Professor Virginia Tilley speech at the First Global Conference on Israeli Apartheid - with slides
Channel: If Americans Knew
Date: 2020-01-23

Dr. Tilley's speech and accompanying paper were presented on November 29, 2019 at the "First Global Conference on Israeli Apartheid: Dimensions, Repercussions and the Means to Combat" in Istanbul, Turkey. 

For more information see the report, "Experts: Israeli System Constitutes Apartheid, Crime against Humanity" on the If Americans Knew Blog. https://iakn.us/2tjqzJ1

Professor Tilley concludes that only a unified secular state that does not privilege any ethnicity can produce a sustainable peace. She points out that the previous governmental and civil society focus on 'the occupation' and an illusory 'two-state solution' did not – and could not – bring justice or peace. It is necessary to address Israel's system of racism and discrimination, which constitute apartheid under international law.

She writes: Apartheid is not ended by moving a border. It remains illegal anywhere it exists.The only reason to divide such a small and crowded land into two nation-states is to preserve apartheid in one of them, which“violates the legal obligation to oppose apartheid in any form. Not incidentally, it would also ensure perpetual unrest, insecurity and wars.

The way forward is to work toward ending Israel's system of racism and discrimination.

Dr. Tilley is Klingberg Professor of International Relations, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and author of The One State Solution and numerous other books and studies.