A “moment of moral clarity” in Israel
Early last week, in a short, incisive report, Israel’s largest and most respected human rights group, B’Tselem, declared the situation in Israel/Palestine as apartheid.
The landmark report entitled “A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid” lays bares the reality of life across the entire area of historic Palestine – all of which is occupied and/or controlled by Israel.
It’s the first time B’Tselem has used the “A” word saying..
“the terms we have used in recent years to describe the situation – such as “prolonged occupation” or a “one-state reality” – are no longeradequate…
In eight pages B’Tselem details the “four major methods the Israeli regime uses to advance Jewish supremacy” as: “Immigration – for Jews only”; “Taking over land for Jews while crowding Palestinians in enclaves”; “Restriction of Palestinians’ freedom of movement” and “Denial of Palestinians’ right to political representation” and concludes:
“These accumulated measures, their pervasiveness in legislation and political practice, and the public and judicial support they receive – all form the basis for our conclusion that the bar for labelling the Israeli regime as apartheid has been met”
and
“A regime that uses laws, practices and organized violence to cement the supremacy of one group over another is an apartheid regime…”
Apartheid didn’t happen overnight. The report explains…
“Israeli apartheid, which promotes the supremacy of Jews over Palestinians, was not born in one day or of a single speech. It is a process that has gradually grown more institutionalized and explicit, with mechanisms introduced over time in law and practice to promote Jewish supremacy”
Israel denies it is running an apartheid regime. It claims to be a democracy and the occupation of all historic Palestine is a temporary and necessary security measure, pending negotiations. However, the 50-year Israeli occupation, the on-going theft of Palestinian land (what a UN report refers to as “occu-annexation”), the sheer brutality of the Israel military against unarmed Palestinian protestors, the siege of Gaza and the abuse directed at United Nations and international law by Israeli leaders tells another story.
The report identifies two recent developments leading to the B’Tselem reassessment. Firstly, Israel’s Nation State basic law, enacted in 2018, which enshrines the Jewish people’s right to self-determination but specifically excludes the same rights for Palestinians. In other words, the 17% of Israeli citizens who are Palestinian Israelis are automatically second-class citizens in the land of their birth. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, in a self-declaration of an apartheid state, “Israel is not a state for all its citizens”.
Secondly last year’s Israeli proposals, endorsed by US President Donald Trump, to formerly annex vast areas of Palestinian land on which Israel has built some 280 settlements – illegal under international law – for more than 600,000 Jewish settlers.
In releasing the report Executive Director of B’Tselem, Hagai El-Ad, points out differences from South African apartheid:
“Unlike South African apartheid, the application of our version of it – apartheid 2.0, if you will – avoids certain kinds of ugliness. You won’t find “whites only” signs on benches. Here, “protecting the Jewish character” of a community – or of the state itself – is one of the thinly veiled euphemisms deployed to try to obscure the truth. Yet the essence is the same”
Labelling Israeli policies as apartheid is not new but coming from such a principled and high-profile organisation within Israel, it marks a significant change in the way New Zealand and the world should relate to the Middle East. There will be some who will automatically and predictably attempt to smear the report as anti-semitic but there is plenty here for New Zealanders and our government to reflect on.
Most importantly the report is positive and forward-looking:
“Calling things by their proper name – apartheid – is not a moment of despair: rather, it is a moment of moral clarity, a step on a long walk inspired by hope. See the reality for what it is, name it without flinching – and help bring about the realisation of a just future”.
Indeed.
Humans are the most acquisitive and vicious of all the species on this planet.
I don’t like apartheid
Speaking truth to power. The NZ government risks being on the wrong side of history with their continued acquiescence to current Israeli policies and practice. Lange stood up to French nuclear testing, Helen Clark stood up to Israeli passport theft – it’s time Jacinda et al stood up to Israeli apartheid.
Julie – there is a now a Minister of Foreign Affairs who has shown she is ready to fill the shoes of Lange, Clark and even Murray McCully at the UN. It is a pity Nanaia Mahuta is under the reins of Jacinda Ardern who so far has demonstrated that NZ Muslins are worthy of her affection but buy inertia, shows that Palestinians are undeserving of the country’s moral support.
Bishop Desmond Tutu was left in no doubt about Israel’s practice of apartheid when he visited the Occupied Territories in 1989.
Absolutely correct. Many of us have known for years that this is apartheid but we struggle to get our politicians to acknowledge this just as we did for the black people of South Africa.
Some thoughtful comments re B’tselem’s announcement:
From mondoweiss.net
Apartheid is too mild a concept
BY HATIM KANAANEH JANUARY 17, 2021
AND
The Jewish supremacist state
BY NORMAN G. FINKELSTEIN JANUARY 15, 2021
AND from informationclearhouse.info
Not ‘apartheid in the West Bank.’ Apartheid
By GIDEON LEVY January 17, 2021
” For just six months of its 73 years was Israel a democracy. Six months, and not one day more. This shocking fact, which most Israelis and the wider world repress and truth-seekers have no way of denying, must resound in every civics lesson and every debate in Israel.”
ps, from Lois, The phrase ‘apartheid’ makes one think of South Africa. But the Zionist agenda is much more brutal.
