Israel not conducting genocide, not guilty of apartheid, new academic study shows

A new academic study published on SSRN examines legal and historical evaluations of charges labeling Israel as an apartheid state, a settler-colonial project, or guilty of genocide. The authors, Philippe Karpe and Gunther Jikeli, conclude that apartheid and genocide are not established and that settler colonialism is an inadequate classification.

A new academic study published last Thursday on SSRN examines legal and historical evaluations of charges labeling Israel as an apartheid state, a settler-colonial project, or guilty of genocide. Authored by Philippe Karpe, a Senior Researcher at CIRAD, and Gunther Jikeli, an Associate Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, the paper concludes that "apartheid and genocide are not established and that settler colonialism is an inadequate classification, including in the settings where each accusation is strongest." The authors examine legal definitions governing apartheid under the 1973 Apartheid Convention and the Rome Statute, noting that while racism and substantial disparities persist within Israel's citizenship regime, Arab citizens participate in national elections and serve in the Knesset. Regarding the West Bank, the study acknowledges the strongest case for the accusation but states the evidence does not establish the required purpose or intent to maintain systematic racial domination. On the accusation of genocide, the study evaluates conditions in Gaza against Article II of the Genocide Convention, analyzing data from COGAT that records at least 1,341,904 tons of food associated with 63,191 truckloads. The authors argue that expansive definitions and selective evidence allow the three accusations to reinforce one another and shift the burden of proof.