This week is “Israel Apartheid Week” in North American universities. That being the case, it is an appropriate time for those who have bought into this emotionally-charged propaganda “buzzword” to find out what the term “Apartheid” actually means before they carry their protest signs to their demonstrations.

Apartheid IS: A deliberate government policy of social, political, economic, educational and physical separation and discrimination between the people of a single country based solely on race, such as existed in South Africa.

Apartheid IS NOT: A situation in which two people of the same race, for example two SEMITIC peoples, are at war.

Apartheid IS NOT: A situation in which one of these nations, having lost its own state in an attempt to destroy the state of the other, finds itself conquered by the nation it had tried to destroy.

Apartheid IS NOT: A situation in which this conquered nation, having been granted partial autonomy which they did nothing to earn, continues to attempt to kill members of the conquering nation, driving their own economy into ruin because they use their children as suicide bombers and human shields rather than sending them to schools built for them at foreign expense, and which they also use as military bases.

Apartheid IS NOT: A situation in which the conquering nation undertakes measures to separate its members from those of the other nation (a separation based entirely on ideology since no racial difference between the two nations exists at all) in order to keep the members of its nation safe while still continuing to assist the hostile nation economically.

And finally, it IS NOT Apartheid when the conquering nation undertakes this method of self-defense, which still leaves its citizens vulnerable to a large extent, only because they find the much more effective method of expelling the hostile nation from the conquered territory morally reprehensible.

Now, to believe that “Israel is an Apartheid state”, you have to believe the following:

1) That Islam and Judaism are races, not religions.

2) That the entire area of Palestine as defined by the League of Nations, including Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights and Jordan is a single national entity.

3) That the self-declared Palestinians are legitimate citizens of the State of Israel (which, by their own admission, they are not and do not wish to be).

4) That the state of Israel, or indeed any state, does not have the right to defend and protect its citizens from belligerent actions by foreign entities.

IF you can believe these four points, you can believe any fallacy presented to you, as long as it suits your own prejudices. If that’s the case, I have a bridge I’d like to sell you… cheap!

Remember these facts the next time you wish to call Israel an “Apartheid State”.