UK rejects use of ‘apartheid’ to describe Israel

ByNews Desk- The Cradle 

As part of a new British-Israeli agreement, London has vowed to confront the ‘disproportionate singling out’ of Israel at the UN

Israel and the UK signed a long-term, strategic agreement in London on 21 March in order to bolster defense, security, and technology ties.

As part of this agreement, the UK has agreed to reject the use of the term “apartheid” to describe the Israeli occupation and systematic oppression of Palestinians in a bid to confront and oppose “anti-Israel bias” in the international arena, including at the UN Human Rights Council.

This security and economic agreement, titled “The 2030 Roadmap for UK-Israeli Bilateral Relations,” centers around a UK pledge to confront “antisemitism,” the “disproportionate” singling out of Israel in the international community, and the “malign” influence of Iran in the region.

In comments after signing the agreement on Tuesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “As we approach the 75th anniversary of UK-Israel relations, our Roadmap will allow us to fully take advantage of the opportunities in areas of mutual interest, including tech, trade, and security … The UK and Israel also stand together, defiant in the face of the malign influence of Iran in the region, and against the wider scourge of antisemitism.”

“The UK and Israel will work together to tackle the singling out of Israel in the Human Rights Council as well as in other international bodies. In this context, the UK and Israel disagree with the use of the term ‘apartheid’ with regard to Israel,” Cleverly added.

The British foreign secretary also said that as part of this new agreement, London would assist Israel in tackling “attempts to delegitimize it or deny its right to self-defense.”

The deal also condemned the UN General Assembly’s request for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.

According to Amnesty International, the term apartheid is used to describe a system of cruel, prolonged discriminatory action by one group of people towards another, with the intention of exercising dominance over the latter group.

“Israel imposes a system of oppression and domination against Palestinians across all areas under its control: in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT), and against Palestinian refugees, in order to benefit Jewish Israelis. This amounts to apartheid as prohibited in international law,” the rights group said in a 2022 report.

This description of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians has been used by several other rights groups, including Human Rights Watch (HRW) and even Israeli organizations such as B’tselem.

The signing of the agreement came two days ahead of a weekend visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to London, which is scheduled to begin on 23 March.

Many have condemned the visit as London’s lack of willingness to denounce Netanyahu’s plans for a complete judicial overhaul.

Protests against the judicial reforms have been planned upon the prime minister’s arrival in the British capital, and signs have been spotted across the city reading: “Bibi should not expect a relaxing weekend in London.”

The deal also comes as Israel’s brutality and violent oppression against the Palestinians is at all-time high. Since the start of 2023, 90 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces.