The lie of apartheid: The 2026 Israel election is a display of the country's diversity - opinion

The upcoming October 27 Israeli election is presented as a powerful rebuttal to accusations of apartheid, according to this opinion piece. The author argues that the notion of Israel as an apartheid state is a false charge, particularly when compared to the institutionalized racism of South Africa's past. The piece highlights the presence and rights of Arab citizens within Israel, contrasting their situation with the oppression faced by non-whites under apartheid.

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What non-whites endured in South Africa left a terrible stain on human history.

Drawing on personal reflections from a visit to Johannesburg's Apartheid Museum, the author emphasizes the horrors of institutionalized racism and the courage of those who fought against it. The article expresses disgust at the comparison of Israel to apartheid, citing instances like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's remarks. It asserts that Israel, with 73.2% of its population being Jewish, operates as a democracy where Arab citizens possess rights that were unimaginable for Black South Africans during apartheid.

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And I learned how offensive it is to compare South African Apartheid to any other tragedy in human history, just as the Holocaust should never be compared to anything else that ever happened anywhere else in the world.

The piece points to Arab judges like George Karra and Salim Joubran, who have presided over cases involving prominent Jewish figures, as evidence against apartheid claims. It suggests that the upcoming election will further undermine these accusations, as Arab citizens are poised to play a decisive role. While acknowledging that Israel is not perfect and the situation for people in pre-1967 territories remains complex, the author insists that the country is far from apartheid and remains democratic and non-racist.

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The apartheid canard has always been one of the easiest false charges against Israel to disprove.