the role of women and children have played in protesting Israeli actions, and runs a Hebrew-language news site.

Some pro-Israel organizations have criticized people associated with Just Vision for associating with supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign to delegitimize Israel. 2

­History

Just Vision was founded in 2003 by documentary film producer and entrepreneur Ronit Avni with the goal of promoting peace and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians. To this end, Just Cause has produced five documentaries, runs a Hebrew-language news site called Local Talk, and runs various education campaigns. 3 4 5

Just Vision states that it does not advocate for a specific solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but rather works to promote dialogue and understanding.  According to the group, “We firmly believe that Palestinians and Israelis are here to stay, and that both deserve to live in freedom, dignity and equality for all in any future arrangement, but we do not advocate for any particular final status agreement.” Just Vision does, however, specifically call for an end to what they consider to be the Israeli occupation of and the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. 1

Activities

Just Vision’s largest output is in the form of documentaries dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The group’s first film, Encounter Point, was released in 2006 and follows two Israeli’s and two Palestinians who have been affected by the conflict and are attempting to solve it peacefully. 6 A Jerusalem Post review of the film credited the documentary for “resist[ing] painting an oversimplified picture of the conflict.” 7

The film Budrus was released in 2009 and follows the efforts of a Palestinian village and Israeli supporters to stop the village of Budrus from being destroyed in order to erect a separation wall. 8 Just Vision also released the story as an Arabic graphic novel. 9 My Neighborhood was released in 2012 and documents a movement of both Palestinians and Israelis protesting evictions in East Jerusalem. 10

Just Vision has courted controversy for featuring stories related to Palestinian nonviolent anti-Israel campaigns during the First Intifada, an irregular armed conflict between Palestinian militant groups and Israeli security forces. The Wanted 18 was released in 2014 documents the efforts of a Palestinian village to produce its own milk as a form of non-violent resistance during the First Intifada in 1987. 11Just Vision’s film Naila and the Uprising was released in 2017, documenting a non-violent women’s movement during the First Intifada. 12 Israeli government officials criticized the film for presenting “terrorists and supporters of terror [. . .] as cultural heroes.” 13

Just Vision co-publishes the Hebrew-language news site Local Talk with +972 Magazine. The site claims to be the home of activist journalism that opposes the Israeli occupation and supports “social justice.” 5

Funding

Just Vision receives most of its funding through grants and donations, with additional income from program service revenue stemming from documentaries. In 2018 the group had $1,105,584 in contributions and grants and $81,772 in program service revenue, with an additional $2,943 in investment income. As of 2018 the group has $1,486,491 in net assets. 14

Just Vision has taken six-figure contributions from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a major funder of anti-Israel and pro-Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions organizations. 15

Just Vision has also received contributions from other left-of-center groups, including the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Dorot Foundation. 15

Leadership

Just Vision was founded by Ronit Avni, who served as executive director from the group’s founding in 2003 to 2014. Before departing she directed or produced many of the organization’s films. She is not on the board of directors, but she was credited as a co-producer for the film Naila and the Uprising. She is currently the CEO and founder of Localized, which connects students in emerging markets to opportunities in advanced market economies via diaspora networks. 4

Suhad Babaa is the current executive director of Just Vision. She was the executive producer for Naila and the Uprising and previously worked on the marketing campaigns for Budras and My Neighborhood. 16

References

  1. “Just Vision FAQ.” JustVision.org. Accessed January 10, 2020. https://www.justvision.org/faq.
  2. Klein, Morton A., Elizabeth Berney, and Daniel Mandel. “J Street U Promotes Israel’s Enemies on Campus and Elsewhere.” Zionist Organization of America, 2018. https://zoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/J-Street-Full-Report-H.pdf.
  3. “What We Do.” JustVision.org. Accessed January 8, 2020. https://www.justvision.org/about.
  4. “Ronit Avit.” JustVision.org. Accessed January 8, 2020. https://www.justvision.org/team/ronit-avni.
  5. “About: Local Talk.” Mekomit.co.il. Accessed January 8, 2020. https://www.mekomit.co.il/about/.
  6. “Encounter Point.” JustVision.org. Accessed January 10, 2020. https://www.justvision.org/encounterpoint.
  7. Keller, Esti. “Film Offers Hopeful ‘Encounter’.” The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com, August 27, 2006. https://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Entertainment/Film-offers-hopeful-Encounter.
  8. “Budrus.” JustVision.org. Accessed January 10, 2020. https://www.justvision.org/budrus/about.
  9. “Budrus Graphic Novel.” JustVision.org. Accessed January 10, 2020. https://www.justvision.org/multimedia/graphic-novel.
  10. “My Neighborhood.” JustVision.org. Accessed January 10, 2020. https://www.justvision.org/myneighbourhood/about.
  11. “The Wanted 18: Story.” JustVision.org. Accessed January 10, 2020. https://www.justvision.org/wanted18/story.
  12. “Naila and the Uprising.” JustVision.org. Accessed January 10, 2020. https://www.justvision.org/nailaandtheuprising/about.
  13. Yaron, Oded. “Facebook Blocks Trailer of Film on Palestinian Women’s Role in the First Intifada.” haaretz.com, October 22, 2018. https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/.premium-facebook-blocks-trailer-of-film-on-palestinian-women-s-role-in-first-intifada-1.6573566.
  14. Just Vision, IRS (Form 990), 2018, Part VII 
  15. Data compiled by FoundationSearch.com subscription service, a project of Metasoft Systems, Inc., from forms filed with the IRS. Queries conducted February 7, 2020.
  16. “Suhad Babaa.” JustVision.org. Accessed January 10, 2020. https://www.justvision.org/team/suhad-babaa.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: May 1, 2007

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2017 Dec Form 990 $2,023,991 $1,232,636 $2,198,097 $129,771 N $1,859,197 $163,949 $845 $125,704 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,208,256 $874,992 $1,337,945 $60,974 N $1,201,355 $6,345 $556 $110,215
    2015 Dec Form 990 $1,107,381 $975,329 $1,030,265 $86,558 N $1,094,588 $12,234 $559 $109,724 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,263,533 $1,203,760 $860,585 $48,930 N $1,252,228 $10,795 $510 $135,920 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,426,174 $1,226,656 $805,297 $53,415 N $1,340,763 $85,002 $409 $101,020 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $1,356,830 $1,346,647 $589,986 $37,622 N $1,186,971 $169,347 $512 $101,000 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $1,354,676 $1,269,334 $557,191 $15,010 N $1,216,825 $137,699 $152 $91,800 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Just Vision

    1250 H Street NW Suite 300
    WASHINGTON, DC 20036-1458