Thursday, June 22, 2006

Caged in, Locked Out

Typically, entry to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt) through the only possible route available, via Israel, is a nerve-racking, tiresome and extremely invasive affair. Unbearable delays, grueling interrogations, strip searches and other forms of humiliation are amongst the best case scenarios, with the ever increasing threat of deportation always looming overhead. Because this policy has gone on unquestioned for so long, Israel has recently stepped up its campaign to get and keep internationals out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. If the foreigner in question answers honestly to the barrage of questions hurled by the Israelis, he or she could be in for a very stressful and unpleasant entry process. As a result, one must be prepared to lie with the coolness of a professional criminal, and prepared to back up their story, corroborated by witnesses, contact names and phone numbers in order to enter the oPt.

Entry Denied!
Israel ultimately decides, at whim, who will be "allowed" to enter the oPt. Typically the way for determined internationals to stay for an extended period of time is to renew the 3-month Israeli visitor visa. They have been stopped from entering Israel, en route to Palestine, or re-entering, after leaving the country for their required 3-month visa renewal. Even those wanting to visit Palestine for the first time are arbitrarily denied the right to do so.

Those who are typically denied entry are those who have a Palestinian background, are married to someone with Palestinian ID, human rights defenders, and those working in Palestinian civil society. In other words, those who are not a security risk of any kind, but disagree with Israeli occupation policies, have the highest risk of deportation.

It has been estimated that at least “13,000 people (non-Jews) have been arbitrarily denied entry to Israel/Palestine" over the past few years. Because insufficient information is accessible as to how many people are actually denied entry, it is difficult to know the true numbers. To date there is still no official written Israeli legislation that back up these discriminatory practices. A campaign is currently under way to address the issue from a legal perspective – (see below for more information).

Because the entire Israeli legal system is built on an illegal occupation, policies that are implemented are inherently racist in nature. Still the over-arching restrictions and complete control of movement go unchallenged by governments around the world. Seen within the pretext of a “normal” sovereign country, Israeli jurisdiction and control of Palestinian borders are normalized, as if acting within the bounds of a regular state.

U.S. Discriminatory Policies and UN Acquiescence
The United States deems that Israel has a right to control ‘its own borders’ and a State Department publication actually warns Arab-Americans that there is discrimination in the process by Israel. The booklet is made available at the passport office in Washington DC on travel by US citizens to Israel. There seems to be an understanding that this is fine, and direct evidence that discriminatory behavior is condoned by the US.

Similarly, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), is forced to comply with Israeli dictates. The UN’s TOKTEN (Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals) program aims to reverse patterns of “brain drain” by encouraging expatriate nationals, who have an expertise in a certain field to live and work in their home country. Formerly, TOKTEN employees were provided work visas allowing them to get funding through the UN to work for a Palestinian organization. However, those currently holding a TOKTEN visa were told in a recent UNDP meeting that they are enjoying an interim grace period and are unlikely to be granted future visas, because Israel is no longer granting permission for them to do so.

This UNDP announcement also denies foreign nationals who are currently living and working in the West Bank from being allowed to live there any longer. They are now being required to move to Jerusalem, even though the daily grind of the checkpoints make it incredibly tiresome and unrealistic to sustain the journey day in and day out, on a long term basis. In addition, they will be required to get weekly permission by Israel, to be allowed to the West Bank. Those who are "caught" living in the West Bank will be forcibly removed from not only the OPT but their visa will be revoked and they will be deported within a days notice, which has already
happened in at least one case.


A Growing Trend?
In fact, not only are the US and UN complying with the States control over the Palestinian territories, even Sweden has recently issued a statement to the effect that "entry into the territories under the control of the Palestinian Authority (P.A.), in the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria (Area A) is forbidden without prior written authorization. Entry into the aforementioned territories, without prior authorization, may result in legal measures being taken against you, including deportation and refusal of future re-entry into the State of Israel." "…the submission of a request to authorize entry into the above mentioned areas does not
constitute permission to do so, until written authorization has been received." From this statement one would be mislead to believe that the P.A. has some authority to grant`written authorization'. But of course, Israel, and only Israel has complete say in who gets permission to enter.

Yet Jews and those who visit Israel, from all over the world, have more of a right to visit and live unconditionally over indigenous Palestinian people. For example, according to Tel Aviv’s University website, "Israel has visa agreements with 65 countries. Nationals of these countries do not need to obtain an entry permit or visa prior to their arrival in Israel; they automatically receive a B2 Tourist Visa, valid for three months, upon entering the country. A4 Student Family Visa – Faculty and students can apply for this visa for their family members. It is valid for up to a year and must be renewed annually." However, last semester a visiting Professor
of Psychology at Birzeit University through the UN's TOKTEN program, had his salary cut before the semester ended and barely received his promised visa renewal to finish out the term.

Official Israeli rhetoric claims that their racist policies are, for our own security, blaming "the situation on the ground in the West Bank between Fateh and Hamas provides a reason for much stiffer entry regulations.” Is it not the right of those who for years have been committed to living and working under the, not exactly safe conditions of occupation, to make that decision for themselves? As 3.5 million
Palestinian people suffer, isolated, starved, while the snaking wall and settlements encroach, imprison Palestinians while stealing more land and water; and Israel kills with impunity. It is critical that visitors witness the reality of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories first hand, because only then can this disparity be seen as clear as day. Could this perhaps be, what they don’t want the outside world to see?



•A legal campaign is underway to fight these discriminatory denial of
entry practices. Please email: palsolidarity@palnet.com if you, or anyone
you know, has been denied entry into Occupied Palestinian Territories, or
for more information.