Let’s talk about the claim that Israel is an apartheid state. It’s a catchy slogan—gets retweets, sparks debates, rallies protest signs—but let’s pause for a second and ask: does it actually line up with reality?

Take a look at Arab citizens in Israel—roughly 21% of the population. You’ll find them not segregated, not excluded, not silenced—but studying, working, voting, running businesses, serving as doctors, lawyers, politicians, engineers. That’s apartheid?

Education: Not a Separate System, a Shared Future

Arab children go to schools funded by the same Ministry of Education as Jewish kids. Sure, many attend Arabic-language schools—that’s called cultural accommodation, not segregation. In 2000, only a quarter of Arab students qualified for university. By 2023? Over half did. That’s not a glass ceiling—that’s glass shattering.

University campuses? Almost 20% of students are Arab. And the majority of Arab students? Women. Pursuing careers in medicine, law, tech—you name it.

Healthcare: Where Arab People Are the System

In Israeli hospitals, 20% of doctors are Arab. Over a quarter of pharmacists. Nurses, specialists, emergency responders—Arab professionals are not just part of the system, they help run it. They care for everyone—Jews, Arabs, tourists, anyone who walks in the door.

That’s not a bug in the system. It’s how the system runs.

Tech and Startups: From Underdogs to Engineers

Arab people are breaking into high-tech—an industry once nearly off-limits to them. Programs from NGOs and the government are getting Arab engineers into companies like Google and Intel. In Nazareth and Sakhnin, Arab entrepreneurs are building startups that compete globally.

That’s not apartheid. That’s a startup nation with room for everyone.

Everyday Life: Shared Spaces, Shared Lives

Jewish and Arab citizens commute together, shop together, work in the same offices, teach at the same universities. Mixed cities like Haifa, Lod, and Jaffa? They’re not fantasy—they’re everyday life. Not perfect, but real.

If this is apartheid, it’s the kind where communities live together, build together, and argue over who makes the best hummus.

Politics: Voting, Speaking, Governing

Arab citizens vote in every election. They’ve served in the Knesset for decades. In 2021, an Arab party joined the ruling coalition. When was the last time an “apartheid regime” put the minority in the driver’s seat of the government?

Local Arab mayors run towns, manage budgets, oversee schools and development. And they’re backed by billions in targeted government investment. Apartheid? Or democracy at work?

The Bottom Line

Is Israeli society perfect? No. Is there discrimination? Yes—like in almost every diverse country. But calling this apartheid is not just wrong—it insults the real victims of apartheid elsewhere.

The truth is more complicated. It doesn’t fit neatly on a protest sign—but it matters. Arab citizens of Israel aren’t living under apartheid. They’re shaping the country, every day, in every field.

Maybe it's time to retire the slogan—and start looking at the facts.