Israel – An Apartheid State ?

A few days ago, the Israeli NGO B'tzelem published a report on apartheid in areas under Israeli control. In clear and straightforward language, the well-founded document states: "The entire area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River is organised under a single principle: advancing and cementing the supremacy of one group - Jews - over another - Palestinians. [...] A regime that uses laws, practices and organised violence to cement the supremacy of one group over another is an apartheid regime. Further, B'tzelem explains, "Israeli apartheid [...] was not born in one day or of a single speech. It is a process that has gradually grown more institutionalised and explicit."

 

It could not be clearer.

 

Attempts to portray the reality in Israel/Palestine as apartheid have been around for some time. Often – under Israeli and Jewish lobby pressure – politicians rowed back after "careless" statements. For example, in 2014, US Secretary of State John Kerry, after commenting that Israel risks becoming an "apartheid state" if US-sponsored efforts to reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement fail, had to quickly declare "I do not believe, nor have I ever stated publicly or privately, that Israel is an apartheid state or intends to become one." In 2017, a document was removed from the UN's website that stated, "Israel has established an apartheid regime that dominates the Palestinian people as a whole."

 

These Israeli and Jewish lobby attempts, while successful, are frankly ridiculous, considering that as early as 1976, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin had already warned against sliding into an apartheid situation and that in 2010, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said "as long as in this territory west of the Jordan river there is only one political entity called Israel it is going to be either non-Jewish or non-democratic. [...] If this bloc of millions of Palestinians cannot vote, that will be an apartheid state."

 

Israelis as well as Diaspora Jews, who remember the anti-apartheid movement of the 1970s-80s find the idea of Israel being called an apartheid state difficult. International anti-apartheid efforts, at the time, led to the boycott and pariah status of South Africa and we do not want to end up as pariahs. And yet, even vehement opponents of the occupation and settlements in Israel, would much rather see Israeli society itself come to what they see as the "right" decision, than to be shamed by others. The end of Israeli occupation of the West Bank should not be brought on by foreigners. But the reality is that this is not happening - Israelis are not bringing about change.

 

Admitting to yourself that you are responsible for an apartheid system is not pleasant. B'tzelem even closes the loophole that made it easy for many to argue that apartheid exists in the Occupied Territories, but that Israel itself is a democratic country. Quite clearly, the report shows - what we have known all along - that the non-Jewish population of Israel, 17% of its citizenry, Palestinians living on land defined as Israeli territory in 1948, are Israeli citizens but "do not enjoy the same rights as Jewish citizens, either in law or in practice."

 

It is in front of this mirror that B'tzelem places us that every Israeli now stands. Most prefer to look the other way. Even non-Israelis who identify with Israel cannot escape this question. But when talking of responsibility, we need to confront the fact that the international community too bears a responsibility for this apartheid reality. Only because the world tolerated it, Israel was able to build its apartheid system for years with impunity.      

 

Let not accusations of “antisemitism” and fears of such accusations prevent an honest discussion of the reality in the areas between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean.