Next Monday, the third consecutive staging of Israeli Apartheid Week at U of T begins. Nothing much has changed since its inception-the Israeli-Palestinian problem is no closer to being solved, and IAW still stirs deep feelings of resentment in students on both sides of the issue-except that the Israeli Apartheid movement is getting bigger.
Three years ago, labeling Israel an apartheid state seemed a novel idea to most. But this year for the first time, IAW will hit New York, the major centre of Jewish culture in North America, at the same time as it is staged in five other major cities. And only a few months ago Jimmy Carter published a book condemning “the apartheid policies of Israel.”
Shaun Hoffman, Israel Affairs Chair of Hillel at U of T, is adamant that IAW represents only the most extreme and intolerant viewpoint on the issue.
“With the exception of outright hate speech,” he said, “this is as extreme a position as you will find. Essentially the call is for the end of Israel as it exists today.”
Students Against Israeli Apartheid, the organization behind IAW at U of T, calls for a single-state solution that would democratically incorporate Palestinians into Israel, effectively ending the nation’s existence as a Jewish state. SAIA likens this solution to the one that ended apartheid in South Africa, while many others see it as an attack on Jews’ right to self-government.
“It is worrying to see the greater widespread use of the word apartheid [in relation to Israel],” said Hoffman. “But I think it’s something that could strengthen the moderate voices who now realize they need to speak up a little bit louder.”
Nadia Daar, spokesperson for SAIA, believes that it is among moderates that the term is becoming more acceptable. “I definitely think that in the last year, in this city and globally, that the term Israeli Apartheid is becoming more and more mainstream, and that more people are becoming comfortable with using it,” she said.
This year IAW will host numerous speakers, most notably Dr. Jamal Zahalqa, a Palestinian-Israeli member of Israeli parliament who will speak Friday on “The Myth of Israeli Democracy.” The main focus of the week is a call for a campaign of divestment, boycott and sanctions against Israel.
Hillel has invited Israeli Ambassador Haim Divon to speak at University College on Wednesday, in what it calls a demonstration for Israel’s acceptance by the international community.
