Palestine: Israeli Military Order Threatens Mass Deportation

A new military order aiming at "preventing infiltration" through deportation and/or punishment of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank will come into force this week. Those whose ID cards bear home addresses in the Gaza Strip --- not only people born in Gaza but any of their children born in the West Bank --- those born in the West Bank or abroad who have lost their residency status, and foreign-born spouses of Palestinians are "infiltrators". They are subject to deportation, a fine of NIS 7500, and/or a jail sentence of up to seven years.

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Despite this violation of the Oslo Accords, Palestinians with Gaza addresses have been defined since 2000 as illegal sojourners, as if they were citizens of a foreign state. Many of them, including those born in the West Bank, have been "deported" to Gaza.



Since 2007, Palestinians with Gaza addresses have had the right to request a permit to stay in the West Bank. Indeed, since 2009, residents of East Jerusalem have no need for permission to enter Area A, which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority. This new order not only supersedes these regulations but, broadening the definition of "infiltration", and brings more Palestinians into the category of potential criminals. The term infiltrator will also be applied to Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, citizens of countries with whom Israel has friendly ties (such as the US), and Israeli citizens, whether Arab or Jewish.

Who is to judge whether someone is an "infiltrator"? Israel Defense Forces commanders in the field. So who can determine who can reside in Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, or Hebron? Israeli commanders or the Palestinian Authority?

With this measure, Israel is provoking the "other", violating its agreements and doing its best to delegitimize the Palestinian leadership, in the eyes of both Palestinians and Israelis. It is a contradiction of Israel's official expectation that the West Bank authorities will come to the table as a "partner state"; curtailed and publicly belittled, this is a half-partner lacking the basic functions of a Government.

And so West Jerusalem, at the level of the practical rather than Washington's invocation of the rhetorical, blocks the peace process itself.

Middle East Inside Line: Gaza Tension; Palestinian State by 2011?; Israel's Hebron Show

Gazan-Israeli Tension Continues: The exchange of rockets between Gaza and Israel continues. In response to a Palestinian short-range rocket fired across the border on Thursday, Israel Air Force launched seven rockets on Friday, killing no one but wounding two children and destroying two caravans, a cheese factory, and a metal foundry. An Israel Defense Forces spokesman confirmed the attacks, saying they had targeted two weapons-manufacturing plants and two arms caches.

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On Thursday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called on the international community to intervene to avoid escalation.

Militants in the strip responded to Friday's Israeli attack by firing a Qassam rocket into southern Israel.


Palestinian State around 2011? In an exclusive interview with Haaretz, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad stated that "the birth of a Palestinian state will be celebrated as a day of joy by the entire community of nations":

The time for this baby to be born will come and we estimate it will come around 2011. That is our vision, and a reflection of our will to exercise our right to live in freedom and dignity in the country [where] we are born, alongside the State of Israel in complete harmony.

If for one reason or another, by August 2011 [the plan] will have failed... I believe we will have amassed such credit, in form of positive facts on the ground, that the reality is bound to force itself on the political process to produce the outcome.

It is the right of an oppressed nation to say 'enough.' No one should be expected to stand for injustice, not least the Palestinians, who have endured long decades of occupation. Is it not what Gandhi stood for, what Martin Luther King stood for?

Thousands of Israelis Gather in West Bank: On Thursday, thousands came to the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron to celebrate its addition to Israel's list of national heritage sites. Member of Knesset Ayoob Kara (Likud) said that "not even Hussein Obama will remove us from Hebron":

The masses that have come here, including the 40 members of the Land of Israel caucus, are a guarantee and proof that no one will move us from the Cave of the Patriarchs, not even Hussein Obama.

The Prime minister needs to say 'no' to Barack Hussein Obama, and 'yes' to the people of Israel, who have come here in their multitudes today. He needs to grant permits to start building in settlements and in all of Israel.