Dear friends,
Nearly every country in the world has mobilized to bring home its citizens who were stranded abroad due to Coronavirus border closures. But who is responsible for Palestinians in this situation?
Thousands of Palestinians were abroad in March when Jordan suddenly closed the Allenby Bridge Border Crossing in response to the pandemic. This is Palestinians’ only gateway in and out of the West Bank, as Israel generally prohibits them from flying through its airports. Thus, people who were abroad have not been able to return home to the West Bank, while others who live abroad and were visiting the West Bank at the time, have been unable to leave.
Dozens of people who are desperate to get home have contacted HaMoked, and we are trying to help as many of them as we can. This week, HaMoked filed a petition on behalf of Fares and Yulia Omari, who in early March left four young children with their grandparents in Ramallah and traveled to Ukraine for a week-long trip. The couple has been stranded there, separated from their children, ever since.
Beyond the individual assistance, we are drafting a principled intervention demanding that Israel allow every Palestinian who needs to return home to fly via its international airports, at least as long as the border with Jordan is closed. Israel is the occupying power in the West Bank and therefore bears legal responsibility for the welfare of the population there.
This is just one tangible example of how the occupation and Israel’s discriminatory, neglectful treatment compound the difficulties caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. We are doing everything we can to assist these people. Please help us by making a donation to HaMoked.
Best,
Jessica Montell
Executive Director of HaMoked
Changing policy - one person at a time:
When Sajedah learned she was pregnant, she made plans to visit her family in the West Bank before the birth. In early March, she left her husband and one-year-old child and traveled from Chicago to the West Bank for what was supposed to be a short visit. Two weeks later, Jordan closed the Allenby Bridge Border Crossing, and Sajedah found herself trapped in the West Bank, unable to return to the U.S.
In June, with her delivery due date fast approaching, Sajedah turned to HaMoked for help. We succeeded in getting her a permit to travel home through Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.
“You really saved me,” an emotional Sajedah told HaMoked’s staff member after finally arriving back home to Chicago. “This was such a difficult time. I can’t even explain how much you helped me.”
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