Defining Apartheid

The term "apartheid" originates from Afrikaans, meaning "separateness," and it refers to a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination. In 1973, the United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, which defines apartheid as inhumane acts committed to establish and maintain domination by one racial group over another. Key elements include systematic segregation, denial of basic human rights, and deliberate exploitation and oppression.

Apartheid in South Africa

Under South African apartheid (1948–1994), the government implemented a rigid system of racial classification and segregation. Black South Africans, the majority population, were systematically disenfranchised, stripped of their citizenship, and denied basic rights. Key features of apartheid included:

1. Pass Laws: Black South Africans were required to carry passbooks to move within their own country.

2. Bantustans: Black citizens were forcibly relocated to "homelands," fragmented territories with limited resources and autonomy.

3. Political Exclusion: Black South Africans were completely excluded from national governance.

4. Economic Exploitation: Black labor was exploited under oppressive working conditions with no equal opportunity for advancement.

5. Segregation: Public services, education, healthcare, and even marriage were segregated by race.

Apartheid was a system of racial superiority designed to ensure the dominance of a white minority over a disenfranchised black majority.

Israel's Legal and Social Framework

The claim that Israel operates as an apartheid regime lacks substance when analyzed under the internationally recognized definition of apartheid. Israel is a democratic state where all citizens, including its Arab population, have equal rights under the law. Key distinctions include:

1. Citizenship and Voting Rights: Arab citizens of Israel, who make up about 20% of the population, have full voting rights and are represented in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. South Africa’s apartheid laws, by contrast, entirely disenfranchised black citizens.

2. Access to Resources: Israeli Arabs have access to the same healthcare, education, and public infrastructure as Jewish citizens. While disparities exist, they are more akin to socioeconomic inequalities than systemic racial segregation.

3. Judicial Equality: The Israeli legal system allows Arab citizens to bring cases to court, including the Supreme Court, where they have successfully challenged government policies. Under apartheid, black South Africans had no legal recourse against state-imposed discrimination.

4. Religious and Cultural Freedom: Arab citizens of Israel freely practice their religion, preserve their culture, and speak Arabic, which is an official language of the state.

The Palestinian Context

The comparison between black South Africans under apartheid and Palestinians in Judea and Samaria and Gaza is fundamentally flawed. Palestinians living in these territories are not Israeli citizens but are governed primarily by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Judea and Samaria and Hamas in Gaza. Key points include:

1. Self-Governance: Unlike black South Africans, Palestinians in Judea and Samaria have an elected leadership under the PA and have autonomy over many aspects of their governance, including education, healthcare, and security.

2. Security Measures vs. Apartheid Laws: Israel’s security policies in Judea and Samaria, such as checkpoints and the security barrier, are driven by the need to prevent terrorism, not to enforce racial superiority. These measures emerged after the Second Intifada, during which thousands of Israelis were killed in terror attacks.

3. Citizenship Opportunities: While Palestinians in the territories are not Israeli citizens, approximately 1.9 million Arab citizens within Israel proper enjoy full citizenship rights, disproving the idea of a racially segregated state.

4. Economic Mobility: Palestinians working in Israel often earn significantly more than they would in the areas governed by the Palestinian Authority, contrasting with the economic exploitation of black South Africans under apartheid.

Comparing Black South Africans and Palestinians

The plight of black South Africans under apartheid and that of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria and Gaza are fundamentally different in nature:

1. Citizenship and Rights: Black South Africans were denied any form of citizenship or representation, while Arab citizens of Israel are full citizens with voting rights. Palestinians in the territories, though not Israeli citizens, have elected leadership and self-governance structures.

2. Intentions of Separation: Apartheid sought racial domination; Israel’s policies in Judea and Samaria stem from security concerns and a complex territorial conflict, not racial superiority.

3. International Offers: Successive Israeli governments have offered peace deals, including statehood for Palestinians, most notably in 2000, 2008, and 2020, which were rejected by Palestinian leaders. No such reconciliation offers were extended to black South Africans under apartheid.

4. Legal Frameworks: South African apartheid was codified as a racial hierarchy, whereas Israeli law does not differentiate between citizens based on ethnicity.

Conclusion

While inequalities and challenges exist in Israel, labeling it as an apartheid regime misrepresents the reality and diminishes the historical suffering of black South Africans under apartheid. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a complex national, religious and territorial dispute, not a racially driven system of oppression. Understanding these distinctions is critical to fostering informed dialogue and seeking solutions grounded in truth.