Apartheid Distortion

The word "Apartheid" references a specific political and evil structure that existed in South Africa where Black People were second class inhabitants and had almost no rights in a society controlled by a White minority. In other words, it was a system of government under one land, one ruling power, with different rights for different peoples.

The formula for anti-Semitism is finding the source of suffering, pain, struggles, trauma, or negative experiences of a community and attaching that to the Jewish People.

Apartheid, which is clearly a negative experience that triggers trauma and heavy emotions with many, is unfortunately also a common word used to wrongly describe Israel, the Homeland of the Jewish People and others. The use of this word does not allow anyone to understand the real systemic problems for them to be changed, but rather intentionally hijacks a word with negative baggage to ultimately demonize the right for the Jewish People to self-determine in their ancestral land, and using the suffering of Palestinians to cover it up.

Prior to 1948, the region of Israel/Palestine/Levant was under British rule and consisted of Israel proper, Judea & Samaria (West Bank), Gaza, & Jordan. Today, Jordan is under the control of a foreign Hashemite Kingdom, Israel has its own democratic government, Gaza is under the dictatorship of Hamas, and Judea & Samaria is divided into 3 areas for which some is controlled by Israel and some is controlled by the Palestinian Authority, also a dictatorship.

Israelis cannot enter Area A of Judea & Samaria (West Bank) nor can they enter Gaza. Palestinians from Gaza or Judea & Samaria cannot enter Israel without permits, which thousands come in and out of Israel everyday for work. The reality is that limitation of movement is based on what government and authority one falls under, depending on where they live, and exists for both Israelis and Palestinians.

That being said, this does not mean that limitation of movement nor the status quo is justified. The fact that this land is divided and that all of its inhabitants cannot access it equally is an insult to the memories of the ancestors and to the collective aspirations and needs of all Peoples attached to this land. However, when people appropriate a term that represents a real experience in order to manipulate populations to thinking that there is one "good side" and one "bad side", while removing all context to understand what truly exists, then they are simultaneously feeding into the conflict and serving as fuel to it.

If the status quo is to change, it must take a genuine understanding of injustice, rather than manipulating injustice to demonize one side. Resist the status quo and fight injustice, but do not be a pawn to the wars that effect millions of people and benefit only a handful.

Video: HaBayit (The Home), Rudy Rochman & Inon Dan Kehati

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