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‘Apartheid’ is a fitting description of Palestinian conditions

In two thoughtful op-eds, Joan Vennochi’s “Kerry, the anti-diplomat, strikes again” and Andrew J. Bacevich’s “Peace between unequal parties,” the Globe deals with the controversy aroused by John Kerry’s use of the word “apartheid.” The heightened emotion about this centers on the question of how or whether Israel will use its tremendous superiority over the Palestinians to arrive at peace.

The coexistence of two peaceful and mutually accepting states is one possibility. The other is a continuation of Israeli rule over the whole territory, either as a democracy, in which Jews become outnumbered and thus outvoted, or as a state with Palestinians walled into small areas with no vote and no real say about their governance. Is there a better word than “apartheid” to describe the latter situation? Apparently neither Jimmy Carter nor Secretary of State Kerry knew of one.

The real problem seems to be that it is easier to get upset about a word than about the fact that, as Bacevich points out, Israel’s refusal to use its superior power to make peace is the really upsetting part of the picture.

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Ramon Greenberg
Jamaica Plain