The past couple of days Israel is (again) debating the emotionally and politically burdened word “Apartheid”. After human rights organization B’tselem called Israel in a new position paper published recently, an Apartheid State, condemnations and angry denials were not long in coming. By coincidence (or not), B’tselem Director Hagai El-Ad, was scheduled to speak to high school students in Haifa, and the Education Minister, Gallant was quick in issuing an order to prevent the event from taking place. (Being a general, he is used to giving orders but has not yet understood that civilian society works different from the Army). In the end, the high school principal defied the order and El-Ad did lecture (together with at least one right-wing journalist to maintain balance).
What makes the word “Apartheid” so taboo in Israeli society, almost on a level with anti-Semitism?
The word originates from the “Afrikaans”, the language spoken in South Africa by part of the white population and is in fact a Dutch word (based on 17th century Dutch) and means “Separateness”. It is used to describe the political system in South Africa (until the early 1990’s) that ensured almost complete separation between the (ruling) white population and the black local people (who constituted the large majority of the population, and still does). Separation in every aspect of life, shops, restaurants, beaches, roads, schools, hospitals, everywhere, which resulted in separation in education, healthcare, employment opportunities etc. The world at large became slowly aware of this absurd situation during the sixties and the actions undertaken against the Apartheid regime in Pretoria became more and more intense, including economic and political boycotts, and in 1991, it was officially abolished, with the help of two courageous politicians, de Klerk, the then Prime Minister, and Nelson Mandela, a black leader who was imprisoned for many years and released by de Klerk in 1990 after 27 years in prison.
The political status of the Occupied Territories (occupied by Israel in June 1967), has often been compared to the Apartheid regime of South Africa and based on this comparison attempts has been made to impose on Israel the same boycotts that were forced upon South Africa, as a means to end the Israel occupation. These efforts have been only very partially successful, mainly because there are (still) some basic differences between the Apartheid Regime that existed in S. Africa and the situation in the occupied West Bank, and of course the continued support by Israel’s major ally, the United States, at the UN and elsewhere. But Israel is extremely anxious not to be called and Apartheid state, being wary of the economic consequences this may have, but even more so because it would portray the Jewish people as racist, which is inconceivable?
So, is Israel an Apartheid state? The answer to that question probably depends a lot on who you ask, but, since apartheid is pretty well defined, (even though there will be unending discussion about that as well) a simple analysis should shed light on this sensitive issue.
Israel (within its original borders) today is home to approximately 9.0 million people of which approximately 20% are Arabs. In the Occupied Territories, the situation is reversed, and there are 2.7 million Arabs living in the West Bank and about four hundred thousand Jews.
The Israeli Arab population, all have Israeli citizenship, entitling them to equality in comparison to the Jewish population. And while there are numerous problems, relating to a variety of issues, from economic opportunities, employment opportunities, social services, discrimination towards the Arab population from government bodies, in particular by the Police, the Interior Ministry and urban development corporations, no official discriminatory policy exists and at least attempts are made to prevent the discrimination of the Arab population, and Arab members of the Knesset are active in exposing such discrimination and thus attempting to end it. While there is still a long way for the Israeli Arab population to reach full equality with the Jewish population and the situation is worrisome sometimes, there is no Apartheid in Israel. Ultra-right Israeli politicians have not hidden their desire to work towards Apartheid, (even though none will use the word of course), but the political situation in Israel will (still) not allow for it to happen.
The situation in the Occupied Territories is fundamentally different. There are very clear rules regarding the behavior of Occupying forces and Israel is bound by these rules. But the problem is not the rules. Israel, and many Israelis, do not see the Occupied Territories as “Occupied”. “Judah and Samaria”, as it is officially called in Israel is “liberated” territory and has been the land of the Jews always. And the fact that a different people live there is only an inconvenience that will have to be dealt with at some point.
The result of this distorted worldview is the enactment of rules and limitations on the local population, in order to be able to control them, but which are in fact the basis for Apartheid. Roads where Arabs are not allowed to drive, villages that Arabs are not allowed to enter (let alone live), land that is being expropriated (in fact stolen), limitations on the movement of the local population, etc. etc. And many of these restrictions and rules are embedded in local ordinances, giving them legal strength, albeit Military legal strength. Israel is developing life in the Occupied Territories in such a way, that there will be complete separation between the locals and the occupiers. Israel intends to behave and does already behave, as if the local population does not exist and does not have to be taken into account. Even those who believe that Israel should proclaim sovereignty over the Occupied Territories, continue to talk about Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State, while not for a moment would they think or agree to grant citizenship or voting rights to the local Arab population.
Apartheid in the West Bank is a fact of life and no doubt with the success of “neutralizing” the Arab population in Judah and Samaria, the next target of the Jewish racists will be the Israeli Arab population.
So B’tselem, while exaggerating somewhat the current situation, no doubt has the foresight that, if we continue on the road taken, Israel will become an Apartheid state. The furor it caused will die down quickly enough but if it opened the eyes of some concerned Israelis, the exaggeration was justified. In any case, if B’tselem would have come out with a statement that only the behavior of Israel in the Occupied Territories is apartheid, it probably wouldn’t even have made the news.
I hope you found this article interesting and I welcome any comments you may have.
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