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East Jerusalem: military checkpoints prevent Palestinians from entering the Old City and Al-Aqsa

Posted on: October 10, 2009

9 October 2009

During the week leading up to 9 October, the Old City of Jerusalem and particularly the Muslim Quarter, were practically under siege and strict control of the Israeli armed forces. For the whole week there was a checkpoint at Damascus Gate which prevented Palestinian men from entering the Old City.

Damascus Gate is the main entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem, to the Muslim Quarter and the souq (market) where many Palestinians live and do business daily. Entering the Old City from Damascus Gate also leads directly to the Al-Aqsa Mosque the third holiest place in Islam. Throughout … Continue reading


Updated on October 16, 2009
Posted under: Reports
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Israel to close West Bank for Yom Kippur

Posted on: September 27, 2009

Ma’an News

The Israeli military announced a closure of the West Bank beginning at midnight on Saturday, lasting until midnight on Monday, which is the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur.

Under ordinary circumstances, most Palestinians from the West Bank are barred from entering Jerusalem or crossing into Israel. The closure means that even those with special permits to work or study in Jerusalem or the interior of Israel will be confined to the West Bank.

The Israeli army said that during the closure Palestinians will be allowed to leave only in exceptional medical and humanitarian cases.

Observant Jews fast for 24 hours on … Continue reading


Updated on September 27, 2009
Posted under: Features, In the Media
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How does Israel decide who gets a visa to Ramallah?

Posted on: September 8, 2009

Amira Hass | Ha’aretz

8 September 2009

Sven Ouzman, a 39-year-old archaeologist from South Africa, violated the terms of his “Palestinian Authority only” visa six times, when unintentionally and for lack of choice, he drove on roads under full Israeli control, between Palestinian Authority enclaves in the West Bank.

Ouzman, who was attending a conference of the World Archaeological Congress in Ramallah last month, was late for a lecture he was scheduled to deliver on the evening of August 9. He had arrived at the Allenby Bridge crossing on Saturday morning, August 8, after having passed through passport control on the Jordanian … Continue reading


Updated on September 8, 2009
Posted under: In the Media
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U.S. blasts Israeli restrictions on American travelers in West Bank

Posted on: August 20, 2009

Barak Ravid, Amira Hass & Natasha Mozgovaya ¦ Ha’aretz

20 August 2009

The United States has harshly criticized new Israeli restrictions placed on foreign nationals entering the West Bank via the Allenby Bridge, calling the new regulations ‘unacceptable’. A report on the restrictions appeared in Haaretz last week.

Earlier this week, a senior official at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv met with the head of the Foreign Ministry’s consular division, Yigal Tzarfati, for clarifications on the new procedure, by which passports are stamped at the bridge with a directive limiting the bearer to areas of the Palestinian Authority only.

The U.S. message … Continue reading


Updated on August 20, 2009
Posted under: In the Media
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Israel toughens entry for foreigners with West Bank ties

Posted on: August 13, 2009

Amira Hass | Ha’aretz

13 August 2009

Israel has recently been putting up more obstacles for foreign nationals who enter the country if they have family, work, business or academic ties in the West Bank. It now restricts their movements to “the Palestinian Authority only.” The people concerned are citizens of countries that have diplomatic ties with Israel, mainly Western countries.

In imposing such restrictions, Israel is in breach of the Oslo Accords.

For about the last three months, border control officials at the Allenby Bridge have been stamping visitors’ passports with a visa and the additional words “Palestinian Authority only.” Officials from … Continue reading


Updated on August 13, 2009
Posted under: In the Media
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“Palestinian Authority Only”: new Israeli stamp limits travel for tourists

Posted on: August 8, 2009
Palestinian Authority visa issued at Allenby crossing

Toufic Haddad | The Faster Times

6 August 2009

This is an image of a page from a French passport, whose owner recently went through the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Jordan and the Israeli occupied West Bank. It shows an Israeli-issued stamp that provides the passport owner with a three-month tourism visa. What makes this stamp unique however is that the Israeli border agents who issued it appear to have come up with a new criteria regarding the freedom … Continue reading


Updated on August 8, 2009
Posted under: In the Media
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