The last apartheid state

I have been following the discussion over the past week on Israeli policies, which I believe constitute gross human rights violations. Sydney Kaye’s response was rather hypocritical, citing international law only where it suits his support for Israel (Israel no apartheid state, January 30).

Prof Richard Falk, former UN special rapporteur for Palestine, puts it quite simply. There was evidence “Israel is guilty of policies and practices that constitute the crime of apartheid as legally defined in instruments of international law.”

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu said on his return from Palestine that “I have witnessed the systemic humiliation of Palestinian men, women and children by members of the Israeli security forces. Their humiliation is familiar to all black South Africans who were corralled and harassed and insulted and assaulted by the security forces of the apartheid government.”

The world can see Israel’s treatment of Palestinians amounts to human rights violations.

Recently South African diplomat Dr Clinton Swemmer said in the UN Human Rights Council that “Israel is the only state in the world that can be called an apartheid state”.

Michia Moncho

Kimberly