The Lie Repeated Often Enough
Israel is one of the most closely watched countries in the world. Is it because of its geographic location in the volatile Middle East – the cradle of civilization – or because anything connected to Jews inevitably draws attention?
In this country of nearly 10 million people, roughly the population of Burkina Faso or Taiwan, there are more than 700 accredited journalists based year-round. During 2024 alone, an estimated 4,000 foreign correspondents were accredited by Israel to cover the war. Yet despite the unparalleled access, coverage of Israel often bears little resemblance to the complex, nuanced reality on the ground.
Many Israelis struggle to understand how narratives of “apartheid” continue to circulate, repeated so often that they begin to sound like truth. Journalists who live here, drive the same roads, and share daily life with both Jewish and Arab citizens know better. Jews and Arabs wait at the same checkpoints and sit in the same traffic jams. Hospitals employ both Jewish and Arab doctors and nurses; in fact, an Arab justice serves on Israel’s Supreme Court – the same judge who once sentenced a former Israeli prime minister to prison.
The coexistence extends far beyond these examples. Arab citizens work as news anchors, reporters, and editors in Israel’s vibrant and independent press. They serve as parliamentarians, mayors, and even ambassadors representing Israel abroad. In universities, Jewish and Muslim professors collaborate in research and teaching. In everyday life – whether in supermarkets, municipal councils, or hospitals – Israelis of all backgrounds work side by side.
None of this suggests that Israel is free of flaws. Like any democracy, it grapples with inequality and instances of discrimination. But such cases are handled through legal channels or exposed by the very free press that critics claim does not exist. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, every Israeli citizen – Jewish, Muslim, Christian, or Druze – had equal access to the vaccine.
The problem, then, is not lack of access or information. It is the persistence of myths. As Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels observed, a lie repeated often enough can begin to sound like truth. The claims of “apartheid” fall squarely into that category. South Africa, the country that invented apartheid, knew what segregation truly meant: separate buses, beaches, schools, courts, and neighborhoods; no shared workplaces or representation in parliament. None of this is the case in Israel.
To equate the two is to empty the word “apartheid” of meaning and to obscure the real challenges facing this region. Israel is not perfect. No democracy is. But when foreign correspondents and editors perpetuate distortions rather than correct them, they do more than damage Israel’s image – they undermine their own credibility and the very profession of journalism.
A fair-minded observer need only look beyond the headlines to see a more complete picture: a society that is diverse, imperfect, and striving – where coexistence is not a slogan but a daily reality.
