Doors of re-entry shut to Palestinians

[Englander]

By Amira Hass

AMMAN - Seven months after Swedish citizen Somaida Abbas was refused entry through Ben-Gurion International Airport, the insult can still be heard in every sentence spoken by this successful economic adviser describing his efforts to return to his wife and three children in Ramallah. Finally, they came to him in Amman.

His wife, Saada Shobaki, took a half-year's leave of absence from the Palestinian Economy Ministry. His kids left their school and kindergarten. They now live in a rented, furnished flat without personal character except for the charming mess of the children's toys and drawings. Hanging by the door are the keys to Abbas' house in Ramallah. He already lost one set of keys -- to his house in Jerusalem. Abbas was born in 1959 in Jerusalem, where he lived and studied until about 20 years ago. Because he went to study and work abroad, Israel revoked his residency rights.

Abbas was among the first Palestinians with Western citizenship to be hurt by the new, undeclared Israeli policy of prohibiting Palestinian re-entry to the country. This policy affects people who want to visit family or return and live in the occupied territories, as they had for the previous 10 or 15 years on tourist or work visas that only Israel has the authority to grant, and did so until 2000.

The massive wave of refusal of entry and non-renewal of visas began in early spring of this year, after the establishment of the Hamas government. Abbas was refused entry on February 6 when he returned from a short business trip to Sweden and Turkey. In Sweden he took part in an initiative to advance economic cooperation between Palestinian, Israeli and Swedish business people. In Turkey he talked with officials from the Turkish Foreign Ministry about re-opening the Erez industrial zone.

At first Abbas, his friends, and the many people with which he was professionally involved, including many Israelis, thought that a mistake had been made, that there was a misunderstanding. After all, only a mistake could bar entry to a senior economic adviser appointed by the Palestinian Authority to develop the idea of shared Israeli-Palestinian industrial zones after Israel began increasingly to limit the entry of Palestinian workers to its territory.

More at;
Haaretz

[Tom Joad]

1. This is a very important story. Even American citizens are being

refused entry to visit their families in Palestine. You would think that Israel, that receives billions in U.S. tax dollars would permit U.S. citizens the right to visit their families... but no...

Yet another despicable way that Israel is doing everything it can to make life unbearable for the people of the West Bank/Gaza.

The only option left is a people's initiative aimed toward divestment and sanctions. South Africa saw the light when it was isolated, i believe that Israeli leaders can also become so enlightened.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tom Joad]

3. To induce as many as possible to leave, then the ones left will

be the poorest, the most desperate. These will be confined to the Bantustans.

[Stockholm]

4. Very interesting

I am forwarding this article to the Swedish foreign office.

[Tom Joad]

5. Very good idea. demand that they do something.

[Englander]

6. Thanks Stockholm. n/t