Palestine PM calls on world to stop Israel’s ‘crimes of apartheid’

Palestinian Prime Minister, Muhammad Shtayyeh, has called on the world to take all necessary measures to stop Israel’s ‘crimes of apartheid’ against the Palestinian people.

Speaking at the beginning of the cabinet’s weekly session yesterday, Shtayyeh said: “The apartheid racist regime in Israel is not only a practice, but Israel has enacted many laws that serve its racist regime, whether it is the Nation-State Law or otherwise.” The Nation-State Law states that Israel does not belong to all its citizens, but is “the Nation-State of the Jewish people”, making all others second or third class citizens in the country.

He pointed out that the world did not need to hear the statement of the Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir “to be convinced and ascertain the racist ideas that shape the thought and behaviour of those who today rule in the occupying state.”

“The racist practices of Ben-Gvir and all members of the Israeli Government and its affiliated militias that espouse the doctrine of killing, burning, erasure and genocide are enough for the world to stop dealing with this government, condemn its practices, enforce international laws calling for sanctions, and protect the Palestinian people from those criminal practices,” he added.

Last week Israel’s far-right minister Ben-Gvir said in an interview that his right to freely move around the occupied West Bank is “superior” to the freedom of movement for Palestinians.

Shtayyeh explained Israel limits Palestinians’ access to water, while giving illegal settlers unlimited access to the vital commodity, forbids Palestinians from riding certain buses, denies permits to allow construction on Palestinian land, has established and is extending the illegal Separation Wall, continues to besiege the Gaza Strip and ban family unification for Palestinians.

“This is the epitome of criminality and racism. The world must take all necessary measures to stop Israel’s apartheid crimes against Palestinians… The world must prevent its companies from participating in any colonial practice on our land,” he stressed.

READ: ‘Accusing Israel of apartheid is not anti-Semitic – it’s describing reality’ – Holocaust Professor