Why is Israel not an "apartheid state"?

Question

Why is Israel not an "apartheid state"?

Answer 1

Because it is a democracy and allows freedom to all.

Answer 2

Israel is an apartheid state, the only ones who pretend not know that are israelis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lw0VjI1o...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du9hKQkxx...

The fact that israel has illegal settlements is bad enough.

Israel is generally speaking very racist

http://www.shiachat.com/forum/lofiversio...

I'm sure some will also remember when Ethiopians donated blood for Israel, Israel has dumped the blood instead of using it.

Answer 3

Come to Israel and you will see why it is not.  Arabs and Jews live together, go to school together and work together.  Many Arabs join the military even though by law they do not have to except the Druze.

Answer 4

Hi Baba,

It is not an apartheid state because:

1- It is one of the only countries in the Middle East where Muslim women with Israeli passports are allowed to vote.

2- It is one of the only countries in the M.E. where Muslims with Israeli passports have social benefits like health care and unemployment insurance.

3-  It is one of the only countries in the M.E. where Muslim women with Israeli passports are not required to "cover up."

4- It is one of the only countries in the M.E. that holds free elections.

5- Israel is the only country to have attacking enemies who attempt to pass through suicide bombers and launch daily rockets, and though she has the power to do so, has not totally annihilated the terrorists with an air raid, which could be completed within 10 minutes.

6- All Israel has are checkpoints and walls to protect her citizens from terrorism, and she imprisons those who are caught red-handed in violent acts.  That is Muslim's interpretation of "occupation."

Sincerely,

Ms. Miche ; })

Answer 5

Because Israeli arabs can go to school/movies/restaurants with Israeli Jews, marry them, be members of the knesset, etc.

Answer 6

@RJ:Great answer.Lived in Israel 5 years.Great time,great people.No racism.

A German.

Answer 7

Who said that Israel is not an apartheid regime.  Israel and South Africa are the only two countries that are still apartheid states.

Answer 8

Good question. Sorry I can't answer that.

Answer 9

Even before the State of Israel was established, Jewish leaders consciously sought to avoid the situation that prevailed in South Africa. As David Ben-Gurion told Palestinian nationalist Musa Alami in 1934:

We do not want to create a situation like that which exists in South Africa, where the whites are the owners and rulers, and the blacks are the workers. If we do not do all kinds of work, easy and hard, skilled and unskilled, if we become merely landlords, then this will not be our homeland.6

Today, within Israel, Jews are a majority, but the Arab minority are full citizens who enjoy equal rights. Arabs are represented in the Knesset, and have served in the Cabinet, high-level foreign ministry posts (e.g., Ambassador to Finland) and on the Supreme Court. Under apartheid, black South Africans could not vote and were not citizens of the country in which they formed the overwhelming majority of the population. Laws dictated where they could live, work and travel. And, in South Africa, the government killed blacks who protested against its policies. By contrast, Israel allows freedom of movement, assembly and speech. Some of the government's harshest critics are Israeli Arabs who are members of the Knesset.

The situation of Palestinians in the territories is different. The security requirements of the nation, and a violent insurrection in the territories, forced Israel to impose restrictions on Arab residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip that are not necessary inside Israel's pre-1967 borders. The Palestinians in the territories, typically, dispute Israel's right to exist whereas blacks did not seek the destruction of South Africa, only the apartheid regime.

If Israel were to give Palestinians full citizenship, it would mean the territories had been annexed. No Israeli government has been prepared to take that step. Instead, through negotiations, Israel agreed to give the Palestinians increasing authority over their own affairs. It is likely that a final settlement will allow most Palestinians to become citizens of their own state. The principal impediment to Palestinian independence is not Israeli policy, it is the unwillingness of the Palestinian leadership to give up terrorism and agree to live in peace beside the State of Israel.

Despite all their criticism, when asked what governments they admire most, more than 80 percent of Palestinians consistently choose Israel because they can see up close the thriving democracy in Israel, and the rights the Arab citizens enjoy there. By contrast, Palstinians place Arab regimes far down the list, and their own Palestinian Authority at the bottom with only 20 percent saying they admire the corrupt Arafat regime in 2003.6a

“There is still one other question arising out of the disaster of nations which remains unsolved to this day, and whose profound tragedy, only a Jew can comprehend. This is the African question. Just call to mind all those terrible episodes of the slave trade, of human beings who, merely because they were black, were stolen like cattle, taken prisoner, captured and sold. Their children grew up in strange lands, the objects of contempt and hostility because their complexions were different. I am not ashamed to say, though I may expose myself to ridicule for saying so, that once I have witnessed the redemption of the Jews, my people, I wish also to assist in the redemption of the Africans.”

Answer 10

Because Israeli citizens are about 20% Arabs (more than 80% are Muslims). These Israeli Arabs have equal civil rights with their Jewish counterparts.

Well said, Ms. Miche :)

Answer 11

Because in an 'apartheid state' select groups of people are lawfully discriminated against. In Israel all citizens have equal rights and social benefits, regardless of race, nationality, or religious affiliation.

Anyone who says otherwise has never been to Israel, and thus their opinion is meaningless.

Edit: the thumbs-down are from people who have never been to Israel, but feel the innate desire to hate Jews. Since they cannot argue the facts, they choose the anonymous approach.

Answer 12

Self confessed Zionist on here like to perpetuate the myth that occupied Palestine is a sea of tranquility .

   The Zionist go about their daily murder of the innocent , then through their media  , spew out vile propaganda against the Palestinians .

    unfortunately for them , we have the Internet & are able to tell the world of their daily attrocities .

    Nobody likes them . Descent Jews despise them. Aparthied is not the answer . Only a land free of zionist from the river to the sea will bring peace .

Answer 13

It is a Zionist colony and a colonial democracy without a written constitution.

I Love Ms.Miche lies .

Answer 14

It's "apartheid" when people are divided and/or separated FOR NO REASON, when one or more of the group of people that have been separated HAVE LOOKED for it due to irrational excuses for their behavior, it's plain "self defense",........there's a huge difference!

Answer 15

It is becoming very egalitarian...even to the point that in some ares Jews are discriminated against! Israel's intention is to join the E.U. and give all its citizens equal rights! Once Israel is in the E.U., the Arabs can go complain to the European Court of Justice, and for this reason Israel could NOT be an apartheid state. Hence, Zionism and European Justice go hand-in-hand!

Answer 16

It is worst. At least the apartheid did not randomly kill 9 year olds.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080611/t...