Australia's former foreign minister Bob Carr slams Israel for 'apartheid'

Australia's former foreign minister on Sunday denounced Israel for its apartheid practices against Palestinians.

Bob Carr, a famously pro-Palestine Australian politician, published a tweet criticising Israel's nation-state law which endangers the rights of Palestinian and other non-Jewish citizens.

"Israel in 2018 passed a nationalities law creating 2 categories of citizenship based on religion. It has 2 sets of laws governing occupied Palestine eg Jewish people in the occupied territory get to vote and Arabs don’t. Apartheid: what other word applies?"

"Call it by its name Palestinian organisations and activists have been urging the international community to recognise Israel’s occupation as an apartheid regime for years," he added.

Recent news confirms reality of apartheid: forcible transfer of 1200 Palestinians incl 500 children approved by High Court while government approves 4000 more Jewish settlements on Palestinian land, totally illegal under international law. Any other word fits?

— Bob Carr (@bobjcarr) July 10, 2022

Carr served as foreign minister under the Labor Party from March 2012 to September 2013.

The nation-state law passed in July 2018 declared the country as the nation state of the Jewish people. The passing of the legislation stoked fear of further discrimination against Palestinian citizens.

The legislation, adopted by 62 votes to 55, makes Hebrew the country's national language and defines the establishment of Jewish communities as being in the national interest.

Arabic, previously considered an official language, was granted only special status.

Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian land and its persecution and violence against Palestinians have been described as apartheid by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

The UN's Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories has also issued a report saying that Israel has imposed an 'apartheid reality’ on Palestinians.

Israel has a history of discrediting individuals and organisations seeking to criticise its treatment of Palestinians.

Israeli forces have displaced thousands of Palestinian families from their homes since the country's creation in 1948 and continue to occupy the West Bank and besiege the Gaza Strip.

Israel has also built hundreds of illegal settlements on Palestinian land.