Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, Id like to start by saying I am extremely honoured to have theopportunity to speak to you today, and alongside this great panel. My name is Lyrical Militant  Im ahip-hop producer, artist and political activist here in Winnipeg. I have a bachelors degree in PoliticalStudies from this university and I chose to focus my efforts here on International Relations, part of which included studying the Arab/Israeli conflict. Now its Israeli Apartheid Week around the world, andthis is a very touchy subject. People get MAD when the word Apartheid is used in relation to the actionsof the Israeli State. They claim its veiled anti-Semitism, and an attempt to delegitimize the Israeli State.So today Id like to speak about what Apartheid is and whether the definition of Apartheid can beapplied to the situation in the Middle East.One of the most important things my educational experience here has helped me understand is thatthe world in which we live and the political events that unfold around us are not easily defined andexplained  the world is NOT black and white and there are no easy answers. And the conflict inPalestine and Israel is the epitome of this truth. The situation today, in 2010, is EXTREMELY complicated.It will not be easily solved and total blame for the current state of affairs cannot be placedwholeheartedly on either side, regardless of how much we want to. I find it is extremely difficult forpeople on either side of the wall (that pun was intended) to put away emotion and approach thisproblem objectively, looking at all the factors involved. Im sure every one of us here is attached to thisproblem with vigor and burning passion, one way or the other. But we cannot let that burning passionand emotional connection blind us from the realities of the situation, regardless of where yoursympathies lie.But to dismiss the idea of Israeli Apartheid as veiled anti-Semitism is just plain wrong. A system of discrimination, segregation and intimidation indeed exists in the Occupied Territories, and even IsraelProper. Now the word Apartheid gets thrown around a lot, its almost become trendy in activist circlesbut I think its important that we understand, IT IS NOT just a buzzword for today. It is a REALITY of thesituation in Palestine/Israel that a large portion of the Western World remains blind to or ignorant of.Moreover, much of the general public, maybe its just my generation, does not truly understand whatApartheid is. Some have a general idea of the term meaning racial discrimination that originated inSouth Africa. But they lack an understanding of what really defines Apartheid and what it looks like inpractice, and thus it becomes easier to dismiss the charge as an anti-Semitic buzzword being thrownaround by overzealous activists and academics. So lets start there, with a definition. And yes, there is agenerally accepted definition of Apartheid. Apartheid IS considered to be a crime against humanity  themost severe of crimes, punishable in an International Court.In November of 1973 the UN General Assembly put forward the International Convention on theSuppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid. Article 2 of this document defined Apartheid as:SIMILAR policies and practices of racial segregationand discrimination as practiced insouthern Africa, and as inhumaneacts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by oneracial groupof persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them

Article 7 of The International Criminal Courts Rome Statute defines Apartheid as  inhumane acts of acharacter SIMILAR to those referred to in paragraph 1, committed in the context of an institutionalizedregime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group orgroups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regimeWe will get into details about this shortly, but Id like to point out the important parts of thesedefinitions are the references to SIMILAR practices, and SIMILAR acts. It is NOT only Apartheid when theactions and policies are exact replicas of the former South African regime. It is enough to be consideredapartheid if practices and motivations resemble that of segregated South Africa.The UN convention goes on to generally describe some of these acts. Briefly, Id like to read some of them from the document and see if we can apply these descriptions to the system of control in Palestineand Israel.Firstly the article states that Apartheid is the denial to a racial group the right to life and liberty of person by murder, mental or bodily harm or arbitrary arrest. There have been many reports of unlawfulkillings by the IDF of Palestinians in the occupied territories. There have also been reports of physicalabuse at the hands of soldiers and settlers. There are also huge psychological ramifications of Israeliactions on Palestinians, especially children, including military raids in Gaza, degrading checkpoints in theWest Bank, and the terrifying sonic booms of low flying fighter aircraft in densely populated ghettos.Moreover, there are now over 11000 Palestinians being held in Israeli jails. Some are children and not allprisoners are charged and tried in courts. Thus whether or not the arrests were warranted or simplyarbitrary cannot be conclusively stated. They are simply administrative detainees.The UN article goes on to describe deliberate impositionof living conditions calculated to cause [aracial groups] physical destruction in whole or in part as