Apartheid - Some definitions
- An official policy of racial segregation formerly practiced in the Republic of South Africa, involving political, legal, and economic discrimination against nonwhites.
- A policy or practice of separating or segregating groups.
- The condition of being separated from others; segregation.
It amazes me how even otherwise intelligent people so easily suspend their judgment when being critical of Israel.
The most superficial glance at life in Israel makes it obvious that Israel is not an apartheid state. One only has to click on Haaretz or The Jerusalem Post, the two leading English language daily papers to judge for oneself. A few minutes on the Opinion and Editorial pages especially of Haaretz will show a high level of self-examination regarding issues of relations with both Israeli Arabs as well as Palestinians.
Just a couple of weeks ago, an article appeared in Haretz, reviewing the priorities facing the new incoming goverment - "certainly not last and not least, working toward integrating Israeli Arabs in the fabric of Israeli society." wrote Moshe Arens, a former Foreign Minister and Defense minister known for his strong right wing views. (Click to read more)
Who are these people spreading this falsehood as they organize "Israel Apartheid Weeks" across the world?
It is clear that there is a well funded campaign to demonize Israel around the world. Cynically, the organizers use the legitimate concerns over Israeli policies to poison young minds. The betrayal of the Palestinian people by their own leadership or the Hamas policyof using misery as a diplomatic weapon are totally ignored.
Reading their web sites it quickly becomes obvious that they are mixing up criticism of Israel's role vis-a-vis the Palestinian conflict with the reality of daily life in Israel.
Two aspects are of their approach are very troubling, especially in the academic world. First are the outright lies and secondly the suppression of free speech.
Here is a quote that says it as well as anything else I have read. It is written byMatthew M Hausman, discussing the most recent Israel Apartheid Week on his blog Israpundit.
"As they hosted factually challenged programs to coincide with “Israel Apartheid Week,” college campuses across North America achieved new heights of intellectual vacuity and sophistry.
On campus after campus, malicious ideologues were given license to demonize Israel by advancing the canard that the Jewish State engages in apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.
That such claims cannot be supported by a shred of objective evidence and could constitute libel and slander if hurled against nonpublic figures and entities is irrelevant to the hate mongers who utter them.
Instead, these thugs and bullies are secure in the knowledge that the institutions providing them their platform are not generally interested in constructive dialog.
Despite being subjected to gross intimidation, Israel’s supporters are often discouraged from responding (by college authories) out of false concern for preserving public order. Speech in these venues is free when used to pillory Israel, but apparently not when used to defend her or to inject historical perspective and honesty.
The full article is well worth reading.
Being critical of Israel is legitimate. However only useless hatred is engendered by such obvious falsehoods. We need less of well-meaning critics telling us what we are doing wrong and more help with constructive solutions for the issues.
For instance a common charge is that because Israel defines itself as a "Jewish State" this proves we are an apartheid state. It conveniently ignores states like Pakistan which defines itself as Muslim or for that matter all the Arab states that define themselves as Muslim.
The unwitting complicity of Western goverments in support of this demonizing was recently documented in the Wall Street Journal. The article " Ending the West's Proxy War on Israel" is a must reading for anyone who is truly objective.
In summary those who sincerely want to know and to help bring an end to the conflict must remain constantly aware. The level of disinformation is almost unbelievable. Joseph Gobbells could never have imagined in his wildest dreams that it would have been possible to spread such lies. But then he didn't have the Internet.
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