Witness Protection Authority

The Israel Witness Protection Authority was established in 2008 in order to provide protection to threatened witnesses and their families and enable them to testify freely against criminals involved in organized crime, thereby dealing a significant blow to severe and organized crime in Israel.

Since the inception of the Authority, there has been a significant rise in the number of potential witnesses requesting admission into the program as a precondition for giving testimony.

Upon entering the program, the witness and his family members receive a unique security framework as well as assistance in all aspects of life, in order to enable them to completely disconnect from their former life of crime and prepare them for a new, normative life in a new location. The Witness Protection Program is uniquely tailored for each individual or family according to their different characteristics in order to provide them with the greatest possible chance of a normative life.

Once the witness has undergone a series of evaluations and is found to be suitable for the program, he is provided with professional training, taught a new language (when necessary), educated about budgeting, given emotional support (when necessary), and provided with medical care.

Eventually, after providing testimony, the witness and his family are relocated, either in Israel or abroad, and if so, under the auspices of a witness protection unit overseas.