The characterization of Israel as an “apartheid state” is frequently advanced as a moral assertion rather than as an analytically grounded claim. When evaluated against established definitions of apartheid, the allegation does not withstand empirical scrutiny.

Apartheid systems are characterized by the systematic exclusion of minorities from political participation, legal equality, and national institutions, particularly those related to sovereignty and security. Israel’s institutional structure reflects the opposite pattern.

More than two million Arab citizens fully participate in Israel’s political and legal system: they vote, litigate, legislate, and serve in public office. Arab judges sit on Israel’s Supreme Court, and in 2021 an Arab Islamist party joined a governing coalition. No historical apartheid regime integrated the population it allegedly oppressed into the highest levels of political and judicial authority.

Religious governance further undermines the claim. Israel is home to over 300 mosques and provides state salaries for more than 400 imams. Sharia courts operate within the framework of Israeli law, Islamic endowments receive public funding, and Arabic is used throughout government services, courts, hospitals, and universities.

In fact, the public call to prayer is a routine feature of Israeli civic life. By contrast, Jewish religious and communal life has been largely eliminated across much of the Middle East. This asymmetry is rarely addressed, despite its relevance to claims of religious discrimination.

Security integration is particularly instructive. Arab citizens increasingly volunteer for service in the Israel Defense Forces, including Druze........

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