During the last few years, I have been monitoring the state of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians in Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. As a result of my serious concern for the Palestinian people, I have joined the organizations Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights and Partners for Palestine.

I was pleased to see the recent report from Amnesty International, calling out “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians.” I firmly place Israel’s apartheid in the category of “crimes against humanity.”

Israel carries out various acts prohibited by the U.N. Convention, which include the following:

• Israel illegally annexes land that has been occupied by Palestinians for centuries.

• It prohibits millions of exiled Palestinians from returning to their homeland.

• It deprives Palestinians of fundamental human rights, simply because of their identity.

• Israel carries out murders, unlawful imprisonment and torture, including of children, without any due process.

• Freedom of movement is controlled by making Palestinians pass through checkpoints and travel on separate, inferior roads from those of Israelis.

• Palestinians are living under occupation. This, to me, and Amnesty International, is apartheid.

I will be labeled as antisemitic; however, if the roles were reversed, I would feel the same. Amnesty International’s report took four years to develop and to come to the conclusion of apartheid. The Israeli government is in perpetual violation of international law.

Our U.S. government provides Israel $10 million of our tax dollars every day. As Americans, we claim to be champions of human rights. It sure fools me.

Israel, stop apartheid!

Larry Gilbert Sr.
former mayor
Lewiston

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