JVL joins with Jews globally to welcome the Amnesty Report on Israeli Apartheid

JVL Introduction

Jewish Voice for Labour is proud to be part of the international collective of progressive Jewish organisations that stand for justice for Palestinians, against racism and against antisemitism and for free speech.  A recent discussion on the Amnesty International Report Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians showed that in almost every country represented, the response from the Jewish Establishment has been the same – a rejection of the report, labelling it as antisemitic without actually refuting any of the findings or conclusions.

The Collective has issued this statement to acknowledge and welcome the fact that Amnesty has added its considerable weight to the use of the term “apartheid” to describe Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.  We believe that will contribute to further increasing support for justice for Palestinians and equality for all in Israel and Palestine.

Global Jews Welcome Amnesty Report on Israeli Apartheid

The International Jewish Collective for Justice in Palestine, which represents Jewish organizations from fifteen countries around the globe, views the recent report by Amnesty International on Israel’s system of apartheid as a a serious wake-up call to the world.

The Amnesty report is the result of years of painstaking investigation showing decisively that the Israeli government has privileged Jewish Israelis in every sphere of life over Palestinian citizens and residents in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Joining other human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and the Israeli human rights organization, B’tselem, the report echoes what Palestinians have been saying for decades in every forum they can find: that the outrageous violations of the human rights of Palestinians must stop.

The Amnesty report, as well as other critical reports on Israel’s apartheid system, can best be understood within a context of the broader Palestinian-led movement for justice against settler colonialism that began before and during Israel’s creation in 1948. At that time, the Zionist movement and then Israel expelled over 750,000 Palestinians from their land and homes. This is known as the Nakba, the catastrophe. The process of ethnic cleansing continues to this very day.

Yet again, attacks by the Israeli government and some Jewish organizations are calling the report “antisemitic,” but these critics should be pressed to provide evidence supporting their claims. This will not be possible, since the report reflects the truth. Palestinians have lived under Israel’s apartheid system for decades. As Jews, we have seen these Israeli policies in action with our own eyes and know they are in complete defiance of the long-standing Jewish tradition of social justice.

We will continue to stand firm with the Palestinian movement for freedom, justice, equality, and dignity.

The International Jewish Collective for Justice in Palestine is a coalition of organizations from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, UK, US