Dear Prime Mini­sters,
Jonas Gahr Støre
Ulf Kristersson
Petteri Orpo
The future Prime Mini­ster of Iceland
And the various parties in govern­ment 

  

As Amnesty Internati­onal’s Nordic Youth Council, we address you today on behalf of young people from across the Nordic countries who are deeply concerned about Israel’s apart­heid, human rights violations, and the lack of action by our govern­ments. The Amnesty Nordic Youth Council is responsible for coord­inating, supp­orting, and representing Amnesty’s youth movement in the Nordic countries and for taking action on key human rights issues. Today, we call on you to recognize and condemn the system of apart­heid being imposed on Palest­inian people. We urge you to take the necessary step by acknow­ledging the systemic oppression that has been detailed by count­less Palest­inian, Israeli and internati­onal human rights organ­isations, including Amnesty Internati­onal. In July 2024, the Internati­onal Court of Justice (ICJ) issued its opinion and concluded that Israel’s occupation and annexation of the Palest­inian territories are unlawful, and its discrim­inatory laws and policies against Palest­inians violate the prohi­bition on racial segregation and apart­heid. 

  

Amnesty Internati­onal released a report in 2022 in which it sets out how Israeli autho­rities are comm­itting the crime of apart­heid against Palest­inians based on specific unlawful acts grounded in internati­onal crim­inal and human rights law. Amnesty’s investigation details how Israel enforces a system of oppression and domination against the Palest­inian people wherever it has control over their rights. This includes Palest­inians living in Israel and the Occupied Palest­inian Territories (OPT), as well as displaced refu­gees in other countries. These include how massive seizures of Palest­inian land and property, unlawful kill­ings, forcible transfer, drastic movement restrictions, and the denial of nati­ona­lity and citizenship to Palest­inians are all compon­ents of a system which amounts to apart­heid under internati­onal law. This system is maintained by violations which Amnesty Internati­onal found to constitute apart­heid as a crime against humanity, as defined in the Rome Statute and Apart­heid Convention. A system of apart­heid is an instituti­ona­lised regime of oppression and domination by one racial group over another. It is a serious human rights violation which is prohi­bited in public internati­onal law. 

  

As young people, we are inher­iting the world shaped by the decisions made today. It is our generation and future generations that will bear the long-term consequ­ences of inaction or indif­f­erence in the face of human rights abuses. By taking action now, we affirm our responsi­bility to build a future rooted in justice, equality, and respect for internati­onal law. The global comm­unity can no longer remain silent in the face of such systemic violations of human rights. The Nordic countries have the opport­unity to set a powerful example by demonstrating the world what it means to prio­ritise human rights and uphold accounta­bility. We urge you to act decisi­vely, recognize and condemn the apart­heid, and be part of the solution for dignity and justice for Palest­inian people. 

  

Since October 7th 2023, 85 percent of schools in Gaza have been hit or damaged and 625 000 children have been out of learning (UNRWA 2024). More than 14 000 children have been killed (UNICEF 2024). We stand in soli­da­rity with Palest­inian youth who face immense chal­lenges in pursuing their basic human rights. Under Israel’s apart­heid, children experience daily threats to their safety, psychological trauma, and barriers to reaching schools due to checkpo­ints, military roadblocks, and violent repression. Education is not only a funda­mental human right, but an essential part of young peop­le’s growth. The denial of basic rights such as access to education, healt­hcare, and safety, severely impact young Palest­inians, underm­ining their potential and futures. Demolish apart­heid, not Palest­inian schools! 

  

Building on the long history of Nordic cooperation in foreign and secu­rity policies, we believe that the Nordic countries hold a unique and influ­ential plat­form that can be used to advocate for human rights by recogn­izing Israel’s apart­heid. Shared values among us Nordics, such as democracy and human rights, should not only be rhet­orical word choices in political discourse, but also translated into action. As have been positi­vely demonstrated in political action taken in relation to other situations where grave violations of internati­onal law occur, you should further deepen Nordic cooperation as a response to human rights violations in Gaza. By recogn­izing Israel’s apart­heid, our govern­ments would together defend the internati­onal legal order which is a central goal in protecting global peace and human rights. 

  

Sinc­erely, 

Amnesty Internati­onal’s Nordic Youth Council 

  

References:  

Amnesty Internati­onal 2022. Israel’s Apart­heid Against Palest­inians – Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity. Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/MDE1551412022ENGLISH.pdf (Accessed October 7th 2024). 

UNICEF (October 4th 2024) Children in Gaza Need Life-Saving Support. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/emer­gencies/children-gaza-need-lifes­a­ving-support 

(Accessed October 7th 2024). 

UNRWA (Sept­ember 9th 2024). Education under Attack – Restoring Learning for Children in Gaza. Available at: https://www.unrwa.org/news­room/photos/education-under-attack (Accessed October 7th 2024).