Amnesty condemns Israeli Apartheid and calls for international action to end oppression of Palestinians

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign has praised today’s publication of a detailed new report by Amnesty International showing that Israel is committing the crime against humanity of Apartheid against the Palestinian people.

The 211 page report, entitled ‘Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity’, is the latest in a long line of human rights organisations levelling similar charges against Israel. It calls for international sanctions, including an arms embargo, against the Israeli state and individuals implicated in these crimes, for the International Criminal Court to investigate Israeli Apartheid, and for the United Nations to re-establish the Special Committee against Apartheid.

According to the devastating report, Amnesty has “has concluded that Israel has perpetrated the international wrong of apartheid” and notes that “almost all of Israel’s civilian administration and military authorities, as well as governmental and quasi-governmental institutions, are involved in the enforcement of the system of apartheid against Palestinians across Israel and the OPT and against Palestinian refugees and their descendants outside the territory.”

Click here to read our new Briefing Paper breaking down Anmesty’s report and recommendations

IPSC Chairperson Fatin Al Tamimi welcomed the report, stating: “Amnesty International is to be commended for publishing this powerful report, which echoes the points we Palestinians have been making for decades. With crystal clarity, the report shows that oppressive regime Israel imposes upon the Palestinian people is neither accidental nor temporary, but rather it is calculated, systematic and permanent. It is Apartheid, designed to ensure Palestinians remain in a position of perpetual subjugation – and in the case of Palestinian refugees, in a state of eternal enforced exile.”

Ms Tamimi continued: “In particular we welcome the report’s recommendations for action, aimed at national, international and supranational governments and institutions. In the IPSC we have long argued that there must be a political and economic price attached to Israel’s systematic oppression of Palestinians and denial of their rights, so to see such clear calls for concrete international actions and sanctions is refreshing.”

Ms. Tamimi concluded: “From Al Haq to B’Tselem to Human Rights Watch and now Amnesty, all serious human rights organisations – whether Palestinian, Israeli or international – are clear that Israel is committing the Crime of Apartheid. The question is when will international governments recognise this reality and act to end Israeli apartheid? When will Palestinians have our South Africa moment? When will we be free?”

The Report’s Recommendations include the following –

Calling on Israel to:

“End the system of apartheid by dismantling measures of discrimination, segregation and oppression currently in place against the Palestinian population and undertake a review of all laws, regulations, policies and practices that discriminate on racial, ethnic or religious grounds, and repeal or amend them to bring them into line with international human rights law and standards.”
“Grant equal and full human rights to all Palestinians in Israel and the OPT.”
“Recognize the right of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to homes where they or their families once lived in Israel or the OPT, and to receive restitution and compensation and other effective remedies for the loss of their land and property.”

Calling on the International Criminal Court to:

“Consider the applicability of the crime against humanity of apartheid within [its] current formal investigation” into Israeli actions in Palestine.”

Calling the United Nations Security Council to:

“Impose targeted sanctions, such as asset freezes, against Israeli officials most implicated in the crime of apartheid.”
“Impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel.”
“Explore avenues to bring perpetrators of crimes under international law to justice … This could include referring the entire situation to the ICC or establishing an international tribunal to try alleged perpetrators of international crimes.”

Calling on the UN General Assembly to:

“Re-establish the Special Committee against Apartheid.”

Calling on the European Union collectively, individual states unilaterally to:

“Not support the system of apartheid or render aid or assistance to maintaining such a regime, and cooperate to bring an end to this unlawful situation.”
“Ensure that human rights are central to all bilateral and multilateral agreements with the Israeli authorities, including by exercising due diligence to ensure that these do not contribute to maintaining the system of apartheid.”
“Immediately suspend the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer, including transit and trans-shipment to Israel of all weapons, munitions and other military and security equipment, including the provision of training and other military and security assistance.”
“Institute and enforce a ban on products from Israeli settlements [and to] prohibit companies’ operation in settlements or trade in settlements goods.”
“Exercise universal jurisdiction in investigating any person under your jurisdiction who may reasonably be suspected of committing crimes against humanity or other crimes under international law.”
“Publicly recognize that international crimes, including the crime of apartheid, are being committed in Israel and the OPT.”

Calling on private entities to:

“Ensure that your own activities in Israel and the OPT are not contributing to or benefiting from the system of apartheid; address such impact when it occurs and cease relevant activities if it cannot be prevented.”

The full report can be read here.

Click here to read our new Briefing Paper breaking down Anmesty’s report and recommendations

Previous reports detailing the Apartheid nature of Israel’s policies include:

Human Rights Watch: A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution (2021)
B’Tselem: A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is Apartheid (2021)
War on Want: Israeli Apartheid factsheet (2021)
Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council: Israel Entrenches Crime of Apartheid over the Palestinian People (2020)
Yesh Din: The Occupation of the West Bank and the Crime of Apartheid (2020)
UN ESCWA: Israeli Practices towards the Palestinian People and the Question of Apartheid (2017)