UN Rights Chief Compares Israeli Policy in West Bank to Apartheid

Fri Jan 09 2026 01:02:11 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent UN report claims that Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank constitutes systemic discrimination akin to apartheid. This controversial statement has sparked strong reactions from Israeli officials.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has stated that Israeli policies in the West Bank amount to systemic discrimination against Palestinians, resembling apartheid practices. The report indicates a significant deterioration in conditions for Palestinians over the past three years, highlighting issues such as large-scale land confiscation and restriction of basic rights. Israel has rejected these findings, accusing the UN of bias and not considering their security concerns. The ongoing violence and settlement expansions remain central points of contention.

The UN human rights office has issued a report detailing what it calls Israel's systemic discrimination against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and said the situation has drastically deteriorated over the past three years.

According to the report, Israeli laws, policies, and practices have an asphyxiating impact on every aspect of daily life for Palestinians, violating an international convention against racial discrimination.

High Commissioner Volker Türk warned that the situation reflects severe racial discrimination and segregation similar to the apartheid system previously seen in South Africa.

Israel dismissed the accusations as absurd and distorted. The Israeli mission in Geneva stated that the report ignores fundamental facts surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the security threats that the country faces.

The UN report underscores the detrimental effects of settlement expansions, which have increased significantly in the last two years, and highlights issues such as the unequal legal systems applied to Israeli settlers and Palestinians.

Türk concluded that the acceleration of negative trends for Palestinians poses grave consequences, urging the international community to address this situation urgently.