“Israel” divides Palestinian families

Source: Aljazeera, 9-10-2006
Palestinians who were born abroad and do not have Palestinian identity cards complain about "Israel's" sudden restrictions following the sweeping victory of the anti-occupation Islamict movement, Hamas, in January elections, which prompted a united Western decision to cut yearly aid sent to the Palestinian population and a total halt to "Israel's" ministry-level contacts with the Palestinian Authority.
Those Palestinians have been living in the West Bank for years using three-month tourist visas.
"Israel" simply controls all the international borders leading to the West Bank. And the policy it's pursuing, in contrast to what it claims, is breaking up the Palestinian families, for the migration law it currently applies prevents foreign nationals from living in the country illegally.
Since Hamas headed the Palestinian government, "Israel" restricted the use of tourist visas, which had been renewable every three months by leaving the West Bank and returning again.
In some cases, "Israeli" authorities have been writing ‘last permit', giving shorter stays or refusing entry altogether.
In a report titled "Perpetual Limbo: ‘Israel's' freeze on unification of Palestinian families in the occupied territories" and issued last July, "Israeli" human rights group B'Tselem condemned this policy, saying it is "the forced break-up of the family unit."
In its report, the rights group stated that "Israel's" restrictions are part of a wider plan aimed at suppressing the growth of the Palestinian population "by preventing the entry of spouses and children of residents, and by stimulating emigration from the area."
"Israel" had frozen 120,000 Palestinian family reunification requests since a Palestinian Intifada broke out in 2000, according to B'Tselem. The Jewish (Zionist) State has tightened tourist visa loophole after Hamas took over the government, the rights group added.
‘"Israel" is banning people, who can contribute to building a well-developed society,' B'Tselem spokeswoman, Sarit Michaeli, has been quoted as saying.
The Boston Globe narrates the story of Palestinian family members who had been separated by what human rights groups refer to as a bureaucratic nightmare that led to the split of many Palestinian families whose members had been prevented from visiting relatives in the West Bank, and could prompt many long-term West Bank residents leave their homes.
Six months have passed since Nariman Yazbak and her 2-year-old daughter, Salma, left their home in the West Bank town of El Bireh to visit their relatives in Jordan, she still can't return to their house in the occupied territories, despite the many petitions filed by her husband.
Rami, a human resources specialist at Bir Zeit University near Ramallah, petitioned the Palestinian Authority, the "Israeli" government, the "Israeli" Army, without any action being taken. He even wrote to the "Israeli" Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, seeking help.
Yazbaks will probably consider moving abroad as a result of this policy, said Rami, a Palestinian who was born in the West Bank and returned in early 2000 with his Spanish-born Palestinian wife, Nariman, to their ancestral homeland.
"It was a dream to live in Palestine and to have my family, wife, and kid here," he said.
Many Palestinians seek the permanent residence, which, according to the Oslo accords, requires the agreement of both "Israel" and the Palestinian Authority.
Last April, Nariman and Salma were returning as usual through the Allenby Bridge linking Jordan to the West Bank, when they were stopped by "Israeli" immigration officials and turned back, after having their passports stamped "Entry Denied."
"I need my family," he said. "I'm giving it one last chance. We might appeal to the "Israeli" Supreme Court, but I'm afraid they will reject it.
"Otherwise we will have to go to Spain and start again from zero."
Palestinians with Jordanian citizenship started suffering with the beginning of the second Palestinian Intifada six years ago when "Israel" denied Jordanian-Palestinians re-entry to the West Bank if they were effectively residing there.
Wahel Hushia, 35, from the West Bank village of Katana, and married to a Palestinian woman from Jordan, narrates a similar sad story. In 2001, Hushia's wife and her baby daughter went to Jordan to visit her parents, but she was never able to return back.
"We cannot have any more children, because if they are born in Jordan, the ‘Israelis' will never let them in," Hushia said. "I last saw them four months ago."
Reuters cited a similar story last month. It's the story of Palestinian economics professor and writer Adel Samara who has not seen his American wife since May. He said his wife has been denied entry to the territories by "Israeli" authorities.
"My kids miss her dreadfully," said Adel Samara, 62.
"This is the first time in history I have heard of an occupation that divorces people."
Samara had been prevented by the "Israelis" from leaving the West Bank since 2003, without providing him with reason.
East Jerusalem (al-Quds) lawyers Ibrahim Khoury and Ehab Abu Gosh said there are dozens of similar cases before the "Israeli" courts.
The Palestinian Ministry for Civil Affairs said it has received more than 120,000 petitions and requests for family reunification since September 2000, which the "Israelis" refuse to process.
Sabine Hadad, spokeswoman for the "Israeli" Interior Ministry, denied there was any policy change, claiming;
"There has been a clarification of the instructions. When a foreigner, from the USA or any other country, comes to the border and they know they are coming to visit the territories, they need a visitors' permit for the territories, from the army."