Yes, Virginia, Israel is an Apartheid State

"When at the beginning of the [20th] century Zionist immigrants began to pour into Palestine, the fact that the country was already populated could no longer be ignored. Like every colonizing society, the Zionist settlers had to shape a definite policy toward the indigenous population. Here we come to the specific feature of Zionism which distinguishes it from all other modern colonization movements. The European settlers in other colonies sought to exploit the riches of the country (including the labor potential of the 'natives') and invariably turned the former population into an exploited class in the new colonial society. But Zionism wanted not simply the resources of Palestine (which were not very great in any case) but the country itself for the creation of a new national state which, through immigration, would provide its own classes - including a working class. The Arabs were, therefore, not to be exploited, but totally replaced." (The Other Israel: The Radical Case Against Zionism, Edited by Arie Bober, 1972, p 38)

"The Nobel peace laureate [Archbishop Desmond Tutu] said he was 'very deeply distressed' by a visit to the Holy Land, adding that 'it reminded me so much of what happened to us black people in South Africa'." (Tutu condemns Israeli apartheid, BBC News, 29/4/02)

"Jewish self-righteousness is taken for granted among ourselves to such an extent that we fail to see what's right in front of our eyes. It's simply inconceivable that the ultimate victims, the Jews, carry out evil deeds. Nevertheless the state of Israel practises its own, quite violent, form of apartheid with the native Palestinian population." (Yes, there is apartheid in Israel, Shulamit Aloni, counterpunch.com, 8/1/07)

"South African Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils Thursday accused Israel of conducting a policy against the Palestinians that was worse than Apartheid." (citizen.co.za, 10/5/07)

In a UN-commissioned report, South African professor of international law John Dugard, in his capacity as "independent investigator on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for the UN Human Rights Council, ... says 'common sense... dictates that a distinction must be drawn between acts of mindless terror, such as acts committed by Al-Qaida, and acts committed in the course of a war of national liberation against colonialism, apartheid or military occupation. While Palestinian terrorist acts are to be deplored, they must be understood as being a painful but inevitable consequence of colonialism, apartheid or occupation'... [Dugard's] report accuses Israel of acts and policies consistent with all three." (UN expert: Palestinian terror 'inevitable' result of occupation, Haaretz, 26/2/08)

"Haaretz editor and board member Danny Rubinstein does not retract his categorization of Israel as an 'apartheid state' before the UN. He claims many at Haaretz agree." (Haaretz editor refuses to retract Israel apartheid statements, Ezra HaLevi, israelnationalnews.com, 5/8/08)

"Palestinian human rights have been abused throughout 40 years of Israeli occupation, according to the UN General Assembly's special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. In a report to the UN General Assembly in New York, Richard Falk [professor of international law at Princeton University] said Israel's occupation - of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and, until 2005, the Gaza Strip - posessed characteristics of colonialism and apartheid." (New report fuels UN-Israel debate, Jeremy Bowen, BBC News, 26/10/08)

[If you'd like to know more, Virginia, check out my posts Working Out the Mechanics of Our Relationship (18/1/08) & A Certain Jewish Tree Planting Group (14/6/08)]