amounting to Apartheid. The 1948 borders of the State of Israel are not the same borders by which it governs itself today. In 1967 it capturedadditional territory and eventually annexed even more, forcing Palestinians into dense and extremelyuncomfortable living conditions. The people of the West Bank and Gaza Strip live in ghettos and refugeecamps. Every aspect of their daily lives is regulated and controlled by an occupying military force thathas the authority to take over land and demolish homes, kick inhabitants out to give precedence tosettlers and soldiers. Moreover, unemployment is high, Israeli payments of Palestinian wages arewithheld, water is scarce. Is this not an imposition of a living condition that can lead to the physicaldestruction of a person? How does one survive without a home or a job or clean water?Another part of the UN document states the deliberate creation of conditions preventing a racialgroups full developmentincluding the right to leave and return to their country, the right to anationality, and the right to freedom of movement and residence constitute Apartheid. We havealready discussed housing demolitions, and the appropriation of land and houses in the occupiedterritories. The West Bank Closure System of checkpoints, gates, roadblocks, and barricades that clutterPalestinian roads are a deliberate attempt at hampering the freedom of movement of the people. It maybe done in the name of security, but the fact is it is being DONE nonetheless. The inhabitants of Gaza aretrapped in the most densely populated prison on earth. They do not enjoy the right of being able to

leave and return to their country. They cant even travel within their own land  while Israeli settlersmove about freely, Palestinians are not allowed near settlements without permission. After the secondintifada, the West Bank was cut up into 8 different zones, outside of which Palestinians could not livewithout a permit. So, no they do not enjoy freedom of movement and residence.But lets take this a step further  they DO NOT HAVE their own country. Palestine is not an officiallyrecognized, sovereign state. It is still partially just a concept  it is not officially recognized by manycountries; not by Israel, not even by Canada. The Israeli regime, by continuing the occupation of theselands, is denying Palestinians the right to a nationality. Indeed it is an aspect of Apartheid.The last part of the UN Convention I would like to touch upon states that another aspect of Apartheidincludes any measures designed to divide the population along racial lines by the creation of ghettos,prohibition of mixed marriages, and the expropriation of landed property belonging to a racial group.Again, we have talked about the confiscation of Palestinian land and housing by Jewish soldiers andsettlers. It is a major problem in the occupied territories. Also land that was not officially a part of Israelwas conquered in 1967 and has been occupied since. This land been used to build Israeli settlements, anaction that itself is illegal under international law and resembles a colonial project. Beyond this, Gaza is aPalestinian Ghetto. The West Bank was divided into several zones, and Palestinians are not allowed tolive outside of these zones. And there are different legal instruments used to govern the different races.Mixed marriages are not at all prohibited, but a Palestinian who marries an Israeli citizen is not allowedentry into Israel. Im certain spouses of other racial groups are allowed. Again this is all done in the nameof security, but it is clear Israel regards all Palestinians (as a race) as inherently suspect and threatening.Children from such marriages can only live in Israel until they are 12 years old, after which they have gotto go. So no, there is no need to prohibit mixed marriage as a marriage like that is not practical in reallife. And indeed certain laws of Israel, whether applied in the occupied territories or in Israel Proper, dodivide the population along racial lines. Arabs in Israel, cannot build homes in certain areas, and aresometimes governed differently than Israeli-Jews.As we can see Israeli policies both at home, and in the occupied territories bear a striking resemblanceto the UNs definition of Apartheid. And Ill say again, to be considered Apartheid, policies and practicesneed only be similar in nature, and not exact. It is not about Israel being or acting exactly like the SAapartheid regime, or fitting the UNs definition to a tee. And although critics argue that the nature of these policies and actions are based on the security needs of Israel, there is an implicit admission of guiltin that argument. They are basically saying YES, Israel does oppress and dominate over this racial group(i.e. Palestinians) so that it can maintain its regime in Israel Proper. That is what is being said when theconcept of Israeli Security needs is discussed. The ICC defines Apartheid as an institutionalized regimeof systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups andcommitted with the intention of maintaining that regime. So YES, ladies and gentlemen, Israel practicesa form of Apartheid, which has been defined as a crime against humanity.Now beyond these legal definitions, there are other forms of discrimination and segregation practiced inIsrael and the occupied territories. The biggest elephant in the room is the Wall being built in the WestBank. This wall is designed to keep Palestinians in the West Bank out of Israel. But the wall does not