Jayapal apologizes for calling Israel a 'racist state'

[Eugene]

Source: The Hill

Jayapal apologizes for calling Israel a ‘racist state’

BY JULIA SHAPERO - 07/16/23 10:00 PM ET

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, apologized on Sunday for calling Israel a “racist state.”

Jayapal made the controversial remark at a progressive conference on Saturday, as she attempted to calm a group of pro-Palestine protesters.

“Hey guys, can I say something? Can I say something as somebody that’s been in the streets and has participated in a lot of demonstrations?” Jayapal said. “I want you to know that we have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state, that the Palestinian people deserve self-determination and autonomy, that the dream of a two-state solution is slipping away from us, that it does not even feel possible.”

-snip-

The Washington Democrat sought to clarify her comments in a statement posted to Twitter on Sunday, noting that she was attempting to “defuse a tense situation” and offered “my apologies to those who I have hurt with my words.”

-snip-

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4100742-jayapal-apologizes-for-calling-israel-a-racist-state/

[elleng]

1. 'the Palestinian people deserve self-determination and autonomy,'

a difficult if not impossible needle to thread.

[Deuxcents]

2. Apartheid...

Last edited Sun Jul 16, 2023, 11:11 PM - Edit history (1)

A great read from February 1,2022 is the
www.amnesty.org report “Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: a cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity “.

Edited for clarity

[Beastly Boy]

3. I would be suspicious of any report that begins with total misidentification of its subject.

The definition of apartheid that starts your post is in clear conflict with the AI headline that follows. It may be a great read, but it is pure fiction. Trying to find "racial segregation" between two racially identical groups is pretty Orwellian.

[Deuxcents]

5. You are correct. Jewish/Judaism is not a race.

I will delete that part of my post with apologies as to the word “race” but the system of Apartheid is alive and well, imo, as far as the treatment of the Palestinians is concerned. That was my point, after all.

[Beastly Boy]

6. No apologies needed. The term "apartheid" is being widely misused (and misunderstood) all over.

Not sure why you insist that the system of apartheid is separate and apart from the definition of apartheid. For example, the Palestinians of the West bank and Gaza are being treated far more harshly by Israel's authorities than the Palestinians who are the citizens of Israel, even though a radically different system of privileges and biases is being applied towards both groups who share a single ethnicity. There is no common status shared by the two groups, nor are there defined principles and rules, implicit or explicit, that would resemble anything remotely systemic in the treatment of the two groups, even though they are ethnically the same.

I am of the opinion that misusing any terminology leads to confusion and misdirection, and this obscures the purpose of the term being applied. In this case, it is also insulting to the people who did suffer under the conditions which are defined by apartheid.

On edit: By the same token, Ms Jayapal calling Israel a racist state is an insult to all Israeli citizens; Jews, Palestinians, Bedouins and Druze alike, all who are proud to live in a democratic pluralistic society, even when they strongly object to the treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories by the current government in Israel.

[Mosby]

7. Calling Israel an aparthied country is a political statement.

Because it assumes that Gaza and the West Bank are part of Israel. So if you want to call it Aparthied fine, but understand that it's implicit that Israel is Palestine, not the Jewish state, and the people in the WB and Gaza are disenfranchised citizens of Israel/Palestine. It's a one state formulation, that's why it's being pushed by people who want to see Israel replaced by another Arab Muslim country.

[Israeli]

8. What are you talking about ??

I am totally confused .

Of course its Apartheid or maybe another word that sounds better
is segregation ??

Gaza and the Wild West Bank do not belong to us Mosby .
Nice to see you have changed your tune from Judea and Samaria tho

The only ones that are capable of making " a one state formulation " is the settlers
and this gov that supports them .

They are almost there already .

Once they have achieved their goals ....will they give the Palestinians the right to vote ?

Not a chance .....then will it be okay to call it Apartheid ????????

In the meantime you can sue us for calling it what it is :

Settlers for Apartheid: Settlers Prevented the Opening of a Road to Palestinians

@ https://peacenow.org.il/en/keidar-road

[Mosby]

9. Apartheid is a system of segregation or discrimination based on race

Last edited Tue Jul 18, 2023, 07:33 PM - Edit history (3)

Within a country. The sole example being South Africa where the word was coined. Whatever security and administrative arrangements there are in the OPTs they are not part of Israel, hence the term shouldn't apply. Everyone in Israel proper has the same rights. By claiming that Israel is practicing apartheid, there is an implicit assumption being made that the OPTs and Israel are the same country. You would agree that their not, right?

Edit: there is an obvious "race" aspect as well, I don't think Israelis and Palestinians are different races, in fact the concept is fundamentally flawed in the first place. Just another reason the Apartheid label is not applicable to the I/P situation.

Also, the arrangements in the OPTs were agreed to by the elected leaders of Israel and Palestine, I'm referring to the Oslo Accords. Another reason that the Apartheid label is not appropriate.

Basically the Apartheid label is a form of demonization of Israel and its legitimacy as a sovereign nation.

[Mosby]

4. Why was there a tense situation?

Apology or not, she can't really take back what she said.

Maybe we should be asking how a conference went off the rails like it did.