Is Israel An Apartheid State?

Apartheid. Genocide. Settler colonialism. These accusations against Israel have become more prominent since October 7, 2023, than ever before. On social media, on college campuses, and at anti-Israel protests, many depict Israelis as racist oppressors. On October 7, Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel and massacred more than 1,200 Israelis. They slaughtered civilians of all ages in the most brutal ways—raping, burning, and decapitating their victims. Hamas also took hundreds of Israelis hostage. Israel fought back against Hamas, invading Gaza to dismantle the terror group. Due to Hamas’ using and storing weapons in civilian areas,[1] thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have died.

Israel’s actions to defend herself against an existential threat have drawn sharp criticism. These critics deny, minimize, or even justify Hamas’ October 7 massacre. They paint Israel as fully and solely responsible for Palestinian suffering. One popular comparison is to apartheid in South Africa. They claim Israel is a structurally racist country designed to keep Arab people down. These activists depict Israel as a white European colonial project. This charge is not new. Let us look at it in depth and determine whether it accurately represents life in Israel.

Understanding the Accusations

The Apartheid Claim

Amnesty International published a report on February 1, 2022, accusing Israel of engaging in apartheid against the Palestinian population. According to Amnesty.org, the investigation outlined how Israel purportedly “enforces a system of oppression and domination against the Palestinian people,” irrespective of their residence in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). They claimed this includes displaced refugees residing in other countries.[2]

On September 22, 2021, only a few months before Amnesty International released its report, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) convened a conference to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of its 2001 convention against racism in Durban, South Africa. The so-called World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance echoed the accusations of apartheid against Israel and equated Zionism to racism. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, deemed the conference a platform fueling hate and antisemitism rather than combating racism. His declaration prompted the United States and thirty-three other countries to abstain from 2021’s commemorative session.[3]

In this article, we will delve into the allegations asserting Zionism is equivalent to racism and Israel stands as an apartheid state. We start by defining Zionism, racism, and apartheid. Then, we examine Israel’s actions and laws through the lens of these definitions. We hope this will clearly demonstrate why we believe Zionism does not constitute racism and Israel does not practice apartheid.

Defining Zionism

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Zionism as “an international movement originally for the establishment of a Jewish national or religious community in Palestine and later for the support of modern Israel.”[4] The Jewish Virtual Library defines it as “the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, which holds that Jews, like any other nation, are entitled to a homeland.”[5]

Before 1948, Zionism was a fervent aspiration in the hearts of Jewish communities worldwide, particularly those facing persecution in Europe. The dream started becoming reality in 1922 when the League of Nations adopted the Mandate for Palestine, laying the legal groundwork for the establishment of a Jewish nation in the region called Palestine. Shortly after, Great Britain carved out an Arab state, Transjordan (modern-day Jordan), on 78 percent of this area. In 1947, the United Nations proposed a resolution to divide the remaining 22 percent of land into a Jewish state and an Arab state. While the Jewish population embraced the resolution, the Arab faction rejected it. Israel declared national independence in May 1948.[6]

Therefore, Zionism—the dream of creating a homeland for Jewish people in ancestral territory—became a reality. Today, Zionism means supporting Israel’s right to exist. Now we ask: does the existence of Israel lead to racism and the charge of apartheid?

Defining Racism and Apartheid

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines racism as the “belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” It includes “the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another.”[7] This part closely aligns with the accusation of apartheid against Israel for its treatment of Palestinians.

Apartheid, as per the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, is “inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them.”[8] According to this definition, apartheid involves government-instituted oppression against some of its citizens based on race, which was the case with South Africa’s racist policies against its non-white citizens from 1948 to 1994.

The key is determining if Zionism, which supports modern Israel’s right to exist, is a form of racism. The answer hinges on the charge of apartheid. If the Israeli government systematically oppresses certain citizens based on race, then Israel is indeed a racist nation. In this case, supporting Israel’s right to exist (Zionism) would align with racism. So, the next question is: “How does Israel treat its citizens of different races?”

Understanding Israel Today

Israel’s Racial Diversity

Israel’s Declaration of Independence affirms “THE STATE OF ISRAEL [sic] will . . . ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture.”[9] This founding document establishes a legal precedent for the impartial treatment of all citizens, regardless of race, religion, or gender.

