Over 1,500 Academics Label Israeli Occupation as Apartheid

The signatories argue that Israel’s recent judicial overhaul is not an isolated political dispute but a calculated effort to tighten control over Gaza, expand land annexation, and further disenfranchise Palestinians. The letter highlights that the current crisis is the culmination of long-term policies, noting that Jewish supremacy was formally codified in the 2018 Nation State Law. According to the academics, without equal rights for both Jews and Palestinians, the state risks descending into permanent dictatorship.

Call for Institutional Change

The group is pressuring North American Jewish leaders and clerics to move beyond silence, urging them to support human rights organizations and demand that U.S. officials restrict military aid tied to the occupation. This academic mobilization joins a shifting consensus among human rights groups and former Israeli officials. Benjamin Pogrund, a veteran author who once defended Israel against such claims, recently acknowledged in Haaretz that the country is mirroring the historical trajectory of South Africa, describing the current reality as akin to watching a "horror movie" unfold in real-time.