Israel is emphatically not an apartheid state, as explained by Olga Mese Washington, who grew up under the brutal system of apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination against black people, denying them basic rights and freedoms solely based on their skin color.
In contrast, Israel is a democratic state that grants equal rights to all its citizens, regardless of race or ethnicity. Arab citizens of Israel can vote, serve in government, study at universities, and work in any profession. The accusation that Israel separates Jews from non-Jews in the same way apartheid South Africa segregated whites from blacks is an absolute lie that trivializes the suffering of black South Africans under apartheid.
Israel is a beacon of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and women’s rights in the Middle East – values that are suppressed in the surrounding Arab countries. Accusing Israel of apartheid is not only factually incorrect but diminishes the experiences of those who endured the horrors of true apartheid.
Israel Is Not Committing Genocide
The claim that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians is also a complete misconception. Genocide refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Israel’s military actions are acts of self-defense against terrorist organizations like Hamas, which has vowed to destroy Israel and kill its people.
Calling Israel’s defensive measures “genocide” is not only inaccurate but trivializes actual genocides happening in places like Nigeria, where Christians face systematic violence and killings aimed at wiping out their community. Such false accusations against Israel distract from addressing real genocides occurring worldwide.
Occupation and Colonization Claims Are Unfounded
The accusations that Israel is an “occupier” and a “colonizer” in Palestinian territories are also unfounded half-truths. Israel cannot occupy or colonize a land to which it has an ancient, indigenous claim dating back over 4,000 years to the time of Abraham.
The Jewish people have maintained a continuous presence in the land of Israel for millennia, establishing sovereignty, currency, language, and self-determination long before being expelled and dispersed. Israel’s rebirth as a nation in 1948 was not a colonization but a reconstitution of the Jewish homeland.
In conclusion, the allegations of apartheid, genocide, occupation, and colonization leveled against Israel are inaccurate and often rooted in an intentional narrative that distorts the truth. As Bible-believing Christians, we must seek and stand for the truth regarding Israel and its rightful, ancient claim to the land, as prophesied throughout Scripture.
