Chicago – January 07, 2026
The UN human rights chief has warned that Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank amount to a particularly severe form of racial discrimination that “resembles” an apartheid system, prompting an angry rejection from Israel.
UN report and key findings
The 42-page report from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights says Israel’s “systematic” discrimination against Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has “significantly worsened” over the past three years. It finds that Israeli laws, policies and practices have a “suffocating effect” on almost every aspect of Palestinian daily life and breach an international convention prohibiting racial discrimination.
Türk’s apartheid warning
High Commissioner Volker Türk said there is a “particularly severe” form of racial discrimination and segregation that mirrors apartheid-era systems. He cited restrictions on accessing water, education, healthcare, family visits and agriculture, all controlled by what he called discriminatory Israeli measures.
Dual systems and Israel’s response
The report concludes that Israel applies separate legal frameworks to settlers and Palestinians, entrenching unequal treatment and long-term subordination. Israel dismissed the document as “absurd and distorted”, accusing the UN rights office of ignoring security threats, especially those highlighted by the 7 October 2023 attacks.
