05 July 2021
Israel is a very flawed democracy in that it maintains a systematic policy of racist discrimination against the 20% of its citizens who are Palestinian. Since 1967, it has also been illegally occupying and settling the 22% of British Mandate Palestine that it did not conquer in 1948. It has created an apartheid system there, favouring its own settlers at the expense of the indigenous Palestinians.
In an Orwellian twist of language, this example is routinely used to make allegations of antisemitism against people who advocate Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions as protests against Israeli policies, on the grounds that they are demanding higher standards of behaviour from Israel than from other democracies. In reality, people are trying to hold Israel to the same standards.
