Israel and apartheid – B’Tselem’s ethical challenge
JVL Introduction
Robert A.H.Cohen welcomes the B’Tselem Report on Israeli apartheid, endorsing the words of its director, Hagai El Ad:
“Calling things by their proper name – apartheid – is not a moment of despair: rather, it is a moment of moral clarity, a step on a long walk inspired by hope. See the reality for what it is, name it without flinching – and help bring about the realisation of a just future.”
Peter Beinart in the US and now B’Tselem in Israel have challenged head-on the Jewish constructed grammar, the prism through which the conflict has overwhelmingly been viewed.
It was, Cohen states, never fit for purpose, is best dismantled by Jews themselves.
Let us see how the Board of Deputies and other Jewish bodies through to Yachad and Na’amod react to this “legitimate Jewish/Israeli led challenge to the presentation of Israel as righteous victims forever battling against irrational hatred…”
This article was originally published by Patheos / Writing From The Edge / Rescuing the Hebrew Covenant One Blogpost at a Time on Mon 25 Jan 2021. Read the original here.
B’Tselem, apartheid, and correcting the ethical grammar on Israel/Palestine
Loading article text…
Another perceptive article from Robert. A H. Cohen. Recognition of the truth about the system of apartheid that has been imposed on the Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories is important. It renders the idea of a two state solution as fundamentally flawed. It leaves us with a choice between the status quo(Jewish supremacy over the Palestinians) or a single multi faith state based on genuine democracy and equality. We need to back a campaign in favour of the latter.
It would be interesting to see what would happen if CLPs passed motions that welcomed the B’Tselem report and its finding that “In the entire area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, the Israeli regime implements laws, practices and state violence designed to cement the supremacy of one group – Jews – over another – Palestinians.” And that it’s time to “call this by its proper name” under international law: Apartheid. Plus a demand that official Labour Party policy recognises this fact and will work to end it.
Surely even David Evans would find it hard to suspend anybody doing that!
“genocide being committed against the Muslim Uyghurs” really? shame on you for allowing that nonsense to be posted here. There is no “genocide” against the Uyghurs is there, as you must be fully aware as a Left organisation supposedly committed to the truth. Not good enough.
Further enlightenment, as ever, from JVL. I have found that it is often so easy to be sidetracked or distracted from the awful truth of stating Israel to currently be operating as an Apartheid state, perhaps even by people who are or maybe otherwise sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. The word ‘apartheid’ is a mighty powerful one, the great Nelson Mandela frequently argued as much.
So far, very little response to the B’Tselem Report on Israeli Apartheid from the MSM. Hardly surprising given the British establishment’s support for the Jewish supremacist state of Israel. It’s clearly harder to get away with hiding behind the bogus two state solution when confronted with the reality on the ground. They are concerned that support for the one state solution will grow when people become aware of the truth about the system of apartheid established to sustain the Israeli settler colonial regime.