Palestine: Right of Re-Entry

Ad-hoc Committee for the Protection of Foreign Passport Holders Residing in and/or Visiting the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Launched June 2006)

CPFPH

1/7/06

Who we are?

We are a support group of individuals and families affected by the current Israeli occupation authorities’ policy that denies entry to foreign passport holders to the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) via the Israeli unilaterally controlled international border crossings to the oPt.

• Problem:

Israel has recently intensified its policies regarding restriction of entry or re-entry to the oPt with respect to residents of and visitors to the OPT (Gaza Strip and West Bank) who do not hold a Palestinian ID issued by the Israeli Ministry of Interior. A Palestinian ID is a personal identification document issued by Israel for Palestinian residents and their children.

Israel is now systematically denying entry or return to the oPt via the international Israeli borders at Ben Gurion Airport, Sheikh Hussein Bridge, and Eilat, as well as the border to the West Bank, the Allenby Bridge.. Most of those affected are Palestinian natives, entire families or individual members of families, spouses, children, parents and other close relatives of Palestinian ID holders. As a result, families are torn apart, jobs or businesses lost and personal property becomes inaccessible.

The policy applies to persons with and without Palestinian or Arab origins, with and without family relations, including professionals and academics who are in the oPt for teaching, research, the arts, visiting or volunteer services. Most of these cases, which must be in the thousands, have never overstayed their visitor’s visas or breached any visiting regulations. It must be noted that Israel has reserved for itself the exclusive power of civil registration and issuing IDs for Palestinians, visitors’ visas and work permits for non-ID holders to the oPt. By these means it is conducting a swift and effective ‘silent transfer’ of the Palestinian population while the latter is living at the mercy of the Israeli occupation authorities.

In addition to the people already locked out, there are many more still in the oPt and at risk of deportation or re-entry denial once they exit the country’s international borders to comply with Israeli visa regulations.

Our objectives are to:

– Contact those still in the country and at risk of being denied re-entry, to advise them not to leave the country and to share experience about ways of proactive legal action;

– Collect information and document cases of entry and re-entry denial;

– Call on the national and international community to protest and take action against this Israeli practice of family separation and denying entry to foreign experts and supporters;

– Launch an international legal and political campaign to prevent, stop and reverse these Israeli policies and practices;

– Urge consulates and embassies of affected citizens to formally protest, protect and take action against these Israeli practices;

– Publicize the issue and disseminate information through national and international media channels.

Contacts:

Manaf Abbas, Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man Tel: +970-2-2954646/9, Fax: +970-2-2954903 Email: info@alhaq.org, Website: www.alhaq.org

Adel Samara, Kan’an, Tel: +970599.358787 Email qurmut2004@yahoo.ca Ziadeh Shamieh, Palestinian American Association, Tel. +970-2-2965415