| dc.description.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. | |
