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Last update - 09:59 08/11/2009
Israel's apartheid is worse than South Africa's
By Yitzhak Laor
Tags: Apartheid in Israel 

The shock that gripped the shrunken peace camp following Hillary Clinton's statement that the settlement construction freeze is not what we thought it would be, but rather what Benjamin Netanyahu thought it would be, is reminiscent of other shocks generated by American peace plans ever since the 1960s.

Had the educated people of this camp not outnumbered its foot soldiers, this shock and amazement could be compared to other superstitions, like the correlation between rainfall and women's fertility.

But precisely because the Israeli intelligentsia is always coming up with prophecies about "American pressure," it would not be unreasonable to assume that we can once again expect expert regurgitation of speculations about a "first-term president" versus a "second-term" one, and about when he stops being an "incoming" president and starts being a "lame duck."
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The truth is simpler. Regardless of whether there is a Democrat or a Republican in the White House, the United States became a distinctly pro-Israel world power after the 1967 war. It has no intention of being a "balanced mediator" when it comes to the conflict with the Palestinians.

Barack Obama's public relations moves in the Arab world have frightened many average Israelis. But Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, allies of the final takeover of the West Bank, know very well that U.S. policy has not changed. It doesn't take a genius to read the working papers of past prime ministers.

The prevailing attitude of all U.S. administrations was drafted by Henry Morgenthau, and was later updated by Kenneth Waltz. One line guided all of them - Dennis Ross, Martin Indyk, George Mitchell - essentially, that any possible settlement must match the positions of the stronger party.

This is how the Americans abandoned the refugee issue, and this is why they abandoned the opposition to settlements. Netanyahu is no genius. He is simply not interested in saying good-bye to the occupation. That is all. After all, he came to power because of this. To complain about him is to complain about November rain.

The Israeli public's choice is a different matter. The spokesmen of the dovish camp tell us horror stories about a future binational state. But the binational state is already here. It has a rigid apartheid legal system, as the High Court of Justice fades away.

The system preserving this apartheid is more ruthless than that seen in South Africa, where the black were a labor force and could therefore also make a living. It is equipped with the lie of being "temporary." Occasionally, Israel's indifference comes up with allegations against the Palestinians.

Abba Eban captured the allegation by coining a phrase repeated by the doves of all parties, who never really went to battle over Israel's future and allowed the "settlement project" to spread. After all, occupation makes Israelis richer. Why oppose it?

Yaakov (Jack) Teitel is the American aid secured by moderate Israel. What Yitzhak Rabin failed to do after the massacre by the last import, Baruch Goldstein - to uproot the Jewish settlement in Hebron - will not happen now either. Shvut Rachel, Tapuah or any other such town will not be moved, nor will the smaller "illegal" outposts.

Beyond the two Palestinians whose murders were never really investigated, and past what Ami Ortiz or Professor Ze'ev Sternhell went through, Teitel is a Made-in-the-U.S.A. reminder that "no one will do for you what you fail to do for yourselves."

How to do what needs to be done? Surely, not through the rules drafted back in the 1970s, when "we" were in power and "they" were the opposition. The settlers are in power. The Shin Bet security service and Obama will not fight them.

