Letters For Palestine
Is Israel an Apartheid state?
For Decades, people have been debating whether Israel is an Apartheid state or not.

Legal Definition
Apartheid has an International Legal Definition
International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination   
International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid  
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court  
The crime of apartheid is defined by the 2002 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as inhumane acts of a character similar to other crimes against humanity "committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime".
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The crime of apartheid under the Apartheid Convention and Rome Statute consists of three primary elements: 
  • an intent to maintain a system of domination by one racial group overanother; 
  • systematic oppression by one racial group over another; 
  • and one or more inhumane acts, as defined, carried out on a widespread or systematic basis pursuant to those policies


Israeli Apartheid
Some people think this is a recent debate because of the statements made by B'Tselem (Israel's Largest Human Rights organisations) and Human Rights Watch (an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights) and Amnesty International.

Its Not. This debate has been going on for Decades with report after report detailing Israeli Apartheid.

2022 - Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967
2022 - Al-Haq, Addameer, Habitat International Coalition ​
2022 - International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School and Addameer
2022 - Amnesty International
2021 - B'Tselem
2021 - Human Rights watch ​
2020 - Yesh Din
2019 - Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
2017 - UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
2017 - Human Rights Council
2012 - Russell Tribunal on Palestine
2009 - Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa
  • Occupation, colonialism, Apartheid?: a re-assessment of Israel's practices in the occupied Palestinian territories under international law
  • http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/research-data/view/4634
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2006 - President Carter - Book  
2002 - UNGA 4th Committee  ​
2002 – Anglican Communion News Service  
And many, many more going back to 1967 and then 1948.


But this debate has been going on for Decades and Governments around the world have Chosen to "Look The Other Way" On Israeli Apartheid (defined as a Crime Against Humanity in the Rome Statute - Article 7 - Crimes against Humanity, item 1 - j).

The debate started as far back as 2002 with the United Nations General Asembly debate - "Israeli Practices in Occupied Palestinian Territories - Form of Apartheid" 

So for more than 20 years, Governments have Chosen to ignore Crimes against Humanity and tried to hide behind the excuse - "It's Complicated"!

It is Not Complicated.

Either:
         1)   You Actively Support International Law, UN and Human Rights Conventions
or
         2)   You are on the side of the Oppressor

It is Not Complicated!
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As Desmond Tutu has stated - “If you are Neutral in situations of Injustice, you have Chosen the side of the Oppressor".

​"Human Rights Support is Not a pick 'n' choose activity"!
​You can't support the Uyghurs, people in Hong Kong and Myanmar but reject supporting Palestinians Human Rights.

​That is Racist in itself!
Here is a list of links to articles discussing Israeli Apartheid
1976
1998
2021
2020
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2007
2006
2005
2002