When you hear the word apartheid, what do you think of? Probably the disturbing images of racist discrimination in South Africa from decades ago. Apartheid, however, is not just something that happened in the past. There has been growing debate about whether the situation in Israel today is an example of apartheid.
In February 2022 we released an important report to offer up our analysis. Our research shows that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid right now – maintaining a cruel system of control over Palestinians. Our findings are directed not at the Jewish people but at successive Israeli governments, including those currently in power.
For over 70 years Israel has deliberately displaced Palestinian communities, using a number of tools to give the Israeli Jewish population privilege over Palestinians in almost all aspects of life, including ID systems to restrict movement, refusing permissions to build homes and even the unlawful killing of Palestinian protestors.
For too long Israel has been getting away with crimes against humanity but change is possible. It is time to dismantle apartheid. The first step is to call it what it is.