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      1.   Yitzhak Laor 03:55  |  Sansorino 08/11/09
      2.   The only way of stopping Israel is to drop the UNSC Veto Vote 03:58  |  CJ 08/11/09
      3.   Israel`s Apartheid 04:02  |  John Swanston 08/11/09
      4.   total fabrication 04:09  |  eddie 08/11/09
      5.   Yitzchak Laor see a shrink 04:28  |  Michael 08/11/09
      6.   hamas, syria, and iran are close to sudan`s leader 04:44  |  jason 08/11/09
      7.   A TRUE, BUT A SAD COMMENTARY... 05:29  |  EL 08/11/09
      8.   Mr. Laor, come to Gallil and tell me about apartheid! 05:32  |  Zev Davis 08/11/09
      9.   J. SWANSTON.How many non white parliamentarians under Apartheid?? 05:44  |  PETER SM 08/11/09
      10.   foolish article 05:46  |  Jack 08/11/09
      11.   In SA 06:03  |  Edifice 08/11/09
      12.   sure worse than SA, can`t find diamond mines in Israel ! 06:28  |  great expectations 08/11/09
      13.   it IS worse, and it`s getting ever more so 07:02  |  eric 08/11/09
      14.   Yet people deny the reality 09:57  |  Woody 08/11/09
      15.   laor -- get a grip! 10:22  |  ruth 08/11/09
      16.   Nonesense 10:51  |  arik 08/11/09
      17.   Oh Ruth get a grip 11:09  |  Shlomo 08/11/09
      18.   Read it an weep 11:20  |  Shlomo 08/11/09
      19.   #7 EL 11:34  |  Der Zweifler 08/11/09
      20.   makes no sense in english.... 12:12  |  gaddi 08/11/09
      21.   Yitzhak Laor 12:18  |  James 08/11/09
      22.   John Swanston`s analysis is correct... 12:20  |  Frank 08/11/09
      23.   Waste of space 12:50  |  Daniel 08/11/09
      24.   Sickeningly untrue article 15:09  |  Dellboy 08/11/09
      25.   Do you accuse the Inuit of racism too, Shlomo (#17) 15:27  |  J 08/11/09
      26.   R, Jerusaelm 15:29  |  R. 08/11/09
      27.   another Haaretz lampoon member 15:32  |  Quebec observer 08/11/09
      28.   Of course this author is correct 15:37  |  Sylvie 08/11/09
      29.   apartheid 15:54  |  MW 08/11/09
      30.   ANC - Are they representing a true real humanity? 15:59  |  soeasytowritenonsens 08/11/09
      31.   ANC - Are they representing a true real humanity? 15:59  |  soeasytowritenonsens 08/11/09
      32.   Mr Y L. Amen to your title of your ARTICLE. 16:03  |  Benny Harrison 08/11/09
      33.   Sylvie...you must lead us...how many Arab friends do u have? 17:35  |  SLAVO 08/11/09
      34.   Laor 17:58  |  Daniel 08/11/09
      35.   J # 25 is so sad 18:46  |  Shlomo 08/11/09
      36.   Hitting the nail on the head 19:37  |  Janice 08/11/09
      37.   #29 MW 19:42  |  BDS 08/11/09
      38.   Time to treat Israel same as South Africa 19:49  |  Danny 08/11/09
      39.   #24 Dellboy, Mandela called it Apartheid 19:56  |  BDS 08/11/09
      40.   reply to Danny 20:09  |  Daniel 08/11/09
      41.   Israeli Aparthied? 20:23  |  Grant Freedom 08/11/09
      42.   Israel`s apartheid laws 20:25  |  Sean Clinton 08/11/09
      43.   Populistic NeoAntisemtic article 20:26  |  Rafiq 08/11/09
      44.   We all know that... and the Zionists too! 20:29  |  Libertad 08/11/09
      45.   please Mr.Laor-learn history,Jewish population and the lack of a 20:48  |  ks 08/11/09
      46.   Reply to Sean 20:50  |  Daniel 08/11/09
      47.   Different open land. New area to fight over. Plant a tree 21:36  |  Rankoo 08/11/09
      48.   YITZHAK LAOR YOU SHOULD LEARN THE MEANING OF APARTHEID 21:57  |  Zionist forever 08/11/09
      49.   CJ and the UNSC Veto Vote 22:23  |  arik 08/11/09
      50.   Yitzhak Laor 23:54  |  Ralph 08/11/09
      51.   Occupation won`t end until Pal intransigence does as well 00:23  |  Lee 09/11/09
      52.   Abbas himself said that life in the West Bank is good 00:26  |  Lee 09/11/09
      53.   Ruth 01:59  |  Chaphari 09/11/09
      54.   No Arab hostility = No Israeli apartheid 06:11  |  syrian opinion 09/11/09
      55.   LIBERTAD Clinton,Prince Bandar etc etc blamed Arafat 08:08  |  PETER SM 09/11/09
      56.   DONT rtemember South Africa having any black Generals. 08:13  |  PETER SM 09/11/09
      57.   DONT remember a Deputy Speaker in SA being black 08:15  |  PETER SM 09/11/09
      58.   Apartheid 10:45  |  Mike 09/11/09
      59.   apartheid is separate development 12:02  |  John Stephens 09/11/09
      60.   Let`s not confuse the issue 00:56  |  Tom 10/11/09
      61.   Lesson`s not learned 06:27  |  Munaver 13/11/09
      62.   Israel and Apartheid-A false analogy 02:05  |  Bryan 06/12/09
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