The measures, which have been postponed several times, should come into effect on September 5.
Scheduled for Monday, September 5, the entry into force of a series of measures decided by the Israeli authorities will severely restrict the entry and stay of foreigners in the West Bank. They concern the conditions of access to visas which are limited to this occupied territory alone: their holders cannot circulate in Israel, cannot go to Jerusalem or travel through Tel Aviv airport.
The new rules could in particular have serious consequences for thousands of spouses of Palestinians. “There is no possibility for us to obtain long-term visas, we renew them every three to six months, explains an American mother married to a Palestinian for eight years, who prefers to keep her name quiet. With the new regulations, I will be able to do this for twenty-seven months and after that, I will have to leave the territory for six to nine months before I can ask to return. Can you imagine what that means for your family life, your existence? Sitting in a chic café in Ramallah, she explains that she has been trying to raise awareness of the American authorities on this subject for several months.
Family, work, volunteering, studies… The 62 pages of the provisional document published by Cogat, the military body that manages the civilian affairs of Palestinians in the occupied territories, detail a set of rules that considerably reduce the possibilities for foreigners to stay long periods in the West Bank. These procedures “give authority to the Israeli army to micromanage Palestinian society” , denounced in June a petition carried by the Israeli NGO for the defense of human rights HaMoked.