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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 19 January 2021
Israel moves to rein in rights group over ‘apartheid’ use

By TIA GOLDENBERG want for a future state.
Associated Press B’Tselem and other rights
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Is- groups argue that the
rael’s education minister boundaries separating Is-
says he is banning groups rael and the West Bank
that call Israel an “apart- vanished long ago — at
heid state” from lecturing least for Israeli settlers, who
at schools — a move that can freely travel back and
targets one of the coun- forth, while their Palestinian
try’s leading human rights neighbors require permits
groups after it began de- to enter Israel.
scribing both Israel and its Israel withdrew troops and
control of the Palestinian settlers from Gaza in 2005
territories as a single apart- but imposed a blockade
heid system. after the Palestinian militant
The explosive term, long Hamas group seized power
seen as taboo and most- there two years later. It
ly used by the country’s considers the West Bank
harshest critics, is vehe- “disputed” territory whose
mently rejected by Israel’s fate should be determined
leaders and many ordinary in peace talks with the in-
Israelis. ternationally recognized
Education Minister Yoav Palestinian Authority, the
Galant tweeted late on autonomy government for
Sunday that he had in- In this March 7, 2019, file photo, settlers jump on a trampoline as an Israeli solider stands guard in its Palestinian residents.q
the Israeli controlled part of the West Bank city of Hebron.
structed the ministry’s di- Associated Press Israel annexed east Jerusa-
rector general to “prevent lem in 1967 in a move not
the entry of organizations annexed east Jerusalem rights group, said it had ap- decree was rooted in the recognized internationally
calling Israel ‘an apartheid and within Israel itself, they pealed to the country’s at- 2018 law. and considers the entire
state’ or demeaning Israeli have fewer rights than torney general to cancel Israel has long presented city its unified capital. Most
soldiers from lecturing at Jews in the entire area be- Galant’s directive, saying itself as a thriving democ- Palestinians in east Jerusa-
schools.” tween the Mediterranean it was made without the racy. Its own Arab citizens, lem are Israeli “residents,”
“The Education Ministry un- Sea and the Jordan River. proper authority and that who make up about 20% of but not citizens with voting
der my leadership raised B’Tselem said it would not it was intended to “silence its population of 9.3 million, rights.
the banner of advancing be deterred by the minis- legitimate voices.” have citizenship rights, but Israel adamantly rejects
Jewish, democratic and ter’s announcement and Israel passed a law in 2018 they often suffer from dis- the term apartheid, saying
Zionist values and it is act- that despite it, the group preventing lectures or ac- crimination in housing and the restrictions it imposes in
ing accordingly,” he said. gave a lecture on the tivities in schools by groups other spheres. Arab citizens Gaza and the West Bank
It was not immediately subject via videocall to a that support legal action of Israel have representa- are temporary measures
clear whether he had the school in the northern city being taken against Israeli tives in parliament, serve in needed for security. Most
authority to ban speakers of Haifa on Monday. soldiers abroad. The law government bureaucracy Palestinians in the West
from schools. “B’Tselem is determined to was apparently drafted and work in various fields Bank live in areas governed
In a report released last keep with its mission of doc- in response to the work alongside Jewish Israelis. by the Palestinian Author-
week, the rights group umenting reality, analyzing of Breaking the Silence, Israel seized east Jerusa- ity, but those areas are sur-
B’Tselem said that while it, and making our findings a whistleblower group for lem, the West Bank and the rounded by Israeli check-
Palestinians live under dif- publicly known to the Israeli former Israeli soldiers who Gaza Strip in the 1967 war points and Israeli soldiers
ferent forms of Israeli con- public, and worldwide,” it oppose policies in the oc- — lands that are home to can enter at any time. Isra-
trol in the occupied West said in a statement. cupied West Bank. nearly 5 million Palestinians el has full control over 60%
Bank, blockaded Gaza, Adalah, an Arab legal It was not clear if Galant’s and which the Palestinians of the West Bank.q
EU gender pay gap still significant, warn trade unions

BRUSSELS (AP) — Women in Eu- al criteria including skills, physical are paid less even when their jobs change.
rope doing jobs requiring the effort and responsibility. require the same levels of skill and ETUC called on the European ex-
same skills as jobs done by men It compared full-time workers of physical effort as those of men,” ecutive commission to quickly
are still being paid significantly the same age and with a perma- ETUC deputy general secretary come forward with its pay trans-
less, according to a study by the nent contract working for medi- Esther Lynch said. parency directive.
the European Trade Union Con- um-sized companies. “The COVID crisis has also ex- European Commission president
federation (ETUC). In Germany, ETUC said, women in posed the deep-rooted bias be- Ursula von der Leyen had planned
The major trade union organiza- the white goods sector earn €865 hind wages for professions domi- to present measures to introduce
tion, which represents 45 million less per month in gross income nated by women, with carers and binding pay transparency mea-
members in 38 European coun- than men making cars, for jobs re- cleaners recognized as ‘essential’ sures in the first 100 days of her
tries, compared wages in two quiring similar skills. despite being amongst the lowest mandate, but the proposals have
countries from Western and East- In Romania, where wages are paid.” yet to be unveiled.
ern Europe — Germany and Ro- significantly lower, the average Last year, using data from the EU’s “Quality is more important than
mania — looking at women work- difference in net income is €244, statistical office, the trade union speed in this case,” EU commis-
ing in the sector of household ap- ETUC said. organization said women would sion spokesman Christian Wigand
pliances and men working in car “Comparing the pay of women have to wait for another 84 years said.
manufacturing. and men in the manufacturing and the next century to achieve “We’ll come forward with propos-
The organization looked at sever- sector shows clearly how women equal pay at the current pace of als in the coming months.”q