Right to Enter

One of the many challenges of the occupation is the right to enter the West Bank and Gaza. Due to the fact that the PA is not a sovereign entity and the borders of the West Bank and Gaza are controlled by Israel, anyone who wishes to enter the West Bank or Gaza must obtain a visa from Israel.

Long term work visas in the occupied territories are difficult to come by...usually you have to work for a governmental organization like USAID to get one. Getting a Palestinian ID for permanent residence is even harder (if that's what you want). Spouses of Palestinians can usually (but not always) get a visa to stay, but still have to deal with the uncertainty of not knowing whether the visa will be renewed. (Many foreign passport holders don't want to give up their passport, but there are families that have made the commitment to living in Palestine who would like that option.)

Most foreign passport holders come on a tourist visa, which, depending on the point of entry and the mood of the person stamping your passport, can be as long as three months. However, many people are denied entry or are only given shorter visas (anywhere from a week or a month). When this happens, the result is disruption and separation. Often the people who are denied entry are long-term volunteers who are doing work in Palestinian civil society organizations or NGOs, or are Palestinians who hold foreign passports but want to contribute to Palestinian society by establishing businesses. They also often have family members in Palestine, and want to raise their families in Palestine with the support of a strong family community.

Denying these people the right to enter undermines the development of a strong Palestinian society. If a strong Palestinian society is likely to be more stable, secure and peaceful, wouldn't you think that it would be in the best interests of Israel to not only grant visas to the West Bank and Gaza--but to encourage them? It's hardly effective to deny them if your goal is peaceful coexistence alongside a viable Palestinian state...which raise's the question: What is Israel's reason for denying these visas and permits? If the problem is "abuse of tourist visas", then why not make it easier to get a work visa or temporary residence visa?

Recently, two of my friends have had visa problems. One was denied entry entirely at Ben Gurion, in spite of the fact that Israel normally reciprocates with the U.S., the other went to visit relatives after a death in the family and came back to receive only a one month stamp. The first one is now back in the U.S., the latter is now spending her time trying to get as much organized as possible before her visa expires, while also trying to figure out what the possibilities are of getting a visa extension or a long-term visa.

Losing them is/would be a loss for Palestine...and they are just two of many.

To learn more, visit Campaign for the Right of Entry/Re-Entry to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.