Israeli restrictions risk turning West Bank into “second Gaza”

• Israel is making it more difficult for people to visit the West Bank.
• The policies threaten to further isolate Palestinians from loved ones and global civil society.
• Since 1967, Israel has occupied the West Bank.

JERUSALEM – Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Monday that new Israeli rules for foreigners entering the West Bank risk transforming the occupied territory into “another Gaza,” isolating residents from the outside world.

The regulations, which have been widely condemned by the European Union (EU) and the United States, have also been plagued by uncertainty.

The rules, which went into effect in October, are intended to clarify the procedures surrounding West Bank entry and are being implemented on a two-year trial basis, according to Israel.

They were also revised last year in response to widespread criticism.

Despite the revisions, HRW stated that the policies “threaten to further isolate Palestinians from loved ones and global civil society.”

“By making it more difficult for people to visit the West Bank, Israel is taking yet another step toward transforming the territory into another Gaza, where two million Palestinians have been virtually sealed off from the outside world for over 15 years,” HRW’s Eric Goldstein said.

Since 2007, when Hamas Islamists took power in the coastal territory, Gaza has been subject to a strict Israeli blockade. Since 1967, Israel has occupied the territory.

West Bank restrictions concern foreigners seeking to join their Palestinian spouse

Under the new rules, Israel can reject such family reunification claims if they violate “political echelon policy.”

There are also new restrictions for foreigners who want to spend time in the territory, such as volunteering, studying, or teaching.

According to the guidelines, Israel now retains the right “to review the academic qualifications of lecturers or researchers at Palestinian universities,” and determine whether their qualifications merit an extended stay.

According to Human Rights Watch, the new rules “foreclose all paths to long-term residency in the territory” for large groups of people.

COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry body in charge of civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, did not respond immediately to questions about the guidelines’ implementation or HRW’s criticisms.

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