APARTHEID, according to the dictionary1 is defined as: : racial segregation specifically: a former policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa
2 : separation, segregation cultural apartheid gender apartheid
Given that there is no government sponsored, or even encouraged, racial or religious segregation in Israel, apartheid cannot be applied to Israel.
ON THE OTHER HAND, apartheid CAN be applied to the PLO-controlled areas and to Jordan where Jews (of any hue) cannot reside.
It also can be applied to several cities in Saudi Arabia were only Muslims are allowed to enter.
Alan Dershowitz, with whom I do not always agree, wrote a book, The Case for Israel2, 3. It has been sitting on the shelf for some time, unopened.
Saturday, looking for something to read I pulled it down and commenced reading.
To his credit, Dershowitz cites his sources. I am “very big” about citing sources.
On Page 37 of the book, in Chapter 4, Was the Balfour Declaration Binding on Internationals Law? Dershowitz writes:
- The first state established in (English-ruled) Palestine was thus an emirate with a large Palestinian majority. Abdullah, the brother of neighboring Iraq’s new ruler, would rule it. Many of the Jews who lived in what became Transjordan (now Jordan) — some of whom had lived there for generations — had been forced because of episodic outbreaks of violence and, by law, the few remaining Jews were forbidden from living in Transjordan. (Emphasis mine.)
Dershowitz’ source: Jordanian nationality law, Article 3(3) of Law No. 6 and Official Gazette No. 1171, Feb. 6, 1954.
THAT is apartheid.
While an Arab — Muslim, Christian, Druze, etc. — may buy land in “apartheid “ Israel, according to Wikipedia.org4,
- Palestinian land laws refer to ownership of land under the Palestinian Authority (PA). These laws prohibit Palestinians from selling Palestinian-owned lands to "any man or judicial body corporation of Israeli citizenship, living in Israel or acting on its behalf." These land laws were originally enacted during the Jordanian rule of the West Bank (1948–1967). Land sales to Israelis are considered treason by the Palestinians because they threaten the founding of a future state and to "halt the spread of moral, political and security corruption". Palestinians who sell land to Israelis can be sentenced to death, although death penalties are seldom carried out; a death sentence has to be approved by the Palestinian Authority President.
THAT is apartheid.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement IS apartheid within the dictionary definition (ibid.) as it forces Jewish-owned companies away from Palestinian (PLO)-controlled areas.
SodaStream is a prime example.
SodaStream employed both Israeli Jews and Arabs from PLO-controlled areas until BDS forced SodaStream to relocate. It relocated to southern Israel where it employs Jews and Bedouins.
Equal pay for equal work.
SodaStream was busing in workers from the PLO-controlled areas at its expense and paying them higher salaries than they could receive at home.
Bottom line: BDS hurts the PLO more than Israel, but the BDSers apparently don’t care.
A major — and growing — supermarket chain, Rami Levy, employs both Israelis (Arabs, Christians, and Jews) and some Arabs from the PLO-controlled areas at equal pay in its stores.
Hundreds of Arabs from the PLO-area enter Israel on a daily basis and work for salaries above anything they could earn at home.
- Caveat: I hold dual citizenship, Israel and U.S. I lived in Israel and visit often. I see first hand Arabs at work in Israel.
There ARE places in Israel where Arabs — even Israeli Arabs — are less than welcome. These areas usually are populated by refugees or descendants of refugees from Muslim countries.
There also are Arab communities in Israel that discourage Israeli Jews from being part of the community. Affinity communities are common worldwide.
BOTTOM LINE
To claim that Israel is an apartheid state is a sign of ignorance. Most of the people making this blatantly untrue claim never have been to Israel (or the PLO-controlled areas) or, for that matter, any apartheid country (e.g., Jordan, Saudi Arabia).
Apartheid in the PLO-controlled areas is a fact. Apartheid hurts the Arabs living under PLO domination — or Hamas domination in Gaza — more than it hurts the people it seems to segregate, people — Israeli Arabs, Christians, and Jews who could provide jobs, health care, and education (sans the politics of hate taught in United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) schools) if the Arabs of Gaza and the PLO-controlled areas would abandon THEIR apartheid practices.
A quick comment on peace
Most “official” Israelis have been willing to have a “two-state” solution since 1947.
(Actually, there already IS a “two-state” solution; the other state is Jordan.)
Can there be peace with a “Palestinian” state controlled by the PLO and by Hamas?
Not until the PLO and Hamas give up their pledges to drive the Jews to the sea.
On the other hand, Israel HAS long-lasting treaties with Egypt and with Jordan. All parties benefit from these agreements.
Today, Arab physicians come from PLO-controlled areas to study and work in Israeli hospitals. Arabs from the PLO areas are treated at Israeli hospitals with the same level of care as Israeli patients.
There are extra-governmental groups of Israelis and PLO-area Arabs working to train those under PLO control to work in a high tech industry that, unfortunately, is not available in the PLO-controlled areas.
If the PLO and Hamas want peace, Israel is prepared to work toward that end.
Final question
If the PLO and Hamas are really peaceful pseudo-governments, why don’t Egypt and Jordan want to accept these peoples into their countries?
Jordan doesn’t want them because they will try, once again, to over-throw the crown. Egypt doesn’t want them because Hamas is a terror organization that works against Egypt as much as Israel. (Begin tried to give Sadat Gaza; Sadat was a better negotiator and refused Begin’s offer.)
Sources
1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apartheid
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Case_for_Israel
3. https://electronicintifada.net/content/case-israel-critical-review/5629
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_land_laws
PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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