Following Israel’s establishment, these principles became a reality for Jewish people of diverse backgrounds taking refuge from persecution. Jewish communities from Europe, the Soviet Union, the Arab world, Turkey, Iran, and Ethiopia came to Israel seeking freedom from oppression based on their ethnicity and religion. There, they joined the indigenous Jewish and Arab populations residing in the land for millennia. Israel emerged as “one of the most diverse countries in the world with over half of its population being from Africa, India, and other areas of the Middle East.”[10]

Israel boasts a population exceeding four million Jewish individuals, encompassing a spectrum of skin tones and originating from more than 100 countries. Approximately one million Muslim and Christian Arabs, Druze, Baha’is, Circassians, and other ethnic and religious groups contribute to the country’s rich diversity.[11] Notably, most Jewish people in Israel today are descendants from Middle Eastern or North African countries. Only about 30 percent are Ashkenazi (of European Jewish descent).[12]

One Israeli of Iraqi and North African descent offers a poignant perspective:

I believe their [those accusing Israel of apartheid] misrepresentations are part of a strategic campaign to taint Israel as an extension of privileged and powerful white Europe, thereby justifying any and all attacks on it. This way of thinking signals a dangerous trend that positions Israel as a colonialist aggressor rather than a haven for those fleeing oppression. . . .

Any erasure of the Mizrahi experience negates the lives of 850,000 Jewish refugees [expelled from Arab countries in the wake of Israel’s independence] just like them [the author’s family], who . . . were treated as “dhimmis,” [non-Muslim, second-class citizens forced to pay an extra tax in order to live in Muslim countries] . . . Demographic ignorance also works to deny the existence of almost 200,000 descendants of Ethiopian Jews who were threatened by political destabilization in the early 1990s and airlifted to Israel in a daring rescue operation.[13]

The Experience of Arab Israelis

Though no country is flawless, Israel is the sole democracy in the Middle East. It extends equal rights to all its citizens, regardless of race, religion, gender, or even sexual orientation. The 2020 election witnessed 65 percent of Israel’s Arab citizens participating in the democratic process. Arab politicians constitute the third most influential coalition in Israel’s legislative branch. Arabs have held cabinet positions and served on Israel’s supreme court.[14] The civil liberties afforded to Arabs in Israel, particularly Arab women, surpass those available in any Arab country. As one Jewish writer aptly puts it, “To call Israel—with its Arab justices, parliamentarians, diplomats, academics and business leaders—an apartheid state is to not know the meaning of apartheid.”[15]

Intriguingly, a 2021 poll conducted by the Palestine News Network among 1,200 Arab (Palestinian) residents of East Jerusalem revealed a significant preference for Israeli rule. Astonishingly, 93 percent (1,116 residents) expressed a preference for Israeli rule, while only 84 residents favored Palestinian Authority governance, though maintaining their Israeli identity cards. A mere five residents opted for Palestinian Authority identity cards.[16]

In response to Amnesty International’s accusation of Israeli apartheid, an Arab Israeli citizen, Yoseph Hadad, vehemently rejected the notion:

What about Israeli Arabs like me? We live under the democratically elected government of Israel with equal rights like any Jewish citizen. No matter how many times Amnesty International tries to erase my identity for trying to advance their political agenda, that doesn’t make it the truth . . . instead of promoting cooperation and a vision for a better future, organizations like Amnesty International delegitimize the only democratic state in the Middle East.[17]

Similarly, an Israeli Jewish human rights activist, Hananya Naftali, criticized Amnesty International for not addressing the real apartheid against Israelis.

Amnesty International will probably never report on the real apartheid against Israelis. While Palestinians can freely enter Israel with the proper documents, I, an Israeli Jew, am banned from entering Gaza or other Palestinian cities.[18]

The West Bank and Gaza

What about Arabs residing in the Palestinian territories? Is Israel committing apartheid against them? Let us begin by examining the legal status of the territories with a revisit to the brief history discussed above. In 1922, the League of Nations legitimized the creation of a Jewish state in the region of Palestine. This land comprised modern-day Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Later, 78 percent of the region turned into the Arab state of Jordan.

In 1947, the United Nations proposed partitioning the remaining 22 percent into an Arab state and a Jewish state. The Arabs rejected the resolution, opposing the creation of a Jewish state, but the Jewish community accepted it. This conflict triggered the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Five Arab armies surrounded and attacked the new Jewish nation in direct violation of the prohibition against wars of aggression. As a result, Egypt occupied the Gaza Strip. Jordan occupied the West Bank. Israel regained control over these territories in 1967 after another war of self-defense and chose to govern them in accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC).

