The 'Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)' movement — a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality — is pushing for pressure to be put on Israel to comply with international law. It believes that Israel is occupying and colonising Palestinian land, discriminating against Palestinian citizens of Israel and denying Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes.
For #IAW2017: a factsheet to explain what #apartheid means. You can learn more at events we're co-hosting this week: https://t.co/Mzaswdo0T3
— War on Want (@WarOnWant) 26 February 2017
It follows the visit, February 20-24, of a cross-party delegation of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) which severely criticized Israel over its recent decision to build 3,000 new settler homes in the West Bank and to retroactively legalise thousands of illegal settlements.
Following the decision, the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement that construction approvals are "part of a return to normal life in Judea and Samaria, as well as conduct which provides real solutions to housing and living needs."
According to a briefing on the issue by the campaign group War on Want, there is "overwhelming evidence" that the system instituted by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people meets the UN definition of 'apartheid.'
In effect, the group say, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory constitute one territorial unit under full Israeli control. As of 2015, of the total population of people that live in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, around 6.6 million are Jewish Israelis and about 6.4 million are Palestinians.
"Under Israeli law, and in practice, Jewish Israelis and Palestinians are treated differently in almost every aspect of life including freedom of movement, family, housing, education, employment and other basic human rights. Dozens of Israeli laws and policies institutionalise this prevailing system of racial discrimination and domination," the briefing states.
"Segregation is carried out by implementing separate legal regimes for Jewish Israelis and Palestinians living in the same area. For example, Jewish Israeli settlers living in the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are governed by Israeli civil law, while Palestinians also living in the occupied West Bank are governed by Israeli military law."
Pressure from EU
The EU has stepped up pressure on the Israeli Government in recent weeks. In its latest briefing on the situation, the office of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said the two-state solution is in "great danger."
"We still believe in what the Middle East Quartet wrote last summer, that the two-state solution is in great danger, and urgent action is needed to stop and reverse the current trends. The Quartet identified three major threats against the viability of the two states," Ian Borg, President-in-Office of the Council told the European Parliament.
Israel-Palestine: MEPs express their concerns about peace process. Read → https://t.co/uSjKaf8tAm pic.twitter.com/78LhuIRl2H
— European Parliament (@Europarl_EN) 23 February 2017
"First, continued settlement expansion, demolitions and the denial of Palestinian development. Second, violence and incitement to violence which inflict terrible suffering and deepen the mistrust between the communities, and third, the dire situation in Gaza, the continued militant activity and the lack of Palestinian unity. It is very clear that the situation is not improving and on some issues it is deteriorating," he said.
