It's imperative that we expose non-Jewish civic, religious, business and academic leaders to the reality of Israeli society – and debunk the odious myth of Israeli apartheid.
By ROBERT HORENSTEINTwisted version of Israel flag, Apartheid flag 311(photo credit: Richard Millett)
DURING A SUMMER OUTING AT THE SHFAIM WATER PARK near Netanya on the Mediterranean coast, I was struck by the large number of Arab families, both Christian and Muslim, enjoying the pools and slides alongside Jewish families. On different days, I have seen the same scene at Maimadion, a water park in Tel Aviv, at the natural pools in the Sakhne near Beit She’an, and at the Ma’agan Resort on the southern shore of the Kinneret: Arabs and Jews, relaxing, picnicking, playing – coexisting.Life isn’t perfect for Israel’s Arab population of over 1.5 million. According to a recent study by the Israel Bar Association, for example, Israeli Arabs are given jail sentences more often than Jews convicted of the same crimes and serve longer sentences than Jews. It’s a serious problem that Israel’s self-correcting democracy should address without delay.On the other hand, the many instances of Jewish-Arab coexistence, such as those described above, should not simply be dismissed as superficial. After all, where in the Middle East other than in Israel could such scenes be possible, let alone relatively common? At about the same time I was admiring up close Israel’s open, multicultural society, a reputable watchdog group some 4,000 miles away had just declared that Israel is an apartheid state. On July 5, the South African Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), in response to a complaint lodged by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies about an ad calling for a boycott of Israel, brashly asserted, “The expression of the view that Israel is an apartheid state… is based on a sound factual matrix.”Anyone who has visited Israel or studied it in depth is likely to view claims that it is an apartheid state as patently absurd. But when these accusations emanate from South Africa, where the term apartheid carries considerable emotional and historical weight, they may seem credible in the eyes of the world.The ASA’s ruling is a microcosm of the upside-down moral universe in which the delegitimization of Israel thrives. In this universe, facts are drowned out by false propaganda, fairness gives way to double standards, and logic is trumped by a deep-rooted moral blindness.Consider the following: • Over the last five years, thousands of black Sudanese refugees have risked their lives to reach the so-called apartheid state of Israel, where they’ve been given shelter, medical care and, in some cases, jobs. Not only were these refugees persecuted in Egypt, but Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel’s putative peace partner, continues to express his unwavering support for Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese leader who was indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide. There has been virtually no outcry against Egypt or the PA.• Omar Barghouti, a Palestinian co-founder of the Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, travels from campus to campus in the US denouncing Israel as an apartheid state. Barghouti recently earned a master’s degree in philosophy (in the field of ethics) from Tel Aviv University. Furthermore, when students demanded his expulsion in 2009, Tel Aviv University Rector Zvi Galil responded that “the university cannot and will not expel [Barghouti] on the basis of his political views or his actions.” Or, for that matter, his nationality.• From time to time, there have been those in the UK and elsewhere in Europe who have called for a boycott of the Israel Medical Association or have urged medical professionals from around the world to boycott medical conferences held in the so-called apartheid state. Perhaps these misinformed souls think there are separate medical facilities for Jews and Arabs in Israel. In fact, visit any major Israeli hospital and you’ll find many Arab patients – not only Israeli citizens but also Arabs from the Palestinian-controlled territories – receiving the highest-quality care on the same ward as Jewish patients. Last year alone, 180,000 Arabs from the West Bank and Gaza were treated at Israeli medical centers, including a 4-month-old infant from Gaza whose treatment for a life-threatening genetic disorder was the subject of the award-winning Israeli documentary, “Precious Life.”Israeli official hasbara (PR) isn’t always effective in its attempts to counter the false depictions of Israel as a pariah state deserving of boycotts and divestment. Moreover, two-thirds of American Jews have never visited Israel; thus, knowledge about Israel remains fairly shallow even within the Jewish community, not to mention the wider general public.If we are to prevail over the delegitimizers, the organized Jewish community must continue to make meaningful trips to Israel a high funding priority, enabling more people to observe firsthand Israel’s vibrant – albeit far from flawless – democracy as well as its complex challenges, especially with regard to its Arab minority. In particular, efforts should target Jewish young adults, especially those who have never participated in Taglit-Birthright.But it’s also imperative that we expose non-Jewish civic, religious, business and academic leaders to the reality of Israeli society – and debunk the odious myth of Israeli apartheid. • The writer is Community Relations Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland
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