[News] New restrictions on entry into Palestine

[News at freedomarchives.org]

From: "International Solidarity Movement" <info at palsolidarity.org>

Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 10:09:28 +0200


INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT

Tuesday, January 13, 2004

For Immediate Release



ISRAEL'S NEW RESTRICTIONS FURTHER ISOLATE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE



The Israeli Military has imposed new restrictions on visitors to the 
Palestinian Territories.  Visitors to the West Bank and Gaza Strip are now 
required to apply for permission and obtain written authorization from the 
Civil Administration of the Israeli Military, without which they could be 
deported and refused future re-entry to Israel/Palestinian Territories. 
This measure is a further attempt by Israel to isolate the Palestinian 
people and treat them like caged animals, controlling if and when 
Palestinians are allowed to have human contact with the international 
community.



According to the Danish Embassy, this new order went into effect January 4, 
2004 and foreign civilians currently in the Palestinian Territories may 
have to apply for permission from the Civil Administration to leave.



Foreign nationals arriving to Ben Gurion Airport or at one of the bridges 
from Jordan are now being handed this order, apparently as a warning, as no 
signature is yet being required for entry into Israel.  The threat of 
deportation and banning of re-entry into Israel is especially concerning as 
Israel controls all borders and entry into the Palestinian 
Territories.  Therefore a ban on entry into Israel translates into a ban on 
access to the Palestinian Territories.



This measure is similar to restrictions placed on entry to the Gaza Strip 
in May 2003
which required any foreign visitor including journalists and NGO workers to
sign a waiver form in which they agreed that Israel held no responsibility
for their death or injury by the Israeli army.  This made it difficult for
international monitors and humanitarian workers to enter Gaza.  As a result
human rights abuses committed by the Israeli Army escalated and went
largely unreported to the outside world - approximately 2,000 people were made
homeless in Rafah as a result of mass house demolitions by the Israeli 
Military in October of 2003.



Please call, write and fax your governmental representatives, especially 
your embassies in Israel and Government Foreign Relations offices (State 
Department) and ask them to protest this measure to the Israeli government 
and give written assurances to their civilians that they will be granted 
access to the Palestinian Territories.



Your government's embassy in Israel:

http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfh/Eng/Ntz/Ntz_World.asp?let=e



For a scanned copy of the order, please see: www.palsolidarity.org



For more information, please contact:
Huwaida - +972-67-473-308

The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
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