The yearly "Apartheid Week" is upon us.

[Zack]

That's funny, I haven't heard Israel say that.

How closely do you follow Israel?

 

[caketastydelish]

The modern islamic theocracy hates Israel's guts, no doubt about it. Of course criticizing that pathetic excuse for a regime is justified. I haven't heard Israel criticize ancient Persia, that's what I was talking about.

 

[Zack]

The modern islamic theocracy hates Israel's guts, no doubt about it. Of course criticizing that pathetic excuse for a regime is justified. I haven't heard Israel criticize ancient Persia, that's what I was talking about.

No one said anything about ancient Persia.

 

[classical_hero]

I'm perfectly aware of that, but I'm rather sure people calling Israel an Apartheid state are referring to the muslim Palestinians and not to the Arab christians.

They are not Israeli citizens, so they don't get the same rights as an Israeli citizen gets. How hard is that people to understand that non citizens don't get the same benefits as citizens? Arab Israelis get the same rights as other Israelis, since they are both citizens of the country. Palestinians don't get the same rights as their Arab Israelis, since they are not citizens of Israel.

 

[Borachio]

Who was it decided that Palestinians weren't Israeli citizens?

They were inhabiting that parcel of land before the establishment of the state of Israel, weren't they? Then they became, magically, refugees and had to leave and live in Jordan, the West Bank, and the Gaza strip. Or some such places. I don't know the exact details.

If it's a matter of simply where you currently live (though I don't see why it should be), then how is it that Israeli settlers in occupied territories have Israeli citizenship?

Strange how international justice works, isn't it?

 

[Tahuti]

They are not Israeli citizens, so they don't get the same rights as an Israeli citizen gets. How hard is that people to understand that non citizens don't get the same benefits as citizens? Arab Israelis get the same rights as other Israelis, since they are both citizens of the country. Palestinians don't get the same rights as their Arab Israelis, since they are not citizens of Israel.

The vast majority of Israeli Arabs ARE ALSO Palestinians. They just have Israeli citizenship and probably do not have Palestinian citizenship though they definitely are Palestinian Arabs just as much as most Palestinian citizens are. There is nothing mutually exclusive about being a Palestinian and an Israeli and the mistaken belief that it is arguably what contributes to perpetuating the conflict.

Who was it decided that Palestinians weren't Israeli citizens?

Well, after 1948, elements of the Israeli army, Zionist militants and to a lesser extent the Arab governments themselves encouraged or forced Palestinians to leave what is today's Israel. Those that somehow managed to stay were granted Israeli citizenship shortly after the conclusion of the 1948 war. When East-Jerusalem was annexed, the Palestinians there were also granted the possibility of gaining Israeli citizenship with no strings attached, though most haven't done so.

Now, you probably mean the Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza Strip. There however lies the point that - in spite of Israel's support of the settlers - neither Israel nor the international community recognises the regions as part of Israel. It is occupied territory, Israel itself recognises so.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I wonder how many Americans built homes in Iraq when it was considered to be "occupied territory". How many of them demanded that the Iraqis be walled in for their supposed protection. How many Iraqis were ethnically cleansed to make room for more Americans. How many don't allow Iraqis, or even Americans, to marry Iraqis who were ethnically cleansed due to fear and paranoia that they might be terrorists.

 

[Tahuti]

I was thinking of the Iraq occupation as well.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

I'm detecting astronomical levels of self-righteousness in this thread, is it about Israel?

 

[Agent327]

Here is a test from the LA Times about Israel and whether it is an Apartheid state as those who oppose Israel say.

One does not need to oppose Israel to be critical of its treatment of Palestinian citizens.

Before looking at the answer key, try to imagine the condition of blacks in South Africa, the victims of apartheid, in each of the settings in the quiz.

Apartheid was not just directed at the majority black population of South Africa, but against anyone defined as non-white (which would include people descendent from India originally, such as Gandhi, and anyone of mixed ethnic descent).

I had never heard of Yearly Apartheid Week, so thanks for the update.

 

[classical_hero]

Who was it decided that Palestinians weren't Israeli citizens?

They were inhabiting that parcel of land before the establishment of the state of Israel, weren't they? Then they became, magically, refugees and had to leave and live in Jordan, the West Bank, and the Gaza strip. Or some such places. I don't know the exact details.

If it's a matter of simply where you currently live (though I don't see why it should be), then how is it that Israeli settlers in occupied territories have Israeli citizenship?

Strange how international justice works, isn't it?

It was simple, those living in the lines of 1948 when Israel was established were offered Israeli citizenship. Most took up the offer. Don't forget at the same time there could have been an establishment of a Palestinian state had the Arabs wanted to, but they refused, since it meant they had to recognise Israel, which they refused to. When Gaza was under Egyptian rule and when the West Bank was under Jordanian rule, neither were given the option of ever becoming citizens, so the fact that we don't have a Palestinian State is down to the recalcitrance of the Arab nations around them. In any other Arab country if you happen to be from Palestine, you can never become a citizen of the country you are living in and they are treated as second class citizens. The Arabs in Israel are treated as full citizens, unlike in other countries.

 

[Borachio]

Honestly, it simply isn't that simple.


Link to video.

 

[Formaldehyde]

700,000 Palestinians willingly left their homes in fear of their lives leaving nearly everything behind, thinking they would return in a few weeks after the hostilities had ended. Only they were forced to live in what amounted to internment camps elsewhere, while being prohibited from returning due largely to fear and paranoia that they would have too much influence in a supposedly democratic country.

So what's so terrible about taking all their belongings as well, including their land? It is "simple".