Israel, (not) the Apartheid state

A lot of people, such as these, these and these, call Israel the Apartheid state. To examine whether Israel is really one, let’s go over the definition of Apartheid and see whether it fits what we know about Israel.
As this is a blog, I'll trim, snip and condense in the interest of not boring the crud out of you. Suffice to say you can find the full definition at wikipedia.

So are we Israelis racists?

Apartheid was a system of racial segregation

As much as people would like to call Israel a racist state, the fact is that Arabs and Israeli Jews look pretty much the same. Below is a sample of notable persons. See if you can tell who is the racist occupier and who is the Islamist terrorist.

Did you get it right? Select the text in black below to find out.

Starting from top left and going clock-wise:

Khaled Mashal – Arab. Leader of the Islamist Hamas movement
Eli Yishai – Jewish. Leader of the Jewish religious party, Shas
Hanin Zoabi – Arab Knesset member
Karin Arad – half Arab, half Jewish sex guru
Mira Awad – Arab singer and TV star
Rana Raslan – Arab model and Miss Israel
Salam Fayyad – Arab. Palestinian prime minister.
Moshe Mizrahi – Jewish. Former deputy commissioner and Knesset member.

Citizenship

In South Africa, non-white political representation was completely abolished in 1970, and starting in that year black people were deprived of their citizenship.

Israeli Arabs are full citizens of Israel and can vote and get elected. Over the years, Israel has had Arab Knesset members, government ministers, judges (incl. supreme court) and senior officers in the armed forces and police.

Segregation

The government segregated education, medical care, beaches, and other public services, and provided black people with services inferior to those of white people.

Education is somewhat segregated, with Arabs focusing more strongly on learning Arabic, though there are mixed schools. I’ve personally had an Arab teacher in elementary school.

Medical care is not segregated and filled with Arab practitioners in every hospital and pharmacy. 45% of pharmacists are Arabs. As is my dentist.

Beaches and parks are free for all. As are rest rooms, water fountains and shops.

Denial of Life and Liberty

Denial of the right to life and liberty by murder, serious bodily or mental harm, torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 

Israel is a democratic and free country. It's not perfect, but you can't kill people, torture or arrest, without consequences. Even Arabs.
You can tell the above is true by looking at the supreme court rulings.
Also, unlike South Africa courts, Israel has a strong judicial system. It routinely overturns government decisions. Palestinians make frequent use of this appellate court. It is used because it works.
I could go on but will stop here. The problem is that most people reading this blog (if any are) either know this already or don't know enough about Israel. The only way to really know is to visit.

Discrimination

Prevent participation in the political, economic and cultural life of the country.

Politically, Arabs are represented in the Knesset by their democratically elected officials. Around 10% of the Knesset members are Arabs.

Economically, Arabs are integrated into nearly every field (with the exception of the defence sector). There are Arab doctors, lawyers, professors as well as waiters, truck drivers and customer service representatives.

It is true this is not enough.There are public and private sector initiatives to improve the situation. This google page should link to a whole bunch. In addition, there is official affirmative action in government hiring.
Culturally, Arabs are present in sports, television, radio and film.

Population Segregation

Any measures designed to divide the population along racial lines and the prohibition of mixed marriages 

Arabs are free to live anywhere in Israel. Indeed, Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv, Haifa, Acre, Ramla and Lod are all mixed cities. My parents have leased an apartment to a couple of nice Arab students in Tel Aviv University.

Marriage in Israel is by religion (not race) so mixed couples are forced to marry outside of Israel, mostly in nearby Cyprus. Around 10% of Israelis marry abroad for this reason. Mind you, couples who convert, can freely marry in Israel.

Summary

It makes me sad and angry when people consider Israel to be an Apartheid state. It is certainly not a perfect place, but whether you are an Arab or Jew, it is a good place to live, and so does my dentist.