Acknowledging Israel's Apartheid during UNGA 77

Addressing the decades long oppression of Palestinian people and demanding an end to it, representatives of states and UN Special Rapporteurs acknowledged Israel's apartheid during the ongoing 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

Opening Speeches

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority: 

“Israel is enacting racist laws, consecrating the apartheid regime. Yes, apartheid. And if they do not like the appellation, this is the truth. They are an apartheid regime. They are doing so against our people before the eyes of the international community, with total impunity.”  

Naledi Pandor, Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa: 

"While we work to address contemporary conflicts, we should not ignore long-standing ones such as Palestine that has been on the United Nations’ agenda throughout the seven decades of existence of the organisation. We cannot ignore the words of the former Israeli negotiator at the Oslo talks, Daniel Levy, who addressed the UN Security Council recently and referred to, “The increasingly weighty, body of scholarly, legal and public opinion that has designated Israel to be perpetrating apartheid in the territories under its control.” Israel must be held accountable for its destructive actions that have significantly impaired the possibility of a two-state solution."

Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Prime Minister of Malaysia:

"What is happening today is that most countries are so quick to act in the case of Ukraine. Malaysia wants the same action to be taken to resolve the issue of Palestine. Israel needs to stop being an Apartheid entity!"

John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize:

“The people of Palestine continue to suffer indignities of illegal occupation and apartheid”

3rd Committee: Reports of UN Special Rapporteurs & Responses of States

• UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, concludes in her latest report that "(r)ealizing the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination requires dismantling once and for all the Israeli settler-colonial occupation and its apartheid practices”, recommending that "(t)he General Assembly develops a plan to end the Israeli settler-colonial occupation and apartheid regime”. 

State Responses to UNSR report:

Venezuela: “Venezuela is fully in solidarity with the occupied Palestinian state including the Gaza Strip, aware as we are of the worsening of the human rights situation of its population, the apartheid that they are subjected to, given the occupation of the occupying power of Israel and the crimes against mankind and war crimes committed.” 

South Africa: “In February 2022 Amnesty International report pointed the urgent and long standing need for the international community to finally hold the government of Israel accountable for committing the crime of apartheid as part of its broader system of oppression and domination over Palestinian people. Your report has indicated that further consideration should be given to the similarities between Israel and aspects associated with settler colonies….South Africa acknowledges the merit of this argument”

Indonesia: “We support SR recommendation to the General Assembly to develop a plan to end Israel’s settler colonial, occupation and apartheid regime, as well as for the High Commissioner for Human Rights to update and release without delay the database of businesses involved in the settlements.” 

Malaysia: “Your report reaffirms the apartheid practices perpetrated in the occupied Palestinian territory, among others, through settler colonialism.” 

Namibia: “The message of the report is clear: if the status quo is allowed to remain we aid colonialism, support separate development and apartheid practices. My delegation continues to actively engage on these issues as we are direct beneficiaries of the successful decolonization efforts of the United Nations and its coordinated mechanisms”. 

• Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, Balakrishnan Rajagopal:

“The crime of apartheid and persecution may likewise be potentially exhibited in the violation of housing rights in the Situation in the State of Palestine before the International Criminal Court. In line with the findings of the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 (A/HRC/49/87) and the analysis of Israeli/Palestinian and international human rights non-governmental organizations, the institutionalized regime of systematic racial oppression and discrimination that has led to the destruction of Palestinian homes is nothing short of apartheid as defined under article 7 (2) (h) of the Rome Statute”.