CSS Current Affairs | Why is Israel Often Called an Apartheid State?
The following question of CSS Current Affairs is solved by Saba Rasheed under the supervision of Howfiv’s Pakistan Affairs and Current Affairs Coaches. She learnt how to attempt 20 marks question and essay writing from Sir Syed Kazim Ali, Pakistan’s best CSS and PMS English essay and precis teacher with the highest success rate of his students. This solved past paper question is attempted on the pattern taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory and optional subjects for years, and uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1- Introduction
2- Understanding the term of apartheid
3- Current situation in Palestine
4- Resemble between Israel and South Africa’s apartheid state
- ✓Racial segregation and separation
- ✓Confiscated their land and settlements
- ✓Restrictions in movement
- ✓Different treatment and inhuman violation
5-Why Israel is often called an apartheid state?
- ✓Nakba Day event
- Case in point: According to the report, Zionist military forces expelled at least 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands and captured 78 percent of historic Palestine
- ✓Segregation of education
- Case in point: The UN estimates that 72.5 percent of schools in Gaza will need full reconstruction or major rehabilitation
- ✓Segregation of houses
- Case in point: According to the United Nations reports, 2.3 million people have been displaced from their homes due to Israel’s attacks
- ✓Segregation of health
- Case in point: According to the World Health Organization reports, 427 attacks on healthcare in the West Bank and Gaza Strip damaged and destroyed many hospitals
- ✓Restrictions in movement
- Case in point: According to the reports, Israel plans security control over all Palestinian areas
6- What is the international stance and Israel’s stance on Israel as an apartheid state?
7- Critical analysis
8- Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
Israel has often been referred to as an apartheid state due to its racial discrimination and inhuman acts of Palestinians. Along with it, apartheid was a system that governed a relationship between the South African white minority and the black minority. In South Africa country, the white people expelled the nonwhite people from their homes and land and started the crime against them. According to the Human Rights reports, Israel appears as a new brand of apartheid state. Unfortunately, the same situation has existed in Palestine, where Israel forces persistent racial discrimination against Palestine since the declaration day of Israel in 1947, as is evident of Nakba day. Moreover, ironically, inhuman acts and persistent attacks by Israel have also segregated the situation of houses, health, education, and all aspects of life. This question comprehensively discusses why Israel is often called an apartheid state.
Understanding the term “apartheid”
Before explaining why Israel is often called an apartheid state, it is of great importance to understand the term Apartheid. Apartheid is a term that was used for the first time in South Africa during the era of white minority rule. Apartheid refers to the implementation and maintenance of a system of legalized racial segregation in which one racial group is deprived of political and civil rights. Apartheid is a crime against humanity punishable under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Moreover, it has also been called racial discrimination and inhuman acts. It has racial discrimination by the White regime against black people on the base of skin colour.
Current situation in Palestine
Currently, the situation of Palestine’s people is very horrible. Due to the Israel attacks, on 7 October 2023, thousands of people died, injured, and homeless. The continued attack of Israel has created a water, food shortage, and health facilities crisis in Palestine’s people. According to the report, at least 17,487 Palestinians have been killed. Moreover, according to the International Labor Organization report, about 507,000 people have lost their jobs due to Israel’s war on Gaza.
Resemble between Israel and South Africa apartheid state
- ✓Racial segregation and separation
In the 20th century, apartheid was conceived in South Africa, which was based on racial segregation. The primary purpose was of these racial segregations to separate the white people from the black people. To fulfil this purpose, the South African regime designed specific areas to ban black people. They cannot enter these areas without permission. Just as of now, the Israeli government has separated barriers, settlements, and checkpoints in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that create distance between Israeli and Palestinian people.
- ✓Confiscated their land and settlements
Africa has existed as a mineral and raw materials economy. That is the reason the Europeans settled in South Africa. The white regime took control of South Africa and confiscated their lands. Due to the restrictions of checkpoints and barriers, they did not access their homes, offices, and educational institutions. Similarly, Israel came and settled in Palestine. They confiscated land and displaced them. Israel’s forces have made checkpoints and barriers in the way of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, just as South Africa.
