Reunite families and respect the right to work in occupied Palestinian territory!
For nearly two decades, the Israeli government has prevented the reunification of families living in the occupied Palestinian territories, forcing thousands to live apart from the wives, husbands, children, sisters, brothers, and parents, or face deportation. Gazans’ mobility has been restricted since the early 1990s, with increased severity since 2007. Foreign nationals wishing to remain in the occupied Palestinian territories for either work or family unity face an alarming escalation of visa extension rejections. Moreover, the Israeli authorities reject visa extensions for arbitrary reasons or present convoluted requirements, such as informing spouses they are not allowed to work and rejecting their visa extensions because they are not working. Entry and visa renewal procedures have been murky at best, but the shifting paperwork requirements are especially problematic.
In addition to the hardships that face families forced to live apart from one another, the delivery of essential services is harshly impacted. The Israeli authorities arbitrarily limit the of length stay for visa extensions. As of January 2018, fifteen faculty members at Birzeit University are at risk of deportation, over half of whom will be forced to leave midway through the academic year unless something changes. By limiting and restricting the movement of those living in the occupied Palestinian territories, the Israeli authorities are disrupting the functioning of society and destroying the social fabric of the community.
Congress can pressure Israel to stop these draconian practices. Click the red "START WRITING" button to the right to ask your members of Congress to make two calls - to the Israeli Embassy and to the US State Department - to push for these practices to change so that families can be reunited and those who wish to live and work in Palestine may.
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