The Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Tuesday that he welcomes a report by Human Rights Watch. Reuters
The Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Tuesday that he welcomes a report by Human Rights Watch. Reuters
The Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Tuesday that he welcomes a report by Human Rights Watch. Reuters
The Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Tuesday that he welcomes a report by Human Rights Watch. Reuters

Palestinian officials welcome report accusing Israel of 'apartheid'


  • English
  • Arabic

Top Palestinian officials on Tuesday welcomed a report by Human Rights Watch that accused Israel of committing the crime of "apartheid" by seeking to maintain Jewish "domination" over Palestinians and its own Arab population.

The explosive allegations were fiercely denounced by Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for international action on what he said were “war crimes”.

"It is urgent for the international community to intervene, including by making sure that their states, organisations and companies are not contributing in any way to the execution of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine," he said.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh also welcomed the report.

It “articulately defines Israeli policies and atrocities against the Palestinian people using the proper legal definition for crimes and criminals,” he said on Tuesday.

HRW said its finding that Israel is "committing the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution" against Palestinians was based on robust sourcing including government planning materials and statements by public officials.

The 213-page report finds that the Israeli government is the "single authority" with primary control "over the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea".

Currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, Israel blasted HRW's accusations as "preposterous and false", accusing the New York-based group of having "a long-standing anti-Israeli agenda".

"The purpose of this spurious report is in no way related to human rights, but to an ongoing attempt by HRW to undermine the State of Israel's right to exist as the nation state of the Jewish people," Strategic Affairs Minister Michael Biton said.

Israel's Foreign Ministry told AFP the HRW report amounted to a "propaganda pamphlet" from an organisation that has been "actively seeking for years to promote boycotts against Israel".

The ministry said HRW's Israel programme was being "led by a known [BDS] supporter, with no connection to facts or reality on the ground," referring to the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

The report's author, HRW Israel and Palestine Director Omar Shakir, was expelled from Israel in 2019 over accusations he backs BDS.

Mr Shakir denies that his work and pro-Palestinian statements he made before being appointed to the HRW post in 2016 constitute active support for BDS.

He said HRW also sent the ICC its 2018 report about possible crimes against humanity by Mr Abbas's Palestinian Authority and the Islamist militant Hamas.

But, he told AFP there have been warnings for years that "apartheid is around the corner".

"I think it's quite clear that that threshold has been crossed," Mr Shakir said from Jordan.

Within Israeli controlled territory, there is "an overarching Israeli government policy to maintain the domination by Jewish Israelis over Palestinians," HRW said.

The group said its findings apply to Israeli treatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the blockaded Gaza Strip, occupied East Jerusalem as well as to Arab Israelis – a term referring to Palestinians who stayed on their land following Israel's creation in 1948.

HRW said that while apartheid was initially coined with respect to the institutional persecution of blacks in South Africa, it was now a universally recognised legal term.

An apartheid system is defined by "an effort to maintain domination by one racial group over another, a context of systematic oppression by the dominant group over the marginalised group [and] inhuman acts," the group said.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, the same year it annexed east Jerusalem.

Since then, Jewish settlers in both areas have absorbed increased amounts of land.

Palestinians in East Jerusalem and across much of the West Bank are regularly denied building permits, while Jewish home construction has steadily grown.

While HRW is the first major international organisation to level the controversial apartheid charge against Israel, it is following a move made last year by Israeli civil society group B'Tselem.

The settler watchdog charged that the "Israeli regime implements laws, practices and state violence designed to cement the supremacy of one group – Jews – over another – Palestinians."

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

Tank warfare

Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks. 

“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.

“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”