Israel condemned for order that could deport Palestinians

PALESTINIAN AND Arab leaders are calling on Israel to rescind a military order, effective from yesterday, which could classify Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as infiltrators and mandate their deportation or imprisonment.

Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad said the measure threatened “to empty large areas of Palestinian inhabitants”.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the order contravened international law and the fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibit deportations of occupied people by occupying powers.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad denounced the order as a tool for “ethnic cleansing” and Arab League secretary general Amr Moussa called for Arab countermeasures.

The Arab Lawyers’ Union asked the UN Human Rights Council to meet in emergency session to confront Israel’s abuse of Palestinian rights.

First adopted in 1969 to provide for the detention or deportation of Palestinians infiltrating from belligerent countries, the order was amended six months ago to embrace Palestinians and others residing in the occupied territories without permits issued by Israel’s interior ministry or local military commanders.

The order could result in the deportation of individuals within 72 hours or their imprisonment for up to seven years. Military tribunals are also set to replace civilian courts which, on occasion, have blocked deportations.

Ten Israeli human-rights organisations called for a reconsideration of the order. A letter to Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak signed by these organisations complained that the measure was worded so vaguely that it lent itself to broad interpretation.

They said the secrecy with which the order was introduced raised “grave concerns” that it was intended to go ahead “without public debate or judicial review”.

They warned that it could be used against “the vast majority of [Palestinians] now living in the West Bank [who] have never been required to hold any sort of permit to be present” in the area.

The Palestinian population register is controlled by Israel, which since 2000 has frozen applications for permanent or temporary residence, compelling many Palestinians to dwell in East Jerusalem and the West Bank without regularising their status.

Analysts say the measure could be used to deport 8,000 Palestinians with Gaza identity cards from the West Bank to Gaza.

Foreign spouses of Palestinians and Palestinians whose identity cards have expired because they studied or worked abroad could be expelled to neighbouring countries.

Some 35,000 who entered the West Bank as Palestinian Authority officials and security personnel, including Mr Fayyad and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, could be exiled.

Foreigners working with Palestinian organisations and Palestinian anti-occupation activists could also be targeted.

“Infiltrators” may have to pay up to $1,875 (€1,381) towards their arrest, detention and expulsion.