{Originally posted to Rav Zev’s eponymous blog}
…and it is the Jews, who are marginalized!
For those of you who have been reading what I have been writing over the past many years, you may be a little surprised (shocked?) to read the title of this post. Hang in there–it is not what you think.
First, a word about definitions: “Apartheid,” is a word rooted in Afrikaans, which was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa between 1948 and 1991. Apartheid was delineated into petty apartheid, which entailed the segregation of public facilities and social events, and grand apartheid, which dictated housing and employment opportunities by race.
Yesterday, the United Nations, in yet another anti-Israel move, proffered a report that accuses Israel of having established “an apartheid regime that oppresses and dominate the Palestinian people as a whole.” Almost immediately, the expected castigation of the UN began along with calls to stop funding the UN.
While I am NO fan of the United Nations, I think they got it right this time…with one minor exception. The recipient of the “apartheid” segregation of public facilities, social events, housing and employment are the JEWS and not the Arabs! If we take a look at Israeli society, we can come up with thousands of places that Arabs are gainfully employed both inside and outside the so-called “Green Line.” Arabs serve in our court system; major corporations; study in nearly every university or other higher-education facility in Israel; travel our buses and trains; drive our buses and trains; serve as Members of Knesset; doctors and nurses in all Israeli hospitals; are treated as patients in all hospitals…and so on, and so on, and so on.
Arabs enter into Judea and Samaria on a regular basis, both to work and to shop. Arabs are undoubtedly woven into the fabric of most of Israeli society. They can even freely walk on the Temple Mount (even playing soccer, G-d forbid!) and visit any holy site they wish to visit. As long as there is not a heightened level of a security threat, Arabs living in Israel enjoy more freedom that most of their brothers in other Arab countries could only dream of.
And what about the Jews? If an Arab enters a place such as Maale Adumim to work, he will be greeted with a “good morning” or other friendly words. If a Jew would enter an Arab village (by accident or on purpose) he is taking his life into his hands and stands to be lynched at any time. Not only that, there are signs at the entrance to “Palestinian” villages saying that it is actually ILLEGAL for Jews to enter. Not only is it illegal ,it is “dangerous to your lives.” (As you can see from the sign below)
Jews can not and do not work in the so-called “territories.” Jews do not drive Arab buses. Jews do not serve on any Arab city or municipal council. Jews are HIGHLY restricted from ascending the Temple Mount (the HOLIEST site in Judaism). Jews are not permitted to build homes where and when they wish. We can’t be treated in their hospitals.
Bottom line: Jews are barred from nearly all strata of Arab society, while Arabs have entrè to nearly every strata of Israeli/Jewish society. Arabs continually incite to violence in their schools. Imams preach hate on a daily and weekly basis from the mosques. Jews are vilified by Arabs in so many Arab sectors.
So, my dear United Nations, I ask you…how exactly do you see Apartheid in Israel? Because from where I am sitting, it is the JEWS who bear the brunt of that Apartheid character you so assail.