Awesome news John. Netanyahu is the same kind of idiot as Trump. In meeting no resistance to his siege on Palestinians he interpreted this as victory little realising that in the same way that Trump undid the USA in the international community he has undone Israel. Thankfully, it is now no longer possible to ignore the apartheid that is the state of Israel.
I’m inclined to go with Gabby on this issue. Most New Zealanders don’t know where Israel is and they have no idea of the conflict or what its like to be surrounded by countries who want you all dead.
Most New Zealanders would not have know where South Africa was if it weren’t for the boer war & rugby …
South Africa had designated areas to live, different rights,,,, and anti-miscegenation laws,, all features Israel has.
************************************************************
I Inform New Zealanders about ‘Miscegenation ,,, and the laws against it. Because laws against ‘mixing of the races’ do not sit well with New Zealanders,,,, and the overt racism behind such laws reveal the motivations and true feelings of those who have them.
The Christchurch white supremacist mass murderer is / was against this mixing and ‘weakening’ of the races ,,, and supported the ethno-nationalisim / apartheid state of Israel.
examples from history and the company Israel shares with its anti miscegenation laws are the Slave era Usa,,,,, Nazi Germany and South Africa.
I’m not sure how much the media used to cover up, censor and minimize for the crimes of Apartheid era South Africa ,,, but a near media black out on the crimes of Israel contributes to the ignorance of New Zealanders regarding Israel and conflict in the middle east …
Israel Continues Bombing Campaign on Syria https://youtu.be/0fG15meLbk4
7 minute mark to hear how Israel patched up and provided medical treatment to Al-Quada extremists / terrorists fighting Syrian government troops….
Bidens been quietly picking blood muppet appointees while everyone fixated on a trump impeachment to fire the clown ,,,, at the very very end of his employment.
Israel always wins in usa elections
Syria Warmonger Samantha Power to Head USAID https://youtu.be/2j3OYJE-u5s
DS
So do you go with stealing land, bombing hospitals and schools, shooting children for throwing rocks, demolishing homes still occupied by their rightful owners, attacking farmers who try to defend their crops, en-caging a nation so they cannot move within their rightful borders or fish at sea in their territorial waters, trade or get medical supplies, nor defend themselves from attack.
DS Gaby has the chicken and egg myopia and you seem to be willing to support his racism.
Having lived in Gaza through two Israeli offensives, I (like all Palestinians, many Syrians and most Lebanese) know EXACTLY what it feels like to be surrounded just one (rogue and illegitimate) state that wants you all dead – and it’s name is APARTHEID ISRAEL
In an interview with John Pilger Nelson Mandela declared: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” He told John Pilger that justice for the Palestinians had become “the greatest moral issue of our time.” The power of small wins.
Breath, grasp gasp, who you i you who you, breath gasp.
Is these voices, breathing, been there,knowing their back garden.
He!,breath, us, yes you us breath, our place being.
Well said Julie Webb-Pullman,
And what’s up with the media silence on Israel’s apartheid?
How Large, is their place to say.
Aren’t we so lucky to to have Gabby et al to put us goyem right concerning the jew state…
I second Sam’s last sentence.
How your fear. Mine Minty, none, of these brain washed American,seig white fright,look the flag.
Them pair, sittin one on the left, other on the right,learning compulsory unionism.
While this domestic Israeli group is doing that there are many more international ones networking to place pressure on governments to end funding to UNRWA.
Current targets are Canada and Australia.
This campaign and adoption of the international standard on anti-semitism in hate speech law appears to be next step in isolating Palestinians from economic support and preventing international solidarity against apartheid (calling this hate speech).
This would explain why the focus is on UNRWA’s educational activity (Palestinian nationalism as anti-semitic hate).
https://twitter.com/i/topics/news/e757055508?cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email
About bloody time! The chosen race can always rule the rest of us non chosen ones. Zionists are not reasonable people and need to be dealt to accordingly. Hopefully, now that orange head has left nethanyahu might learn a smidgeon of humility. What is the difference between the Rohingya and myanamar, apartheid, and israel?
ZILCH
God’s chosen people have to answer to one else but to rabbis and nethanyu They are never wrong.
Jen Morison,what a music star
How fucked my spelling of that ladies name,i done.
WHat,last nights tele, wit see, wonder,seen it in the past,why them saying, The Pashion of THe Christ,and the christians sayin no not this violence,and the picture was ultra violent, why,Christ, is gods son,and able ,the lashes beyond human indurance.
Who the prodistant or the pape!s who first to shoot.