LETTER: Barely disguised antisemitism
The liberal left’s charge of apartheid in Israel is not based on fact
Terry Crawford-Browne’s assertion that “Israel is an apartheid state” (April 2) and that this “has been repeatedly established by international authorities including the UN” must be challenged. Just because something has been stated repeatedly does not, ipso facto, make it true. Secondly, has the UN Human Rights Council established that “fact”? Since its inception, it has condemned, censured and accused Israel 45 times. However, to state that the UN has labelled Israel an “apartheid state” is not borne out by the facts. In 2017, the then UN secretary-general directed that the publication of a report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) agency accusing Israel of apartheid was unauthorised and should be removed from the UN website. Incidentally, ESCWA is composed of 18 Arab states, from which Israel, the most diverse and democratic state in the Middle East, has been excluded for the 40 years of the agency’s existence. In a region where basic human rights defi...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.