By Evan Rahmey, Hasbara Fellow at Rutgers University
A recent report from the non-governmental organization (NGO) Amnesty International labeled Israel an ‘Apartheid’ state. The report comes just as Human Rights Watch and other NGOs have also begun accusing the Jewish State of committing the crime of apartheid. Amnesty International’s new report has been met with both praise from Israel’s detractors and sharp rebuke from those who claim that any such accusation is completely false. The Israeli government has taken the offensive and accused Amnesty of singling out the Jewish State and trafficking in antisemitism. The United Kingdom dismissed Amnesty’s claim and Germany’s foreign ministry stated that it was not helpful in resolving the conflict in the Middle East.
In the United States where almost every political issue has become a polarizing one, there has been widespread bipartisan consensus among U.S. politicians of both parties, that labeling Israel an apartheid state was uncalled for. While some of the more progressive U.S. lawmakers such as Cori Bush, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib have commended Amnesty International for its report on Israel, their voices are a far cry from the majority opinion of U.S lawmakers, even within the Democratic Party. The Progressive Caucus’ ‘It Girl,’ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has remained conspicuously silent on this issue while U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle were quick to reject the report from Amnesty. New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez made remarks that Amnesty International has joined a growing list of organizations intent on denying Israel’s right to exist through vicious slanders and outright lies. Republican Senator James Lankford, from Oklahoma, accused Amnesty of singling out Israel instead of focusing on the human rights abuses of other countries such as China.
Despite the widespread condemnation circulating around the report, Amnesty’s accusation that Israel is an apartheid state is part of a much larger shift in the narrative surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Amnesty’s recent report calling Israel an apartheid state comes at a time of great social reckoning in the United States. The horrific murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020 captured that nation’s attention. It re-awakened America’s painful history of racism and its treatment of Black Americans, and sparked a national debate over social justice. Americans of all backgrounds marched through the streets of the country’s largest cities demanding change and justice for the brutal murder of George Floyd. Many Americans were becoming acutely aware of the real inequalities between different racial and ethnic groups that have been present in the country since even before its founding. The younger generations of Millennials and Gen Zers became especially concerned with pushing for sweeping social change and standing up for the most vulnerable in society.
One year later, in May 202 the memory of George Floyd’s death still loomed in the minds of many Americans. As fighting erupted between Hamas, the terror group in control of Gaza, and Israel, many young American activists turned their attention towards the escalating tensions in the Middle East. The sentiment from the racial reckoning of 2020 was still being felt in 2021 and was projected onto the war taking place in the Middle East. Many of the same activists who marched through the streets in support of Black Lives Matter in 2020 also did so for the Palestinian cause the following year. They stood up against what they perceived as a clear imbalance of power between Israel and the Palestinian people. Israel, with its superior military capability and advanced economy, stood as a giant in comparison to the much weaker Palestinian people who possessed neither the military nor economic strength of Israel In the first couple of decades after its founding in 1948, Israel was often seen by the many Americans as the weak and vulnerable David, fighting Goliath, its hostile Arab neighbors vowing to destroy the fledgling state, which was created only shortly after the genocide of six million Jews in the Holocaust. But today, the image of Israel as a weak and vulnerable state is no longer accurate. Instead, Israel is now viewed as the Goliath, and its foes, the David.
The shift in the American public opinion towards Israel is evidenced by the generational gap between older and younger Americans. A study (Pew Report) conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2018 found that while 56% percent of Americans over the age of 65 sympathized with Israel, that number gradually declined with each age cohort, falling to only 32% of Americans between the ages of 18-29 who expressed sympathy towards Israel. While the older generation of Americans remember a time when Israel was the underdog in the conflict who had its back against the wall, younger Americans seem to be unfamiliar with that narrative. For many, Israel is seen as a colossal giant whose military power is no match for the Palestinian resistance. The Palestinians are now viewed as the underdogs, and who wouldn’t want to root for the underdog?
As the narrative continues to shift American public opinion on Israel, Amnesty’s new report declaring Israel an apartheid furthers the changing perception of the conflict. While it was once considered radical, even akin to political suicide, calling Israel an apartheid state has become increasingly more common in recent years and Amnesty is just one of many organizations who have made this claim. In doing so, Amnesty has broken what was once considered a taboo and even legitimized the idea of Israel being an apartheid state. Through this legitimization, the well-respected Amnesty International has also made it acceptable for other groups to call Israel an apartheid state and has given the green light to many individuals who might have otherwise been unsure in the past to affirm their belief of an ‘Israeli Apartheid regime.
For years, Palestinian activists have made claims accusing Israel of being an apartheid state; now this argument is strengthened as respected human rights organizations like Amnesty International have begun to support their claims. As a result of this shift in perspectives, the Palestinian narrative has been brought to the forefront at the expense of Israelis who see their side of the story becoming more and more misunderstood by the public. This boost in public relations for the Palestinians will further lower the perception of Israel by those with very little knowledge about the history of the conflict. Israel is now facing a great amount of backlash from many in the international community. Given the shifting public opinion on this conflict, it seems certain that Israel’s international image will continue to worsen as the years progress.
Despite the recent increase in criticism that Israel has been receiving from the international community, it is not an indicator for how public opinion towards the country will be in the future. Israel has always faced intense criticism from its detractors and unfortunately, will most likely never be free from the demonization and delegitimization that it receives from many in the international community. However, increased attention to the conflict in the Middle East means that more people want to be engaged and understand the conflict at length. Aside from the occasional ‘Woke’ Instagram posts of famous celebrities denouncing Israel or the taunting of anti-Israel students and professors on college campuses, there are still many people eager to engage in open dialogues and understand both sides’ narratives. While strong emotions tend to persuade people during times of conflict, it is important that pro-Israel advocates continuously engage in spreading their message, especially during times of relative calm when it is much more difficult for emotions to get in the way. Furthermore, outreach programs such as Hasbara Fellowships and Birthright can help bring a positive image to Israel and give people a better glimpse of a country only portrayed during times of conflict and understood by some to be only a war zone. In reality, Israel is a tiny nation which has made a remarkable impact on the world. Whether it be in the booming tech industry that rivals Silicon Valley, helping to make the desert bloom, groundbreaking scientific discoveries, or even its incredible culinary scene, Israel has a lot more to offer than many could even imagine. Understanding Israel beyond only its media portrayal will display a nation that is thriving and eager to build a better future for everyone.
