Bethlehem / PNN/

SFI in partnership with the International Academic Campaign Against Israeli Occupation and Apartheid (IACA), organized a orientation  session under the title “Israeli Apartheid Against the Palestinian People: Conceptual Debates and Modes of Confrontation.”

Speakers highlighted that Israeli policies of segregation, settlement expansion, land confiscation, forced displacement, and discriminatory laws amount to a system of apartheid and a crime against humanity. Former Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa Qaraqe stressed that apartheid is evident in the network of checkpoints, military gates, and racist legislation, while Dr. Saqr Suleiman drew parallels with South Africa’s struggle against apartheid and the civil rights movement in the U.S. Researcher Hassan Abed Rabbo underlined that international conventions define apartheid as a crime against humanity and pointed to Israel’s Nation-State Law as an official embodiment of racist policies.

The event also featured a discussion of IACA’s new book on Israeli apartheid and resistance mechanisms. Speakers called for raising youth awareness, linking the fight against apartheid to the broader Palestinian struggle, and enhancing youth involvement in boycott campaigns and international advocacy.

The session, moderated by researcher Ahmad Tqatoqa, concluded with remarks from SFI  Executive Director Hisham Hindi, who emphasized the importance of Palestinian unity, national awareness, and youth participation in confronting racist policies.

The activity comes within the framework of the Youth Incubator Project and the partnership between SFI and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), aimed at strengthening the role of Palestinian youth in intellectual and national dialogues.