Saher Ghazawi

In early February, Amnesty International published a groundbreaking report titled “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: A Cruel System of Domination and a Crime Against Humanity”. This report places in our hands a golden opportunity to highlight Israeli practices in the occupied territories, including within Palestinian areas inside Israel. It describes Israel’s policies as apartheid, with its practices aligning closely with cases such as the recent closure of the investigation into the killing of Ahmad Hijazi, a martyr from Tamra, under flimsy pretexts that justify the use of lethal force against Arabs on mere suspicion that they are Arab.

Indeed, the closure of the investigation into Hijazi’s killing reflects the Israeli state’s hostile treatment of Palestinian citizens inside Israel as a “subordinate ethnic group systematically deprived of their rights,” as the Amnesty report states. This aligns with the broader picture of the over 60 Palestinians killed since 2000, who have been gunned down with impunity as part of Israel’s ongoing climate of racial discrimination against Arabs in the country. This was also noted by the Mizan Human Rights Center in its statement regarding the closure of the investigation into Hijazi’s death.

While Palestinians have been living under this reality of systemic racial discrimination, apartheid, and political oppression for more than seven decades, the importance of Amnesty’s report lies in its international recognition of these practices as apartheid, providing a strong platform for advocating for the Palestinian cause and seeking justice on the global stage, particularly in international courts such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold Israel accountable for its apartheid policies.

The Greater Significance of the Amnesty Report

It is important to emphasize that although this report may not present entirely new information to us as Palestinians who have lived with these harsh realities for decades, it is nevertheless an important and influential addition to the international human rights discourse. This report strengthens our position and helps amplify our voices in international human rights forums, aiding our efforts to hold Israel accountable in global courts and advocate for a just solution to the Palestinian cause.

What distinguishes this report is that it is not merely a documentation of the oppression and discrimination we have long known; it is an international affirmation that Israel’s policies amount to a crime against humanity. Amnesty International’s report frames the situation as a systemic issue, not just isolated incidents, giving it a legal and moral weight that cannot be ignored.

The Israeli Response to the Report

It is no surprise that Israel is highly disturbed by this report, which it has dismissed as “false,” “biased,” and “anti-Semitic.” Israel’s efforts to prevent or discredit the report failed, and it is now facing the reality that this document could have significant global repercussions. The report brings with it the potential to reshape Israel’s international image, particularly in the West, where growing public awareness of Israel’s apartheid policies is manifesting through cultural and economic boycotts.

In fact, Israel’s growing concern about this report is rooted in the insight provided by one of Israel’s senior military officials, who wrote in Haaretz recently, predicting that Israel’s actions will increasingly be scrutinized internationally. This aligns with the warnings of Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, who famously said, “Those who think we can resolve historical conflicts through military force alone do not understand the world we live in. Every local issue is now a global issue, and our relations with the people of the world are as important as our military power.”

How Can We Make the Most of This Opportunity?

The opportunity presented by Amnesty’s report is a valuable one that we must utilize strategically across all fronts—media, legal, and on-the-ground activism—to advance the Palestinian cause, reduce the injustice we face, and build greater international solidarity. Here are some ways we can maximize this opportunity:

1. Raising International Awareness: We must intensify efforts to raise awareness about Israel’s apartheid system, not just in Palestine, but globally. By educating and mobilizing people, we can foster international solidarity and expose the true nature of Israeli policies.
2. Pressuring the International Criminal Court (ICC): Amnesty’s report serves as a strong legal foundation to push for greater accountability in international courts, particularly the ICC. We should continue to press for investigations and legal proceedings to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity, specifically its apartheid system.
3. Popular Movements and Boycotts: The rise of cultural and academic boycotts against Israel in Western countries represents an important shift in public opinion. We must continue supporting these initiatives and amplify grassroots movements, as they play a critical role in demonstrating that the Palestinian cause is gaining support among the people, not just governments.
4. Cooperation Between Human Rights Organizations: Strengthening coordination between Palestinian and international human rights organizations is essential. This collaboration can amplify our legal and media campaigns and ensure that the message of apartheid and racial discrimination reaches global audiences more effectively.
5. Ongoing Struggle on the Ground: Finally, the struggle for justice must continue within Palestine, as it is inseparable from our efforts on the international stage. We need to keep documenting human rights abuses, raising local awareness, and showing the world that the fight against Israeli apartheid is not just a legal or political issue, but one that affects millions of lives daily.

Conclusion

The Amnesty International report represents a pivotal moment in the global struggle for justice in Palestine. It offers us a golden opportunity to increase pressure on Israel and highlight the systemic racism it enacts against the Palestinian people. However, to make the most of this opportunity, we must act swiftly and strategically—both on the ground and internationally. Failure to fully exploit this moment could mean losing a critical chance to hold Israel accountable for its apartheid policies. With global public opinion increasingly turning against Israel, particularly in the West, it is time for us to ensure that the truth of Palestinian oppression is heard and acted upon across the world.