American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee 13 October 2006
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination (ADC) has noted increased reports which indicate Israel is discriminating against US citizens and other foreign nationals by denying them entry or re-entry into the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel.
In late September, the US Consul General in Jerusalem also acknowledged a noticeable change in the number of Israeli refusals or denial of entry cases. More than 120,000 Arab Americans are believed to be impacted by this latest Israeli policy and the Consulate is urging people to document this information. Additionally, on October 11, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, “I will continue to do everything in my power … to ensure that all American travelers receive fair and equal treatment.”
As such, ADC will be working with the ‘Campaign for the Right of Entry/Re-Entry to the Occupied Palestinian Territories’ to collect information on this troubling practice. These first-hand accounts will help to document and demonstrate the impact of this discriminatory practice.
Please take the time to report your details to ADC by:
Direct questions to ADC’s Legal Department: 202-244-2990 or legal@adc.org
It appears that these denials fall into two categories. The first group includes US citizens and foreign nationals, either short or long term visitors wishing to visit family or conduct business, who don’t hold an Israeli-issued Palestinian ID entry into or residence in Palestine. The second group includes individuals who have applied for family unification, as per Israeli-defined regulations, but have been unable to gain permanent residency. The majority of this group are Palestinian ID holders petitioning for their spouse or children to become residents in the West Bank or Gaza. Regardless of whether you fall into either of these categories, please report your case information.
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