Amnesty joins other rights group in condemning Israeli 'apartheid'

Agnes Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, seated in the centre, at a Jerusalem press conference, with Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director Philip Luther, left, and activist Orly Noy

Amnesty International on Tuesday labelled Israel an "apartheid" state that treats Palestinians as "an inferior racial group," joining the assessment of other rights groups which the Jewish state vehemently rejects. 

"Israel's cruel policies of segregation, dispossession and exclusion across all territories under its control clearly amount to apartheid," said Amnesty's secretary general Agnes Callamard.

Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid strongly rejected the claims as "divorced from reality" and charged that "Amnesty quotes lies spread by terrorist organisations".

New York-based Human Rights Watch in April last year became the first major international rights group to publicly level the allegation. 

Amnesty stressed it was not comparing the situation to apartheid-era South Africa but said Israeli conduct met the criteria for the crime of apartheid under international law.  

- 'Open to scrutiny' -

He also charged that Amnesty had an anti-Semitic agenda. 

- Anti-Semitism denied -

"We reject the view that Israel's actions constitute apartheid," said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

"We support the efforts of the Israeli government, of the Palestinian Authority, alongside human rights activists, to ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses."

"It will only serve, like previous similar prejudiced reports, to fuel the fires of anti-Semites under the guise of political correctness."

"Amnesty International stands very strongly against anti-Semitism, against any form of racism," she said. 

- Fatigue 'not an option' -

The Palestinian Authority, which has civilian control over parts of the West Bank, praised Amnesty for its "courageous and fair" work on behalf of the Palestinian people.

Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but has maintained a blockade of the coastal territory since the Hamas takeover. 

Amnesty called on the ICC "to consider the crime of apartheid in its current investigation".

Callamard also told AFP that international "fatigue" to address the plight of Palestinians was "not an option".

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