Is Israel’s treatment of Palestinians a form of apartheid?

Israel's controversial separation barrier, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank in 2017. — Filepic/AFP

THE era of apartheid in South Africa is one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century.

The word itself has become shorthand for systems of oppressive rule around the world – and even before the current war in Gaza unleashed a massive wave of demonstrations, it was an increasingly popular refrain of pro-Palestinian activists.