High Court Challenge Delays New Policy on Foreigners’ Entry to West Bank
Jerusalem24 – The implementation of a new restrictive policy on foreigners wishing to enter the West Bank has been delayed by 45 days due to a legal challenge in the Israeli High Court, according to Israeli authorities.
The policy has been sharply criticized by a number of legal and human rights experts. Ahmed Abofoul, International Lawyer, Legal Research and Advocacy Officer at Al-Haq Organization, called the new Israeli policy of entry and residence of foreigners into the West Bank “Apartheid and de facto annexation in practice” in a series of tweets on April 26th, detailing how the policy specifically targets foreigners with ties to Palestinians in the West Bank while exempting those wishing to visit Israeli settlers in the same area.
🚨 BREAKING: Apartheid and de facto annexation in practice
1. Israel changes its policy of entry and residence of foreigners into the West Bank to further complicates entry restrictions. Even among foreign nationality holders, Israel racially discriminates against Palestinians🧵 pic.twitter.com/1eX6yqPTWn
— Ahmed Abofoul (@AhmedAbofoul) April 26, 2022
The 97-page document, quietly released in February and originally due to take effect on May 20th, places sweeping restrictions on foreign passport holders wishing to reside, study, teach, work, or volunteer in the West Bank, including on spouses or children of Palestinian ID cardholders. The policy is currently facing a legal challenge in the Israeli High Court by a number of human rights organizations and Israeli authorities have announced its implementation has been delayed until July 5th “in order to consider the concerns raised”.
Important development: in response to High Court petition, Israeli authorities announce delay of the new regulations regarding entry & residence of foreigners in the West Bank “in order to consider the concerns raised”.
The regulations are now set to take effect July 5, 2022. https://t.co/EC2OZEl8vp pic.twitter.com/2evfFtsyri— HaMoked (@HaMokedRights) April 28, 2022
