B’Tselem is Israel’s leading human rights organization, founded in 1989 to document and expose human rights violations in the occupied territories. Known for its rigorous reporting and moral clarity, the organization has become one of the most vocal and respected critics of Israeli policy, both within Israel and internationally.
In a searing interview, Sarit Michaeli of B’Tselem lays bare the grim reality of Israeli policy toward Palestinians, describing it as a regime of apartheid and occupation that enforces Jewish supremacy across all territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Michaeli emphasizes that this control is not a theoretical claim but a daily, lived reality of systemic inequality—where Palestinians, whether citizens or not, are relegated to second-class status under a regime that exists to privilege Jewish Israelis.
Responding to the aftermath of October 7, Michaeli voices her horror at what she calls the “unconscionable” actions of the Israeli military in Gaza, where more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed. While acknowledging the trauma inflicted by Hamas, she warns that Israel’s response has been characterized by mass killing and the erosion of any moral restraint. What is perhaps most disturbing is the lack of public opposition within Israel—where most Jewish Israelis, she notes, have either supported the military campaign or remained silent in the face of mounting atrocities.
Michaeli’s condemnation extends to the broader international community, particularly the United States and the European Union, which she accuses of rhetorical hypocrisy and inaction. While repeating mantras about protecting civilians, the West has continued to enable Israeli impunity. The interview concludes with chilling details of torture and abuse in Israeli detention centers, now so severe that B’Tselem refers to them as a “network of torture camps.” What emerges is a portrait not only of a society in moral crisis, but of a world unwilling to confront it.
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