Israeli author David Grossman suggests Israel’s occupation has become ‘apartheid’
'Maybe it should no longer be called an ‘occupation,’ but there are much harsher names, like ‘apartheid,’ for example'
Speaking about the state of Israel’s government in an interview with Galatz, the Israel Defence Forces’ radio station, prominent Israeli author David Grossman suggested Israel’s occupation had turned into an “apartheid” regime.
“Maybe it should no longer be called an ‘occupation,’ but there are much harsher names, like ‘apartheid,’ for example,” he said in the interview Thursday.
Speaking about the Israeli government that took office earlier this year and is led by Naftali Bennett, Grossman called the new government “good and important.”
“But it cannot do the most important thing: cure Israel of the sick evil that is the occupation,” he said.
Grossman has used the word “apartheid” to describe Israel’s occupation before. The writer, who lost a son in the second Lebanon War in 2006, addressed a group of Israelis and Palestinians who have lost family members in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at an event in 2018.
“But when Israel occupies and oppresses another nation, for 51 years, and creates an apartheid reality in the occupied territories — it becomes a lot less of a home,” he said.
Grossman was honoured with the Israel Prize, the country’s top civilian honour, in 2018, in recognition of his contributions to Hebrew literature. The prize is awarded by a committee appointed by the education ministry. At the time that Grossman was honoured, Bennett was the minister of education.
“I know we don’t hold the same political positions, but it makes no difference,” Bennett said at the time, according to The Times of Israel.
Grossman’s works, which have been translated into dozens of languages and often address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have won other prestigious awards such as the Man Booker Prize and the Jewish Book Council’s National Jewish Book Award.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
