Suffocating existence |
A NEW report by the UN strips away whatever little ambiguity remained around Israel’s conduct in occupied West Bank. For the first time, a UN rights chief has explicitly described Israel’s system of rule as resembling apartheid — a serious designation, but one that Palestinians have endured for decades. The report speaks of a “systematic asphyxiation” of Palestinian rights, an apt phrase for a reality in which daily life is suffocated by discriminatory laws and practices. From access to water and education to healthcare and livelihoods, Palestinians in the West Bank exist under a system designed........