Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of 'apartheid'
The leading international human rights watchdog cited Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza vis-a-vis Jewish Israelis. The Israeli government dismissed the report.
A leading human rights organization decided Tuesday to refer to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories as "apartheid." The harsh criticism reflects growing criticism of Israeli policies toward Palestinians.
Human Rights Watch said Tuesday that Israel is committing “crimes against humanity of apartheid” in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, according to a press release. This is the first time the New York-based organization has used the term to refer to Israeli control of these areas.
“We must raise the political price for Israel to maintain the status quo,” Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa director Eric Goldstein wrote in the Jewish outlet Forward Tuesday.
Apartheid refers to the race-based segregation system in place in South Africa in the 20th century. The arrangement allowed for preferential treatment of white people versus the Asian, mixed-race and especially black populations.
