ABSTRACT
Th is article discusses the process underlying the enactment of the Rights of Crime Victims Law, 2001, in Israel. Since Israel gained its statehood in 1948, crime has never been considered a pressing social problem.* Neither
have crime victims, who were assumed to be looked aft er by their immediate and extended families or by members of the community. Only in serious cases, or when no family was available, would welfare and rehabilitation services provide help and cover costs on a one-time, discretionary basis.
