Israel bars Gaza student from travel to U.S. for coexistence program

[Jefferson23]

Civil rights group warns Israel is toughening Palestinian student restrictions on movement.

By Yarden Skop | Jan. 23, 2014 |

Israel has rejected the request of a Palestinian living in Gaza to travel to the United States to attend a coexistence program at New York University.

A civil rights group that advocates on behalf of Palestinians says the refusal to issue a permit to the 21-year-old is indicative of a policy shift that is making it more difficult for Palestinian students to study abroad.

Israel's Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza said it would not approve the Palestinian student's travel request because he had failed to secure an official request from the U.S. consulate and had not arranged to be chaperoned to by a consulate official during transit through Israel.

But Gisha: Legal Center for Freedom of Movement said such requirements were not enforced in recent years.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.570281

About Gisha:
Gisha is an Israeli not-for-profit organization, founded in 2005, whose goal is to protect the freedom of movement of Palestinians, especially Gaza residents. Gisha promotes rights guaranteed by international and Israeli law.

http://www.gisha.org/content.asp?lang_id=en&p_id=5

[Jefferson23]

1. more:

“It’s not clear why Israel decided to toughen the restrictions on the freedom of movement of Palestinian academics in general, and in particular that of an outstanding student who received academic recognition from an institution as respectable as NYU," said Gisha: Legal Center for Freedom of Movement. "Especially in light of the fact that he was chosen to participate in a program that includes Israeli and Palestinian students who aspire to promote coexistence and reconciliation among the nations."

In the summer of 2008 Israel decided to condition the exit of students from the Gaza Strip for study abroad on the submission of diplomatic requests for them, as well as consular accompaniment. These conditions were directed only at students, and not at other residents of the Strip who requested transit visas for the purpose of travel abroad. But after the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla affair, in which nine activists trying to break Israel's blockade on Gaza were killed, Israel stopped enforcing those stipulations, according to monthly government reports by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.

As late as September, several Gazan students were permitted to travel to the United States and the United Kingdom, without a diplomatic effort on their behalf.

The liaison office said, however, that it is only enforcing the long-standing policy and that the student failed to comply with the stated requirements.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

2. "It’s not clear why Israel decided to..."

It's easy to extrapolate. Israel is a hostile country that will not tolerate Palestinian movement...unless they are forced out of their area of control for good.