WASHINGTON, 12 July 2006 — For the first time since Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967, the country has begun a policy of preventing Palestinians with foreign citizenship — mostly Americans — from entering Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. News of which has not been covered in any of yesterday’s American newspapers.
Haaretz reported on Monday that “thousands” of Americans and Europeans had been blocked from entering Israel and the West Bank, some at entry points, including the Ben-Gurion Airport. Israel has also barred them from returning to their homes and jobs or from visiting their families in the West Bank. Haaretz said the decision could affect many more thousands who live in the occupied territories “including university instructors and researchers, employees working in various vital development programs and business owners as well as thousands of foreign citizens who pay annual visits to relatives there.
The policy also applies to foreigners who are married to Palestinians, and to visiting academics. The US Embassy in Tel Aviv told Haaretz that no Israeli official informed them of a change in the entry policy, and said that the United States cannot intervene in the sovereign decisions of another country. Several people who were refused entry and spoke with US representatives said that the consulate and embassy are well aware of the new policy.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington would not comment, but Haaretz suggested the problem was caused by a breakdown in order since Hamas took over the Palestinian government in March. According to prior agreements, Israel must check Palestinians entering its borders in consultation with the Palestinian government, but consultations have stopped since Israel refuses to deal with officials from the Hamas group.
The Arab American Institute (AAI) denounced the Israeli decision to bar Arab-Americans of Palestinian heritage from entering the West Bank and Israeli lands, calling on President Bush’s government to intervene immediately.
“This is crude racial profiling and represents the worst of Israel’s systematic discriminatory policies toward Arabs and Arab-Americans. We would not tolerate a country barring Americans entry because they are Jewish, black, Asian or Latino and we certainly should not do so because they are of Arab descent,” said AAI President James Zogby.
The AAI also expressed grave concern over media reports that US consular officials in Tel Aviv stated that they view the matter as a sovereign decision by another country.
In denying Arab-Americans entry, Israel is in clear violation of the 1951 Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation, which specifically grants the citizens of one country the right “to travel freely and reside at places of their choice” in another country.
Citizens of Arab states, not only those of Palestinian origin, have been barred from entering Israel since 2000. A handful have been allowed in as “exceptional humanitarian cases” — mostly when a close relative is dying or has died. This clause was suspended last April.
“This policy is so outrageous and blatantly racist — and aimed at US citizens — I hope that the US will protest and the Israelis will have to back down,” said a US State Department Foreign Service officer, on condition of anonymity.
