To quote the Guardian, "His stark language and the South African analogy might have been unthinkable for a senior Israeli figure only a few years ago and is a rare admission of the gravity of the deadlocked peace process."
Barak, a former general and Israel's most decorated soldier, said that a two-state solution was "the only way to secure Israel's future as a "Zionist, Jewish, democratic state." Barak also said:
As long as in this territory west of the Jordan river there is only one political entity called Israel it is going to be either non-Jewish, or non-democratic. If this bloc of millions of Palestinians cannot vote, that will be an Apartheid state.
Can you ever imagine a top American or Canadian politician making statements like these, or a leading Canadian or American newspaper publishing comments like these ones? If the politicians did make statements like these what would be the reaction?
This article only reviews a portion of the critical debate in Israel from Israeli politicians. There is much more debate and critical examination of Zionism and of Israel's policies toward the Palestinians. The comparison between Israel's policies toward the Palestinians and to Apartheid is a legitimate part of that debate and this is an analogy frequently used by Israelis and also by South Africans.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
