The Israel Apartheid Analogy - Contests over Meaning in a War over Words

Abstract

In the wake of the Six Day War in 1967, Israel became an occupying power with the conquest of the Golan Heights, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Since the 1970s, comparisons have increasingly been drawn by authorities in the UN, human rights organisations, political commentators and protest movements, between the South African system of apartheid and Israeli policies in the occupied territories. This thesis explores the historical development of the Israel apartheid analogy and its use in public discourse. Not only by analysing secondary literature, but also by conducting a case study, in which articles are examined from high circulation Israeli and Palestinian centrist newspapers the Jerusalem Post and Al-Quds, in the period between January 1st 2017 and May 15th 2018. Analysis of the research data suggests that the apartheid analogy is part of the Palestinian injustice frame, which serves as a powerful delegitimisation and mobilisation tool in the dynamic and continuous contest over meaning. Scope and depth of the present study are limited and future research may therefore include a larger selection of data from a wider range of sources, over a longer period of time. Additionally it would be interesting to investigate the interplay between positive frames and public discourse in protracted conflict situations, as a potential means for conflict management and peace building.