| PA Administered Gaza Strip and Jericho - 4,080 Palestinian passports confiscated: Following the announcement by the Saudi Arabian mufti that this year’s Palestinian pilgrims to Mekka would be permitted entry only if they hold a Palestinian passport, the Palestinian Authority rapidly printed thousands of PA passports. Israel, however, still insists that Palestinians wishing to leave must apply for Israel-issued exit permits.
On April 13, 1995 Sheikh Abdel Hafez al-Natshe, representative of the Islamic Waqf in Hebron, was stopped by Israeli security at the Allenby Bridge while carrying 4,080 PA passports which were to be distributed to Gazans, Jerusalemites and West Bank Palestinians in Jordan in order to allow them to continue their pilgrimage to Mekka. The passports were confiscated and the Israeli authorities declared that while they would permit the distribution of such passports to Gazans, they would not tolerate the issuing of PA passports to Jerusalemites and Palestinians from the Israeli controlled West Bank. (Al-Quds, 14/4/1995) - No entry permits for 40-50% of Gaza students: In December 1994, the Israeli authorities and the PA agreed upon the introduction of a tight security cheque of Gaza students wishing to obtain entry permits to Israel in order to continue their studies at West Bank colleges and universities. Until April 1995 almost half of these students (500) have remained without such a permit and lost an entire academic year. (See also ARTICLE 74/11) - UNRWA closes legal aid department in Gaza: In January 1995 the UNRWA Legal Aid Department in Gaza closed its doors, a step which resulted, according to UNRWA sources, from cuts in the agency’s general operating budget. Its former head Atty. Sa’id Tafish, took up a new office as legal advisor to the Palestinian Interior Minister in Gaza. Occupied West Bank Easter Irony: On Friday, April 14, the Israeli Arab language radio announced that the West Bank Civil Administration would issue entry permits to Christian Palestinians wishing to attend Easter services in Jerusalem. All the Israeli Civil Administrations offices, however, closed their doors on that same day for the Jewish Passover holidays. Chicago/USA Jerusalem Action Committee of Chicago formed: With a goal of protecting Palestinian residency rights and protesting the growth of Israeli settlements - particularly in the Jerusalem area - a group of activists recently formed the Jerusalem Action Committee of Chicago (JACC). Many of the activists have long been engaged in the Palestinian struggle and, over the last year, have waged an effective campaign to protest oppressive Israeli policies of denied family reunification for East Jerusalem residents. JACC is encouraging Americans to write letters of protest to the Israeli government, to give concrete support to Palestinian families who are in immediate danger because of Israeli policies and, with the aid of background materials, to educate themselves and others on the issues. |
