Imagine if your colour dictated which roads you can use:  TYPOLOGIES of  SEGREGATION

….The very talented folks over at Visualizing Palestine put together a brilliant infographic highlighting this clear form of segregation. A white and green license plate, for use only by Palestinians, means that most roads in the West Bank are temporarily or indefinitely closed.

– A yellow and black plate, exclusive to Israeli settlers, means that the very same roads are open….

Most of you will hear the refrain that Israel is not an apartheid state.  Arabs and Jews can sit in the same cafés.  And it’s true.  Apartheid in Israel is less obvious but no less real.  Every aspect of social life, from housing to education to welfare benefits is segregated.  And in the West Bank doubly so.

There are roads that Palestinians cannot travel on.  A ruling from the Israeli High Court outlawing the practice on Highways 60 and 443 has never been fully implemented by the Military who don’t consider themselves bound by court rulings (on the rare occasion they don’t support them). 

Here you can see the colour coded highways that dictate whether or not Palestinians can use them.  Nothing of course to do with Apartheid!  There are no signs saying ‘No Blacks or Dogs’ but the effect is the same (except that the dogs are able to pass!).

Tony Greenstein

(hat tip to Mike Cushman)