Under the LOAC, the Arab residents of Gaza and the West Bank are not citizens of Israel. They are thus not governed under domestic Israeli law. Instead, the Palestinian territories have their own governing authorities. Israel, abiding by the LOAC, has implemented security measures to protect its Jewish and Arab citizens from various threats from the Palestinian territories. The dangers include rocket attacks, suicide bombings, shootings, and knife attacks—among many others. Israel’s security measures are legal under the LOAC, as Israel is obligated to take necessary steps to ensure the safety of its citizens. These measures are not apartheid since Arabs within the territories are not Israeli citizens. So, Israel’s military measures in the territories are not racially motivated but driven by security concerns.[19]

Conclusion

In conclusion, Israel, despite its imperfections, is not a racist regime practicing apartheid. Those who accused Israel of apartheid depict Israel as a European colonial state exploiting Arab people. This is clearly not the case when you consider Israeli history and society. Israel is a highly diverse country, embracing Jewish people from the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. Citizens of Israel also include Arab people and other minorities. These citizens enjoy the same rights as Jewish citizens. Indeed, their rights often exceed those of Arabs living in Arab-majority countries. The difference is especially stark for women and religious minorities like Christians.

Those residing in the West Bank and Gaza are under Palestinian—not Israeli—control. Security measures Israel takes around these areas are legal and necessary given the terrorism often arising from them. Being a Zionist—supporting Israel’s right to exist—is not synonymous with racism. On the contrary, it is reasonable and just to support the only democracy in the Middle East.

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Notes

Published on February 22, 2024.

Photo by Shai Pal on Unsplash.

[1] Alan Dershowitz, “Hamas Uses Western Morality as a Weapon against Israel,” Newsweek, October 14, 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/hamas-uses-western-morality-weapon-against-israel-opinion-1834774.

[2] “Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: a cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity,” Amnesty International, February 1, 2022, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/02/israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-a-cruel-system-of-domination-and-a-crime-against-humanity/.

[3] Caitlin Hu, “The United Nations held a major meeting on race. Why the US and the UK skipped it,” CNN, September 23, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/23/americas/durban-unga-us-uk-intl-latam/index.html; “34 countries shun UN’s commemoration of controversial Durban Conference,” Times of Israel, September 22, 2021, https://www.timesofisrael.com/34-countries-shun-uns-commemoration-of-controversial-durban-conference/.

[4] Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “Zionism,” accessed October 26, 2021, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Zionism.

[5] “Zionism: Is Zionism Racism?” Jewish Virtual Library, accessed October 21, 2021, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/is-zionism-racism.

[6] Michael Rydelnik, Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict: What the Headlines Haven’t Told You (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2007), 93–106.

[7] Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “racism,” accessed October 26, 2021, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism.

[8] International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid art. II, United Nations, July 18, 1976, https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.10_International%20Convention%20on%20the%20Suppression%20and%20
Punishment%20of%20the%20Crime%20of%20Apartheid.pdf.

[9] “The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, May 14, 1948, https://www.gov.il/en/departments/general/declaration-of-establishment-state-of-israel.

[10] “Zionism is racism,” American Jewish Committee, accessed October 21, 2021, https://www.ajc.org/translatehate/Zionism-is-racism.

[11] “Zionism: Is Zionism Racism?” Jewish Virtual Library, accessed October 21, 2021, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/is-zionism-racism.

[12] Hen Mazzig, “Op-Ed: No, Israel isn’t a country of privileged and powerful white Europeans,” Los Angeles Times, May 20, 2019, https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-mazzig-mizrahi-jews-israel-20190520-story.html.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Shaheryar Gill, “U.N. Targets Israel: Apartheid or Antisemitism?” American Center for Law and Justice, September 22, 2021, https://aclj.org/israel/un-targets-israel-apartheid-or-antisemitism.

[15] David J. Michaels, “Importance of fighting the ‘Zionism is racism’ smear,” Jerusalem Post, June 2, 2021, https://www.jpost.com/opinion/importance-of-fighting-the-zionism-is-racism-smear-669934.

[16] “Poll: 93 percent of eastern Jerusalem Arabs prefer Israeli rule,” JNS, December 14, 2021, https://www.jns.org/poll-93-percent-of-arabs-prefer-israeli-rule-in-jerusalem/.

[17] Yoseph Hadad, “Amnesty tries to distort my Arab identity and dismantle Israel—opinion,” Jerusalem Post, February 7, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-695337.

[18] Hananya Naftali, “The biggest lie of the decade—opinion,” Jerusalem Post, February 20, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-695895.

[19] Gill, “U.N. Targets Israel: Apartheid or Antisemitism?”