Creeping Apartheid; A Trend Analysis of Israel's Discriminatory Policies and the Changing Demographic Context of Palestine (1996-2023)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

seyyed hossein athari ¹

aboalghasem shahriari ²

Moniri Seyed Hashem ³

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. (Corresponding author)

² Postdoctoral Researcher, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

³ PhD in Political Thought, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22067/irlip.2026.95131.1703

Abstract

Contrary to official approaches that emphasize the "two-state solution," analyses indicate that Israel has imposed an apartheid structure on the Palestinians through a series of gradual and seemingly legal measures; Accordingly, the aim of the present study is to analyze Israeli policies in the framework of the "creeping apartheid" theory, and the question is raised as to how "creeping apartheid" has in practice become a strategy for changing the demographic context and creating a structural dependence of the Palestinians on Israel in the period 1996-2023?? The research hypothesis is that Israel, through spatial domination and the imposition of a discriminatory situation, has made living conditions impossible for the Palestinians and has led to the exodus of the population. The research method is trend analysis, and the trend of demographic, economic, and spatial variables has been examined in the period from 1996 to 2023. The findings indicate that Israeli policies have led to a sharp decline in the rural population, limited agricultural land, unilateral dependence of the Palestinian economy on Israel, a significant increase in the unemployment rate, and a growth in immigration and refugee populations. These trends indicate that Israel, through land control, economic dependency, and the imposition of inadequate living conditions, has paved the way for the forced displacement of Palestinians and changed the demographic composition of the occupied territories. Also, creeping apartheid is not a momentary situation, but a gradual, institutionalized, and legalized process that, by denying the Palestinians the right to self-determination and continuing Israel’s structural domination, has made the future of an independent Palestinian state increasingly challenging.

Keywords

Palestine

Creeping Apartheid

Israel

Spatial Dominance

Trend Analysis

Demographic Change

Forced Displacement

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