In Israel a military order was recently amended to allow Israel to remove people from the West Bank if it does not recognize their legal status. The original military order was written in 1969 after Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 war. The order was on how to deal with those judged to be "infiltrators" of the West Bank. In the 1969 document, "infiltrator" was defined as a person that entered the area illegally from a neighboring Arab country. The recent amendment redefined the term broadly to anyone who enters the West Bank "unlawfully" or who "does not lawfully hold a permit." The permit required is not specified.
Israel human rights groups warned that this really broad definition could potentially lead to the expulsion of thousands of Palestinians. The chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, denounced the change and said, "These military orders belong in an apartheid state...Extensive in scope, they make it infinitely easier for Israel to imprison and expel Palestinians from the West Bank." Critics of the new order say that mass expulsions are probably not as likely, instead they are more concerned about the military deporting those officially registered as residents of Gaza, as well as Palestinians or their spouses who moved to the West Bank from abroad. When the military currently tries to remove individuals like this from the West Bank, they have a hard time arguing the cases before Israel's Supreme Court. The amended order could help the military succeed in arguing their cases.
A spokesman for the Israel military said there had been no change in policy regarding the extradition of illegal residents from the West Bank, and that if people have "the right paperwork" allowing residency, they have nothing to worry about. In addition, he said that under the new order a deportation cannot be carried out until 72 hours after legal papers have been issued, and until the person has had a chance to appeal in a military court. In the past, deportations could be carried out the same day, with no appeal. The spokesman said, "It makes it easier for people without the right paperwork to appeal." (Full Story)
It will be interesting to see how this change pans out and what the effects will be. I'm also curious to see whether these appeals will be taken seriously -- will they legitimately have a chance to appeal (note that it's a military court) or will it be a hollow gesture (i.e., the appeal falls on deaf ears)? I'm always a little wary of rules being changed or amended to allow for more broad language. That usually means trouble. I'm also concerned that the broad change could affect what Israel determines to be "the right paperwork" for people to live in the West Bank.
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