Israeli human rights group’s apartheid accusation branded ‘malicious slander’
Embassy rejected 'false claims' made in a B’Tselem report which accused Israel of having 'advanced and perpetuated Jewish supremacy over Palestinians'
Israeli diplomats in London have reacted with anger and disdain after an Israeli human rights group said Benjamin Netanyahu ran a “non-democratic apartheid regime”.
Embassy spokesman Ohad Zemet rejected the “false claims” in a new B’Tselem report after the NGO said Israeli policies “advanced and perpetuated Jewish supremacy over Palestinians”.
Calling it “a propaganda tool”, he said: “Israel rejects the false claims in the so-called report as it is not based on reality but on a distorted ideological view.”
B’Tselem is not the only Israeli human rights group to say the government’s policies amount to a system of discrimination against Palestinians – last year Yesh Din published a legal opinion to that effect.
However, B’Tselem has now said that Jewish supremacy is “an organising principle at the base of a wide array of Israeli policies”, suggesting that discrimination is systematised.
“Israel is not a democracy that has a temporary occupation attached to it [but] one regime between the Jordan River to the Mediterranean,” said B’Tselem director Hagai El-Ad. “We must look at the full picture and see it for what it is: apartheid.”
B’Tselem said Palestinian rights were kept below those of Jews, evidencing discrimination in land and property, immigration, and politics. Zemet said all Israelis had full rights, with Arabs “represented in all branches of government – parliament, the courts, public service, even the diplomatic corps”.
In response to the report, Zionist Federation chair Paul Charney called B’Tselem “anti-Israel” and labelled its claims “malicious… they are nothing more than an attempt to grab the headlines and mislead, but with very little to no substance at all”.
Charney said Israeli Arabs “have the same rights and freedoms as their Jewish counterparts,” adding that the Palestinian Authority and Hamas shared responsibility for the governance of Palestinians.
He said that while the conflict had created “societal issues in Israel that need to be changed”, calling it ‘apartheid’ was “slander… it is dishonest and grossly diminishes the suffering of millions of Black South Africans under the real former apartheid regime”.
BICOM senior research fellow Alan Johnson said the description of Israeli policies as amounting to apartheid was “a smear” that polarised both the debate outside Israel and the peace process within it.
“Successive offers to share the land… have been rejected without a single Palestinian counter-offer being tabled,” said Johnson. “Israel refuses to commit national suicide. That is why the occupation of the West Bank continues, not because Israel is running an apartheid regime there.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