- ✓Restrictions in movement
The white regime in South Africa imposed restrictions on black people, such as limitations on movement, access to resources, and economic opportunities, and even they could not enter the white people’s areas. Similarly, Israel imposes restrictions on Palestine people, like restrictions on movement, resources, and economic opportunities that made Israel an apartheid state.
- ✓Different treatment and inhuman violation
Israel authorities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip repressed the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. Torture and other ill-treatment were reported in Palestinian detention centres. Similarly, the South African regime was suppressing the rights of black people.
Why is Israel often called an apartheid state?
Along with it, Palestine’s people were dispossessed in 1948 by Israel, and it brought waves of violence and government brutality. Therefore, apartheid is an apt term to describe their plight. For instance, in South Africa, White monitory ousted the nonwhite people for their lands and homes and started racial segregation against it that existed in South Africa from 1948 to the 1990s. Ironically, the same situation has been seen in Palestine by Israel since the declaration day. It has labelled Israel as an apartheid state.
- ✓Nakba Day event
Moreover, Nakba Day has also cleared the terms of the apartheid state of Israel against Palestine. After the declaration day of Israel, Zionist forces entered the Palestine state and started inhuman acts against the Palestine people. Israel forces have uprooted, imprisoned, and killed the Palestinians, and they are strangers in their land. According to the report, Zionist military forces expelled at least 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands and captured 78 percent of historic Palestine.
- ✓Segregation of education
Additionally, Palestinian children have been deprived of their right to education because of Israeli attacks. Many young people of Palestine and children protested against Israel. They carried banners with slogans” Education is our right, we demand education” and “We want to live in peace and security” and returned to our homes and schools. According to the United Nations reports, it has recorded more than 200 Israeli attacks on schools in Gaza, with at least 53 schools destroyed. Moreover, The UN estimates that 72.5 percent of schools in Gaza will need full reconstruction or major rehabilitation.
- ✓Segregation of houses
Along with it, Thousands of Palestinian people have been homeless due to the inhuman crime of Israel. At least half of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed due to racial segregation by Israeli forces. According to the United Nations reports, 2.3 million people have been displaced from their homes due to Israeli attacks. Similarly, the analysis suggests that between 144,000 and 175,000 buildings across the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed. That is between 50 percent and 61 percent of Gaza buildings. Thus, due to Israel’s inhuman acts, many people have been homeless.
- ✓Segregation of health
Additionally, numerous attacks by Israel on healthcare facilities have also hindered in the way of Palestine’s people. The attacks on healthcare facilities have created a humanitarian crisis in Palestine. According to the World Health Organization reports, 427 attacks on healthcare in the West Bank and Gaza Strip damaged and destroyed many hospitals. Due to Israeli attacks, hospital facilities have faced many hardships and stress, and they worked without electricity.
- ✓Restrictions in movement
Last but not least, restriction in movement has also proven the terms of the apartheid state of Israel against Palestine. Israel closed the Gaza Strip to keep checkpoints and barriers against Palestine that hindered the way of Palestine. According to the reports, Israel plans security control over all Palestinian areas. Similarly, West Bank checkpoints again closed to Palestinian travel.
What is the international stance and Israel’s stance about Israel being an apartheid state?
Along with it, the persistent inhuman attacks have cleared that Israel is an apartheid state. According to the international Amnesty report, it is evident that Israel is involved in the crime of apartheid against Palestinians. Similarly, Quaid view of Israel’s apartheid state is “Israel as a dagger in the heart of the Arab world. On the other hand, the Israeli president has rejected the blame of the apartheid state. He says that very clearly that is anti-Semitic. The response from the Israel state has been predictable, terming the report “anti-Semitic”.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, Israel has become an apartheid state because of inhuman acts, racial discrimination, separation, confiscation of lands, and unlawful activities against Palestine, just like South Africa. The continued control of Israel has created hindrances in the way of Palestine’s people. Nakba Day event has cleared the terms of the apartheid state of Israel against Palestine. Currently, the persistent attacks on Palestine have segregated education, health, and houses and restricted freedom movement even though they cannot access basic facilities like water, food, and health facilities due to Israel’s attacks. Thus, the existing situation of Palestine apartheid is an apt term to describe their plight.
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