Passers-by at bus stops in Florence, Italy, have recently noticed out-of-the-ordinary advertisements.  Neither the adverts aim to inform passersby about a brand or offering, nor persuade them to buy a product.

The adverts simply aim to open the world’s eye to an obvious but widely ignored fact: “Israel” is an occupier which established an apartheid system that has lasted since 1948.

This campaign was launched in Florence, Italy by a diverse group of local associations, political parties, and private citizens who share their outrage at the inhumane system of discrimination and oppression imposed on Palestinians, as well as the indifference of Western political institutions to this crime against humanity.

In a statement, the Florence’s Network for Palestine said, “We were inspired by a similar campaign carried out by anonymous activists in London”, adding that “the message was powerful in its simplicity: a dictionary entry defining the concept of apartheid, mentioning its application in South Africa's past and Israel's present.”

Pro-Palestinian Activists placed posters on London bus stops criticising Israel’s apartheid policies.#Palestine #LondonPosters pic.twitter.com/I4JGju0RVK

— Urban Muslimz (@UrbanMuslimz) July 4, 2020

“The system of discrimination on ethnic and religious grounds enacted by Israel involves all Palestinians in various forms: the refugees who have been denied their right to return, Palestinians living under direct Israeli military control in the West Bank or under siege in Gaza, and even that minority who have been granted Israeli citizenship but are subject to a long list of discriminatory laws and practices,” the statement read.

The statement hinted that “Palestinian activists have been claiming for decades that this system of oppression constitutes a crime of apartheid. It took a long time for human rights groups in Israel and the West to become fully aware of this”. 

“But over the past two years something has changed: one after another, leading human rights organizations have published extensive reports that, on solid legal grounds, conclude that Israel is responsible for the crime of apartheid “from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean Sea”,” it highlighted.

The organization referred to Amnesty International which finally released an awaited 211-page report last February, whose release "Israel" had fought against, which asserted once and for all that the Israeli regime is forcing a system of apartheid on Palestinians.

In a damning 280-page report, human rights group #AmnestyInternational labels "Israel" apartheid, citing Israeli abuses, including unlawful killings, extensive seizures of #Palestinian land, forcible transfer, drastic movement restrictions, & administrative detention. pic.twitter.com/CjF0SFoc9P

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 1, 2022

Amnesty said the Israeli system is founded on "segregation, dispossession and exclusion", which amount to crimes against humanity, and its findings were documented in a report that shows the Israeli seizure of Palestinian land and property, unlawful killings, forcibly displacing people, and denying them citizenship.

This is the second report by an international rights group to accuse "Israel" of enforcing an apartheid system, the first being Human Rights Watch whose report was released in April 2021. As per Israeli tradition, it accused Amnesty of anti-semitism.

What is apartheid?

The report also defined apartheid and showed it to be a violation of public international law and a crime against humanity under international criminal law.

As "Israel" has an institutionalized regime "of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over another" and has an intention to maintain that system, it is classified as an apartheid regime and must be held accountable as such by world governments.

"Israeli authorities have enjoyed impunity for too long. The international failure to hold Israel to account means Palestinians are still suffering every single day. It’s time to speak up, to stand with Palestinians and tell Israel that we will not tolerate apartheid," the report said.

Read more: “It Is Fun to Shoot Palestinians”: Six Former Israeli Soldiers Speak Up