West Bank Residents Without Israeli Permits Deemed 'Infiltrators' Under New Law

Groups fear sweeping deportations from the West Bank.

Photo by Mika Ginsburg

(JERUSALEM / SALEM) - I often write about how the U.S. government utilizes particular terminology to prosecute its perceived enemies. Words like "terrorist" invoke recent U.S. laws that literally strip an American of all constitutionally guaranteed rights. Another example is the word "gang" which is applied by police when they seek to arrest and charge motorcycle club members.

Israel is no newcomer to this game, and new amendments to the current Israel Defence Force (IDF) Order regarding 'Prevention of Infiltration' and the Order regarding 'Security Provisions' expanding the definition of the term ‘infiltrator,’ means anyone without a permit that the Israeli authorities contact, could serve between three and seven years in prison.

Those who are not imprisoned, will swiftly be deported and expelled from the West Bank - 72 hours after a deportation order has been issued.

Under the new amendment, the term 'infiltrator' will include any person currently present in the occupied West Bank, who does not hold a permit issued by Israeli authorities.

The Israeli Human Righs Group HaMoked, explains that under the new orders, it does not matter if a person was born in the West Bank. Whether Palestinian or not, they will be required to hold a permit to simply be there.

Criminalizing the West Bank

The sweeping order applies not only to Palestinians who were born in the West Bank or who moved there lawfully, but also to foreigners and even to Israeli settlers and soldiers.

HaMoked says the orders in West Bank could potentially lead to the area being emptied of all its inhabitants in a fast track three-day procedure, with little possibility of judicial review.

The group, a legal centre based in Jerusalem, is leading urgent action for suspension of the orders.

HaMoked says the orders will effectively legalize the expulsion of all Gaza-registered Palestinians living in the West Bank. It could be used to deport to the extremely dangerous and poverty stricken Gaza Strip.

Egypt and Israel maintain an impassible border wall around Gaza, with the Israeli navy at sea known for intercepting relief vessels, and massacring Palestinian families on the beach with attack boats, as we reviewed in a report last week.

Israel has restricted Gaza residents from living in the West Bank in recent years. Under the new amendment, Gaza residents will be prohibited from moving to the West Bank, an already extremely difficult process.

The greatest danger according to HaMoked, lies in the potentially limitless enforcement of the law against anyone in the West Bank at any future time. Israel is under increasing criticism from all sides since a merciless attack on Gaza during the winter of 2006/2007 that left more than 1400 dead, among them several hundred children.

The UN's Richard Goldstone issued a report calling Israel's actions war crimes. To activist groups this barely scratches the surface of the oppressive environment Israel reserves for the native inhabitants who lost 99% of their nation since the formation of Israel in 1947 and 1948.

The United States has turned a blind eye to the oppression for years and years, and Israel's current hard right government is seeing record amounts of world pressure for the crimes committed daily against the Palestinians, who have now resorted to non violent protest, which is greeted almost exclusively by violent attack, death and arrest at the hands of IDF soldiers and police.

Special thanks to Miri Weingarten

Sources:

Alternative Jewish Percpectives on Israel - Palestine

HaMoked - the Centre for the Defense of the Individual

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Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.

Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com