Montreal, April 28, 2014  —CJPME points out the significance of US Vice-President John Kerry’s frank assessment Friday of the implications of Israel’s scuttling of peace talks with the Palestinians. At a closed-door meeting April 25 of the Trilateral Commission, Kerry warned that Israel is running the risk of becoming an “apartheid state” by refusing to negotiate a two-state solution. This is the first time such a high-ranking US official has publicly used the term “apartheid” in reference to Israel. That Kerry has done so is indicative of world leaders’ deep frustration with the Netanyahu administration’s conduct, especially its escalating “settlement” building on Palestinian territory.

CJPME Factsheet 121, published February, 2011: This factsheet looks at how accessible public services are Israel. Although by law all Israelis are considered equal, in reality, access to public services depend on the citizen’s ethnic or religious affiliation and the region where they live. Arab citizens of Israel, which account for 20% of the population, are negatively impacted by inequalities in the public sector, public fund transfers, and access to public services. The policies and laws behind the unequal treatment of Israeli citizens amount to nothing less than state-sponsored discrimination against minorities.

CJPME Factsheet 89, published July, 2010: This factsheet looks at the water situation in Israel and Palestine. Today, Israeli citizens have unlimited running water year-round while hundreds of thousands of Palestinians suffer from water shortages through the hottest months of summer. Given these shortages drastically affect Palestinians’ health and economic well-being, this factsheet looks at Israeli water policies and practices vis-à-vis Palestinians, the difference in Israeli-Palestinian water consumption, the impact of Israel’s assault on Gaza (2008-2009) had in water infrastructure and sanitation services, and whether water Israeli practices and policies violate international law.

CJPME Factsheet 93, published July, 2010: Since many factors are making the two-state solution seem increasingly unlikely, this factsheet looks at the possible alternatives or outcomes should peace negotiations fail. John J. Mearsheimer, a renown author and professor of political science at University of Chicago, believes that a two-state solution would be the best outcome for both the Israelis and Palestinians, but fears that time is running out for a viable two-state resolution. Barring a two-state solution, Mearsheimer hypothesizes that there are only three possible alternatives: a democratic, bi-national state, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid.

CJPME Factsheet 21, published February, 2007: Apartheid is fairly overt in the occupied Palestinian territories, and manifests itself in various obvious forms: Jewish-only roads; Jewish-only housing (i.e. colonies); the application of two different systems of law: military on Palestinians, and Israeli civil on Jewish colonists in the territories; the racially-defined course of the Wall; and selective policing and investigation; to mention a few.  In his book, Palestine: Peace not Apartheid, Jimmy Carter focused on this form of Apartheid.  However, Apartheid exists in Israel itself, though its institutions are much more subtle.  

CJPME Factsheet 19, published January, 2007: Palestine: Peace not Apartheid (Simon and Schuster, 2006), the bestseller by former US President Jimmy Carter has generated a wide variety of reactions, primarily because of its focus on Israel’s refusal to respect international law in its occupation of the Palestinian territories.  In the course of the book’s approximately 250 pages, Carter details Israel’s activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, and how they form the primary obstacle to peace in the region.