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Israel enforces strict rules for foreigners visiting West Bank
The bill was initially announced in February 2022 but halted after complaints to Israel’s Supreme Court
By News Desk - October 21 2022
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(Photo Credit: Pool photo by Abir Sultan)

On 20 October, Israel implemented stricter regulations on Palestinians holding dual nationality and foreigners visiting the West Bank, limiting their duration of stay.

The Guardian reported that the 97-page authoritative measure would create severe complications for hundreds of thousands of Palestinian families who carry two or more nationalities, with the new law expected to be implemented over a two-year period.

All foreigners coming to volunteer, study, and work in the West Bank will be granted a single-entry visa for only three months. Residency is limited to 12 to 27 months, making long-term employment almost impossible.

Nationals from Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, and Bahrain are currently barred from the West Bank except under exceptional circumstances, despite normalization agreements following the Abraham Accords.

Israel began to implement new draconian laws on 5 September, obliging foreigners to inform the authorities of any romantic relationships with Palestinians within the first 30 days of arrival.

The director of the Israeli non-governmental organization HaMoked, Jessica Montell, criticized the new laws, arguing that “this is about the demographic engineering of Palestinian society and isolating Palestinian society from the outside world.”

The bill was initially announced in February 2022 but halted after complaints to Israel’s Supreme Court, and condemnation from the European Union. 

Foreigners who wish to visit the West Bank will no longer obtain a visa upon arrival and will be forced to apply to the Israeli Defense Ministry 45 days in advance. 

However, Israel is not so isolated in its apartheid-type laws, as it finds regular support from other states and companies.

In a recent case, US tech giant Google workers have accused the company of censorship and punishment for opposing a $1.2 billion contract that provides Israel with more advanced AI tools to persecute Palestinians.

Earlier this year, Israeli media revealed that occupation troops are required to capture and enter the pictures and details of at least 50 Palestinians during their shift into the so-called ‘Blue Wolf’ facial recognition system.

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