What is the definition of apartheid and why has Israel been accused of it ?
According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the crime of Apartheid is defined as follows:
“The crime of apartheid” means inhumane acts of a character similar to those referred to in paragraph 1, committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime;”
There are many inhumane acts listed under paragraph 1, but the most relevant to our case are:
- Deportation or forcible transfer of population.
- Imprisonment and severe deprivation of liberty.
- Persecution based on ethnic, religious or national origins.
- Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.
It is indisputable that Israel practices these acts against Palestinians, inside and outside of the green line. It is also indisputable that as a state built on a colonial ideology that privileges one ethnic group over the rest, its actions are ultimately committed to maintain this system of supremacy.