JERUSALEM: An Israeli military body has issued a list of rules and restrictions for foreigners wishing to enter the Palestinian territories. Western coastIncreasing its control over daily life and movement in and outside the occupied territory.
kogataThe Israeli body in charge of Palestinian civil affairs pulled back from a number of controversial restrictions that appeared in a draft of the rules published earlier this year, such as a requirement that people who have romantic relationships with local Palestinians register with the Israeli authorities. .
But many of the changes in the 90-page document, which was released late Sunday night, were largely ostentatious. The US ambassador expressed concern over the rules, and critics said they only complicated Israel55 years of control over the Palestinian population in the region.
“The Israeli military is proposing new sanctions to isolate Palestinian society from the outside world and prevent Palestinian families from living together,” Jessica said. montelexecutive director of hamokedAn Israeli human rights group that has challenged the rules in court.
“In response to the criticism they have removed the most abusive elements. Yet they are keeping the basic structure of this very invasive and harmful process in place,” she said. The rules are due to come into effect from October 20.
The broader policy imposes rules on foreigners who marry Palestinians or who come to the West Bank to work, volunteer, study or teach. The rules do not apply to people visiting Israel or the more than 130 Jewish settlements spread across the West Bank.
Israel occupied the East as well as the West Bank Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, the Middle Eastern War of 1967 – areas in which Palestinians seek an independent state.
The initial draft included a requirement that a foreigner who forms a serious romantic relationship with a local Palestinian notify the Israeli military within 30 days of “the beginning of the relationship”, which is required for engagement, marriage or moving in together. is defined as.
The 30-day notice was removed from the Sunday rules. But it still says that if a foreigner begins relations with a Palestinian, “the appointed COGAT officer must be notified as part of their request to renew or extend an existing visa.”
The new rules also removed earlier limits on the number of foreign students and teachers allowed to study or work in the West Bank. The length of time they can stay in the area has also been increased.
Yet COGAT has a lot of discretion on who is allowed in. It must accept the academic credentials of a university lecturer invited by a Palestinian institution, and reserves the right to screen potential students if visas are “suspected of abuse”.
Strict restrictions are also in place on foreign wives of Palestinians. Spouses are only entitled to short-term visits and may be required to deposit 70,000 shekels (about $20,000) to ensure that they will leave the area.
The new rules offer some potential relief for foreign wives, including a 27-month long-term visa that can be renewed and multiple trips in and out of the region. It also bypasses the previous “cooling off” period that required spouses to leave for longer periods between visas.
But for these new and improved visas require application through Palestinian Authority for Israel – a process that is uncertain and notoriously opaque, Montel said. The document says the final decision is also subject to approval by Israel’s “political sphere”.
US ambassador tom nides Expressed disappointment with the rules, and said they had “aggressively engaged” with Israel over the draft and would continue to do so before the formal implementation of the rules.
“I have concerns with published protocols, particularly regarding the role of COGAT in determining whether persons invited by Palestinian educational institutions are eligible to enter the West Bank, and the potential negative impact on family unity, ” They said. “I fully expect the Israeli government to make the necessary adjustments” during the two-year pilot program to ensure “fair and equal treatment of all US citizens and other foreign nationals traveling to the West Bank.”
Israel hopes to reach a visa-waiver program with the United States, which has long opposed the move because Israel treats Palestinian-Americans differently than other US citizens.
The European UnionIsrael, which sends hundreds of students and professors each year to the West Bank on academic exchanges, did not immediately comment on Israel’s announcement.
COGAT officials declined further comment, while the Palestinian Authority had no immediate reaction. Montell said his group would continue its legal challenges.
kogataThe Israeli body in charge of Palestinian civil affairs pulled back from a number of controversial restrictions that appeared in a draft of the rules published earlier this year, such as a requirement that people who have romantic relationships with local Palestinians register with the Israeli authorities. .
But many of the changes in the 90-page document, which was released late Sunday night, were largely ostentatious. The US ambassador expressed concern over the rules, and critics said they only complicated Israel55 years of control over the Palestinian population in the region.
“The Israeli military is proposing new sanctions to isolate Palestinian society from the outside world and prevent Palestinian families from living together,” Jessica said. montelexecutive director of hamokedAn Israeli human rights group that has challenged the rules in court.
“In response to the criticism they have removed the most abusive elements. Yet they are keeping the basic structure of this very invasive and harmful process in place,” she said. The rules are due to come into effect from October 20.
The broader policy imposes rules on foreigners who marry Palestinians or who come to the West Bank to work, volunteer, study or teach. The rules do not apply to people visiting Israel or the more than 130 Jewish settlements spread across the West Bank.
Israel occupied the East as well as the West Bank Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, the Middle Eastern War of 1967 – areas in which Palestinians seek an independent state.
The initial draft included a requirement that a foreigner who forms a serious romantic relationship with a local Palestinian notify the Israeli military within 30 days of “the beginning of the relationship”, which is required for engagement, marriage or moving in together. is defined as.
The 30-day notice was removed from the Sunday rules. But it still says that if a foreigner begins relations with a Palestinian, “the appointed COGAT officer must be notified as part of their request to renew or extend an existing visa.”
The new rules also removed earlier limits on the number of foreign students and teachers allowed to study or work in the West Bank. The length of time they can stay in the area has also been increased.
Yet COGAT has a lot of discretion on who is allowed in. It must accept the academic credentials of a university lecturer invited by a Palestinian institution, and reserves the right to screen potential students if visas are “suspected of abuse”.
Strict restrictions are also in place on foreign wives of Palestinians. Spouses are only entitled to short-term visits and may be required to deposit 70,000 shekels (about $20,000) to ensure that they will leave the area.
The new rules offer some potential relief for foreign wives, including a 27-month long-term visa that can be renewed and multiple trips in and out of the region. It also bypasses the previous “cooling off” period that required spouses to leave for longer periods between visas.
But for these new and improved visas require application through Palestinian Authority for Israel – a process that is uncertain and notoriously opaque, Montel said. The document says the final decision is also subject to approval by Israel’s “political sphere”.
US ambassador tom nides Expressed disappointment with the rules, and said they had “aggressively engaged” with Israel over the draft and would continue to do so before the formal implementation of the rules.
“I have concerns with published protocols, particularly regarding the role of COGAT in determining whether persons invited by Palestinian educational institutions are eligible to enter the West Bank, and the potential negative impact on family unity, ” They said. “I fully expect the Israeli government to make the necessary adjustments” during the two-year pilot program to ensure “fair and equal treatment of all US citizens and other foreign nationals traveling to the West Bank.”
Israel hopes to reach a visa-waiver program with the United States, which has long opposed the move because Israel treats Palestinian-Americans differently than other US citizens.
The European UnionIsrael, which sends hundreds of students and professors each year to the West Bank on academic exchanges, did not immediately comment on Israel’s announcement.
COGAT officials declined further comment, while the Palestinian Authority had no immediate reaction. Montell said his group would continue its legal challenges.