Due to concerted efforts of local and international human rights activists, Palestinian politicians, supportive representatives of foreign governments and a few Israeli parliamentarians, Israel officially admitted - for the first time - that ID cards are being revoked from Palestinian residents of Jerusalem (see box below). Starting in 1997, mainstream Israeli media have also begun to report critically about this phenomenon (e.g. Ha’aretz 3-2 and 17-3; Jerusalem Post 15-1, 17-2; Jerusalem Report 20-2; Voice of Israel/TV Channel-1, 30-3). This, however, remains a meager success, as there are no signs that the Ministry of Interior and the Israeli government are willing to reconsider their policy. 

NGO Lobby calls for Economic and Political Sanctions 
Following the briefing of foreign missions conducted by the NGO Lobby (see organizations listed bellow) in late 1996, local and European NGOs launched a joint initiative aimed at the postponement of the ratification and implementation of the cooperation agreement between the European Union and Israel, in order to pressure the Netanyahu government to comply with international human rights conventions and standards. The NGO Lobby will contribute to this initiative by means of regular reports to the European Union on Israeli human rights violations in Jerusalem. NGO information will those be incorporated in the official EU report which serves as the basis for the EU decision on the implementation of its cooperation agreement with Israel. 

NGO Lobby urges Palestinian Leadership: “Don’t Surrender Jerusalem!” 
Since the signing of the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian leadership - committed to silent, semi-official, bilateral negotiations in all matters pertaining to Jerusalem - has been unable to organize massive protests, whether among the Palestinian community or in the international arena. 
Human rights activists in the US, partners of the local NGO Lobby, have addressed both Palestine President Yasser Arafat and PLO Ambassador to the UN, Dr. Nasser al-Qidwa, urging them to support international solidarity for Palestinian residency rights in Jerusalem by taking a more active stand on this matter. 

Mobilizing Palestinian Victims 
There is hope that the political inertia mentioned above will finally be overcome. The newly formed alliance between the Orient House, representatives of the Palestinian political factions, members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), and the NGO Lobby may develop into a more powerful and efficient forum able to involve the Palestinian community in a broad protest campaign, including the establishment of popular committees of victims of Israeli human rights violations in Jerusalem, and the organization of a series of protest activities in June 1997, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem.