A Dossier on Israeli Apartheid

Bethlehem, West Bank, July 1, 2022

Today, Christians in Palestine and their supporters around the world issued a theological study for Christians, civil society organizations and others who want to learn more about the crime of apartheid and why Palestinians and a growing number of churches and human rights organizations are using the word to describe Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.

“A Dossier on Israeli Apartheid: A Pressing Call to Churches Around the World” is a concise resource that: describes the crime of apartheid and how the internationally-agreed upon definitions apply to the situation in Israel/Palestine; an annotated collection of thoroughly documented reports by globally respected human rights and other organizations naming Israeli apartheid; a theological reflection asserting that apartheid contradicts the core principles of Biblical faith; an urgent call to churches around the world to engage with and respond to the evidence of apartheid; and a direct plea from Palestinian Christians to “help us get our freedom back.”

Among those speaking at the launch were staff members of Human Rights Watch and Al Haq, one of the organizations labeled by Israel as “terrorist.”

Palestinian Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah led today’s launch of the document by saying, “Israel needs true friends who tell Israel the truth. Those who say to Israel, ‘Everything you do, wrong or right, is right,’ are not true friends.” Addressing Israel, Sabbah said, “You became an apartheid state… Friends should tell you that, should make you aware of where you stand.”

It is expected that the dossier will be vehemently criticized by apologists for Israel’s apartheid regime. But to date, not a single response has been made to refute details in the many reports charging that Israel’s law, policies and practices constitute apartheid.