Apartheid is another reprehensible, maliciously fallacious descriptor insidiously used to libel Israel. There are some who know its true meaning and still misuse it to defame Israel. When confronted with the abuse they are forced to admit that strictly speaking it’s not applicable.
In essence, they have redefined the term specifically to target and vilify Israel.
They cravenly use it to trigger a spontaneous negative reaction from a gullible audience, by falsely evoking the image of an evil regime.
It’s a perfect, albeit depraved, propaganda device, which enables minions and useful dupes mindlessly to repeat and propagate the obnoxious libel.
Israel is not an apartheid state and it is patently absurd to claim otherwise.
The term apartheid was the Afrikaans name given by the Nationalist Party, composed of members of the minority white community then ruling South Africa, to the country’s harsh, institutionalized system of racial segregation, in 1948.
It came to an end in the early 1990s in a series of steps that led to the formation of a democratic government in 1994.
Israel is a democratic and diverse country, with freedom of speech, religion and press, as well as equal protection under law.
All Israeli citizens, Jewish, Muslim, Christian and others, have the right to vote.
There are no public toilets, benches or other public spaces, buses, trains, hospitals, public schools or universities segregated by race or religion.
The professions, businesses and jobs are open to every citizen.
There is no racism institutionalized by the Knesset, enforced by the police and legitimized by the courts.
Thus, for example, Muslim citizens serve as Justices of the Supreme Court of Israel, were members of the ruling coalition of government, are attorneys, doctors and other medical personnel, university professors and students and patronize restaurants and shop at stores of their choice.
As Mesola Lekota, President of the South African Congress of the People Party, former Defense Minister and senior African National Congress official, is quoted as saying, "I tried to find a comparison between how we lived under the apartheid regime and the situation in Israel and I could not find one."
Bassem Eid, a Palestinian human rights activist, noted with respect to the prior ruling coalition government, "The new diverse government truly makes a mockery of the absurd ‘apartheid’ label. A devout Muslim and adherent of an Islamist ideology is now Israel’s Joe Manchin- a dealmaker at the center of a 50/50 legislative chamber with enormous clout. Anyone who chooses to look objectively can plainly see Israel as the bastion of diversity and democracy that it is."
The contrived use of the defamatory accusation of apartheid leveled against Israel is calculated. Why not use the more common term of discrimination?
But that is the nub of it; most people well understand the meaning of the word discrimination and appreciate it’s not applicable to Israel.
On the other hand, few can explain what the term apartheid really means.
Lest there be any doubt that Israel is not an apartheid state, the US House of Representatives, in a bipartisan resolution overwhelmingly passed 412-9, affirmed that "Israel is not a racist or apartheid state."
President Joseph Biden, when asked about those in his own Democratic Party labeling Israel apartheid, responded, “There are few of them. I think they’re wrong. I think they’re making a mistake."
He went on to say, "Israel is a democracy. Israel is our ally. Israel is a friend, and I think that I make no apologies."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected the use of the term apartheid in relation to Israel, as well. He also condemned Mahmoud Abbas’ use of the terms Holocaust and genocide in describing Israel’s treatment of Palestinian Arabs.
Scholz declared he was "disgusted by the outrageous remarks made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas."
The Democracy Index, published by the prestigious Economic Intelligence Unit of the Economist, is a stunning rebuttal to the unfounded apartheid libel. Israel is ranked 23rd in the world and rated 7.97, above the United States at 7.85 in this global index of democratic values. To put this in perspective, China is rated 2.21 (148th globally), Iran is below that at 1.95 and the Palestinian Authority (PA) is considered to be a non-democratic Authoritarian Regime.
Gaza is Judenrein and PA law prohibits land sales to Jews. Those, breaking the law are subject to harsh penalty that the PA does not shirk from imposing.
The PA and Hamas also spew classical antisemitism, incite and glorify terrorism and call for Israel’s destruction.
This includes promoting hateful antisemitic rhetoric in the media, as well as, teaching their children in school to hate Jews.
Like so many propaganda slogans and false narratives, the PA and Hamas promote the despicable apartheid slur against Israel, a classic example of the subterfuge of projecting unto others thine own flaws and sins.
It’s time to end the charade.
There are no two sides and moral equivalence when it comes to the evil that is Hamas.
We must unequivocally support Israel in its just defensive war and efforts to free the hostages.
(Related articles may be found here, and here.)
Leonard Grunstein, a retired attorney and banker, founded and served as Chairman of Metropolitan National Bank and then Israel Discount Bank of NY. He also founded Project Ezrah and serves on the Board of Revel at Yeshiva University and the AIPAC National Council. He has published articles in the Banking Law Journal, Real Estate Finance Journal, and other publications. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.
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