Palestinian and Israeli Human Rights Groups Call for End to Israeli Military West Bank Deportation Policy

May 13, 2010

We, the undersigned, express our opposition to Israel’s policy of unlawful
transfer and deportation from the West Bank, which has escalated in the form of
the Order regarding Prevention of Infiltration (Amendment No. 2) (No. 1650)
(“Order 1650”). The order, effective April 13, 2010, defines
anyone present in the West Bank as an “infiltrator”, unless
he or she is in possession of a permit from Israel, and subjects those without
permits to deportation, transfer, criminal charges, fines, and/or imprisonment.
It is part of a series of steps taken by Israel to remove Palestinians from the
West Bank by declaring them to be illegally present in their own homes.

The order is vaguely worded, such that it could apply to anyone, but the
groups that appear to be targeted are:

Bearers of Palestinian ID cards
whose registered addresses are in the Gaza Strip in the Israeli copy of
the Palestinian population registry.
Those individuals without official
status (“status-less”), including spouses of Palestinian
residents for whom Israel refuses to approve ID cards and others who have
not been added to the population registry or have had their status revoked
or deleted by Israel;
Foreigners visiting or working
in the West Bank, including those for whom Israel refuses to renew visas.

Since 2000 Israel has significantly halted the Palestinian population
registry update. Accordingly, tens of thousands of people, including those who
were born and/or living in the West Bank for decades, are at risk of being torn
away from their homes, families, schools, and jobs – because Israel has
declared them “illegal” in their own land. Already, some of these
people are limiting their own movement for fear of being arrested and removed
from their homes. At a time when Israel is promising to “ease”
restrictions in the West Bank, Order 1650 is choking the civilian population.

The order and the deportation policy violate Israel’s obligations under
international law. They breach the prohibition, under the Fourth Geneva
Convention, against forcible transfers or deportations of protected persons in
occupied territory and therefore effectively legislate for the commission of
grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. They breach the obligation,
under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to allow
persons legally present in their territory to enjoy freedom of movement and to
choose their places of residence. They breach the obligation undertaken by
Israel in the Oslo Accords – and enshrined in the Palestinian right to
self-determination – to recognize the West Bank and Gaza as a single
territorial unit, in which freedom of movement is to be facilitated.

We call upon the Government of Israel to rescind Order 1650, to desist
from its policy of deportation and transfer, and to recognize the right of Palestinians
and foreigners to live in, work in, and visit the West Bank, in accordance with
international law and the international agreements to which Israel has
committed, and to allow protected persons to move freely within the West Bank
and to enter and leave freely.

We call upon the international community to take concrete and immediate
steps to ensure that Israel refrains from prohibited practices of deportation
and transfer of a civilian population, including by raising this issue at the
highest political levels.

For further
details and interview coordination:

▪ Alva Kolan, HaMoked , 054-3347353

▪ Keren Tamir, Gisha, 052-8919190

▪ Shawan Jabarin, Al Haq, 059-9522701

List
of Signatories

Adalah – The Legal
Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel

Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights
Association

Al Dameer Association for Human Rights

Al-Haq

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights – Gaza

Badil Resource Center
for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights

B’tselem – The Israeli
Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories