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LONDON: The Israeli Defense Ministry has ordered foreigners to notify the government when they fall in love with Palestinians in West Bank territory amid a series of new immigration rules.
If any foreigners marry Palestinians, immigration restrictions mean they need to leave after 27 months and cannot return for at least half a year.
The new rules are expected to become law on Monday, and the updated rules will be published in a document released by the Israeli government.
The rules include requiring foreigners to notify Israeli authorities within 30 days of establishing a relationship with a Palestinian ID holder.
There are also updated limits on Palestinian education, with new quotas of 150 and 100 for student visas and foreign lecturers, respectively, but there are no similar limits for Israeli academics.
The European Commission said it was concerned about restrictions on foreign students and academics at Palestinian universities, which the BBC reported had knowledge of “at the highest levels” of Israeli authorities.
Visas and visa extensions are also facing new restrictions, as aid groups and business groups warn people are barred from working or volunteering in the West Bank for an extended period of time.
“It’s about democratizing Palestinian society and isolating it from the outside world,” Jessica Montel, executive director of Israeli NGO HaMoked, told the BBC.
HaMoked has filed legal action in Israel’s High Court for breaching the rules. Its petition was joined by 19 people.
“They make it harder for people to come to Palestinian institutions to work, volunteer, invest, teach and learn,” Montell said.
The new 97-page “Cogat” order — referring to the territorial government activities coordinator within the Department of Defense — is titled “Procedures for the entry and residence of foreigners in the Jewish and Samaritan territories.”
The booklet, which refers to biblical terms in the West Bank, was originally published in February, but its introduction has been delayed
Cogat was contacted by the BBC but did not reply to the BBC.
Elsewhere, Israeli authorities have justified tougher restrictions on the grounds of increased security.
The campaign group Right to Enter said the relationship limited “discriminatory, cruel and arbitrary practices by the Israeli authorities” that would cause “enormous humanitarian hardship” for foreign spouses, adding that it would lead to families in the West Bank forcibly separated.
Foreign spouses of Palestinians in the West Bank have long faced residency bans, leaving thousands living in limbo, uncertain when their legal status will be confirmed.
Right to Enter said the new proposal would “formalize and exacerbate many existing restrictions”, adding that it would “force many families to move or stay abroad to maintain family unity.”
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