Iran Press/America: The watchdog organization accused Israeli authorities of methodically privileging Jewish Israelis and discriminating against Palestinians.
At times the Jewish state’s subjugation of Palestinians has been “so severe that they amount to the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution.”
Kenneth Roth, executive director of HRW, said: "Prominent voices have warned for years that apartheid lurks just around the corner if the trajectory of Israel's rule over Palestinians does not change."
He said: "This detailed study shows that Israeli authorities have already turned that corner and today are committing the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution."
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the HRW report.
"It is urgent for the international community to intervene, including by making sure that their states, organizations, and companies are not contributing in any way to the execution of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine," he said in a statement.
The report’s authors argued that Israeli restrictions on the movement of Palestinians, and the establishment of Jewish settlements on Palestinian-owned land in territory occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War amount to the crime of apartheid.
"Across Israel and the (Palestinian territories), Israeli authorities have pursued an intent to maintain domination over Palestinians by exercising control over land and demographics for the benefit of Jewish Israelis," the report says.
"On this basis, the report concludes that Israeli officials have committed the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution," as defined under the 1973 Apartheid Convention and the 1998 Rome Statute.
"Across Israel and the Palestinian territories, Israeli authorities have pursued an intent to maintain domination over Palestinians by exercising control over land and demographics for the benefit of Jewish Israelis," the report says.
"On this basis, the report concludes that Israeli officials have committed the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution," as defined under the 1973 Apartheid Convention and the 1998 Rome Statute.
The report adopted the concept of apartheid as defined under international law, rather than seeking to compare Israel with South Africa under apartheid to determine whether Israel is an apartheid state.
Nonetheless, Israeli officials strenuously objected to the accusations.
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