Benjamin Pogrund, who spent 26 years as a journalist in South Africa investigating apartheid and who has been living in Israel for the past 15 years, investigates the accusation that Israel is practicing apartheid and the motives of those who make it. His study is founded on a belief in Israel, combined with frank criticism, to provide a balanced view of Israels strengths and problems.

To understand Israel today, one must first look at the past and so the book first outlines key foundational events to explain current attitudes. It then explores the contradictions found in the region, including discrimination against Israeli Arabs and among Jews, before concluding that it is wrong to affix the apartheid label to Israel inside the Green Line of 1948/1967. It also deconstructs the criticisms of Israel and the boycott movement before arguing for two states, Israeli and Palestinian, as the only way forward for Jews and Arabs.

This detailed and balanced study offers a unique comparison between South Africa and Israel and explains complex political and social situations in language accessible to all readers.

Benjamin Pogrund lives in Israel where he reports on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He was thedeputy editor of the Rand Daily Mail, South Africa's leading anti-apartheid newspaper during the Apartheid era (which brought about the closure of the paper), then was with theIndependent in London andThe WorldPaper in Boston before moving to Jerusalem to foster dialogue. He has written for theGuardian (London),Haaretz (Tel Aviv),Facta (Tokyo) and others. In May 2013, he was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Media Council in London on behalf of the Next Century Foundation, for encouraging understanding of the Middle East and war-torn areas of the world.

Introduction

Part I. Foundations

1. History of the State of Israel

2. A New State and the Onset of the Conflict

Part II. Inside the Green Line and the question of Apartheid

3. Is Israel an Apartheid State?

4. The West Bank

5. Comparing South African Apartheid and Life in Israel

Part III. Critical Assessments of Israel

6. Criticism of Israel

7. The BDS Movement

Part IV. Moving Forward

8. The Big Issues

9. The Way Forward