Press Releases

(19 April 1999) Campaign to End ID Card Confiscation: Actions Planned for Israeli High Court Decision

19 April 1999

BADIL Resource Center


 

 

The Campaign to End ID Card Confiscation of Palestinian Jerusalemites continues to gain momentum in preparation for the Israeli High Court decision on April 22. A demonstration was held near the New Gate of the Old City on April 14 with PLC members Dr. Hannan Ashrawi, Dr. Azmi al-Shaibi, Dr. Hassan Kherasia, Dr. Mu’owia al-Masri, Dr. Kamal al-Shrafi, Beshara Dawod, and Sheikh Suliman al-Romi as well as Israeli Knesset members Dr. Azmi Beshara, Abedelmalek Dahamsha, and Tamar Gozansky to raise awareness locally and abroad.  Although a fewer number of Palestinians attended the demonstration than expected, the demonstration received good press coverage and was generally considered a success by its organizers. 

On April 22 at 8 a.m., the Israeli High Court will pass its decision on the petition sent in last year (6 April 1998) by human rights lawyers and organizations.  The petition is a comprehensive legal challenge to the new and radical “center of life” policy which has transformed residents of Jerusalem, who are rooted in the city and are in fact presently living there, into illegal immigrants, lacking all rights in their city of birth. 

As part of the Campaign to End ID Card Confiscation an international law delegation, including legal experts from the International Commission for Jurists and the ICRC, as well as Palestinian families victim to ID card confiscation, will attend the hearing as observers.  Meetings are now being arranged between the delegation and PLC members and foreign consulates at the Orient House as well as with high ranking Israeli officials such as Israeli Attorney General Rubenstein, President Ezer Weizmann, and Mayor Ehud Olmert. 

The Campaign hopes to professionally embarrass the Israeli High Court through the presence of the international law expert delegation as well as raise awareness internationally of Israeli human rights violations. 

For More Information, please contact: 
JCW: tel. 02-244-7068, fax. 02-244-7069 
Badil Resource Center: tel. 02-274-7346, fax. 02-274-7346 
LAW: tel. 02-583-3430/530, fax. 02-581-1072 
ACRI: tel. 02-6521218, fax: 02-652-1219 


The Campaign to End ID Card Confiscation is initiated by members of the Lobby for Human Rights in Jerusalem: [Addameer, Badil Resource Center, Citizen’s Rights Center - Arab Thought Form, Freedom’s Defense Center, Jerusalem Center for Women, Palestine Human Rights Information Center, Women’s Affairs Technical Committee, Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling]; and al-Haq, , Christian Peacemaker Teams, Council of Palestinian Human Rights Organizations, Jerusalem Center for Economic and Social Rights, Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid, LAW, Palestinian Housing Rights Movement, PNGO - Palestinian NGO Network. In Joint Effort With: ACRI - Association for Civil Rights in Israel, ADAM: Students for Human Rights in Israel and the Occupied Territories, Bat Shalom, B’tselem, Defense for Children International -- Israel, Israeli Committee Against House Demolition, Hamoked, Physicians for Human Rights, Rabbis for Human Rights.