Top 5 Arguments Against Israeli Apartheid Week
March 3, 2011 8:41 by Alex MargolinWith the arrival of March comes the ever-popular Israeli Apartheid Week on many college campuses. But with the Arab world 
engulfed in mass protest against tyranny from within, one might expect organizers to focus on real human rights issues that demand real attention. But the dogged determination to continue pointing fingers at Israel regardless of how much it distracts from those in need of aid reveals the baseless hatred at the heart of the events.
Arguing against Israeli Apartheid Week usually requires contextualization and definition. But this year, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel.
Top 5 arguments against Israeli Apartheid Week:
1. Debunk the new radical chic. Originally, the term referred to uppity whites who backed the Black Panthers just to associate with real radicals. Today, that same mindless support for the “other” has moved to the Palestinian cause.
2. Expose hypocrisy of condemning Israel when we know there are far worse abuses going on in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, etc…Even if Israel had met every single condition from the Palestinians, it would not help the Libyans or Egyptians one bit. How do you claim you support the struggle for democracy then work to undermine the Middle East’s only democracy?
3. There is no Israel apartheid.
4. It glosses over real challenges Arabs in Israel may be facing. Instead of looking for ways to improve conditions for real Palestinians, IAW protestors are content to make a sweeping, false, and empty gesture.
5. If the Palestinians had not squandered the ten month building freeze, or the offer at Camp David, or the Oslo Process, or forgone the Three Nos, etc, etc, etc… they would already have a state of their own. The Palestinians are famous for never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Apparently, their supporters are the same.
Yarden Frankl
11:55 am
Mar 03, 2011
How about:
1) There are Arab political parties and Knesset members
2) Arab Citizens of Israel have equal rights by law
3) Israeli hospitals are filled with a mix of Arab and Jewish doctors and patients
4) There are Arab officers in the IDF. They have Jews under their command.
5) There are Arab diplomats and government ministers
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Alex Margolin
1:27 pm
Mar 03, 2011
Those are all included in no. 3.
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Brad Brzezinski
5:17 pm
Mar 03, 2011
The use of the word, “Apartheid” is designed to smear Israel with an odious label. Those using it should not then complain if they too are labelled – “antisemitic” maybe.
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Alex Margolin
8:16 pm
Mar 03, 2011
I agree that apartheid is used intentionally as a smear to connect Israel with South Africa, which was ostracized until it eventually lost control of its country. They hope the same will happen with Israel. But calling these “activists” anti-Semites tends to be ineffective. Even though they go to some pains to deny it, they actually seem almost completely immune to the term. They just shrug it off, saying that the term is applied to anyone who disagrees with any Israeli policy. A better smear would address something they care about. Calling them hypocrites may be too weak, but it is a step in the right direction.
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Brad Brzezinski
8:38 pm
Mar 03, 2011
Alex M: I agree that calling people “antisemitic” is counterproductive as it’s now a badge of honour for those criticizing (really demonizing and scapegoating) Israel to be thus labeled. I do point out their hypocrisy however.
(I use “antisemite” rather than “anti-Semite” to overcome the argument that Arabs can’t be anti-Semites; this is now in vogue with the OIC and Helen Thomas, among others.)
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Stan
10:52 pm
Mar 03, 2011
I think number 4 is the strongest argument.
Stan
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Alex Margolin
10:01 pm
Mar 05, 2011
Indeed, number 4 shows show little the people behind Israeli Apartheid Week care about creating positive change and how much they care about damaging Israel.
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Marilyn Smith
12:46 am
Mar 10, 2011
OK, if you think the word ‘antisemite’ is ineffective – try ‘racist’ – that should sting a bit!
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Alex Margolin
2:26 pm
Mar 10, 2011
Marilyn, I agree with you. Racist has a sting that antisemite doesn’t for some reason. I wonder why that’s true.
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Yair
11:59 pm
Mar 12, 2011
People who say that Israel practices Apartheid are obviously cromulanting the word in order to befunnel indentists. They should stop “putting the dictionary on a wooden shelf under a glass shelf”, so to speak.
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Jonathan
6:49 am
Apr 18, 2012
IN THE BEGINING GOD CREATID THE EARTH AND GAVE IT TO THE ISRAELIS AND DAVID SAID THIS LAND IS MY LAND BECAUSE GOD GAV IT TO ME AND IF YOU DENY THAT THIS IS THE LAND OF THE JEWS YOU ARE RASIST AND YOU ARE A NAZI AND YOU WILL BURN IN HELL FOR DENIENG JESUS AND THERE IS NO ISRALIE APARTIDE BECAUE IT IS TH LAND OF THE JEWS AND MY MOMMA ALWAYS SAID MUSLIMS WILL DESTROY THIS EARTH AND IT SAYS IN THE BOOKS OF LEVITICUS 3:12-15 “AND JESUS GAVE THE LAND TO THE JEWS AND WOE TO THE MAN WHO TAKES THE LAND OF THE JEWS” JESUS JESUS JESUS BIBLE JESUS JESUS BAPTISM GLORY HALELUYA
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Roger
10:36 pm
Jul 03, 2012
Justing finishing my 14th book on the subject of Israel. 6 of the books by Jewish authors. I have paid close attention to the Middle East situation for over 40 years. I find the material in this blog to be absolute crap. Without an anti-Semite bone in my body I will declare that I think Israel is the most brutal, international outlaw, terrorists state on the planet. The number of Jews in Israel and America that would agree with my statement, I feel, is massive.
The “special” relationship with Israel has been devastating to the national interests of America!
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Claude
1:38 am
Feb 27, 2013
Israel is no friend or ally of the US. Among their self interest activities was their air strike against the US Liberty that killed 34 US sailors.
?Avi Shlaim – a Professor of International Relations at Oxford – and a former member of the
Israeli military, has concluded in a recent article
“This brief review of Israel’s record over the past four decades makes it difficult to resist the
conclusion that it has become a rogue state with “an utterly unscrupulous set of leaders”. A rogue state habitually violates international law, possesses weapons of mass destruction and practices terrorism – the use of violence against civilians for political purposes. Israel fulfils all three criteria.”
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