LIMITATIONS ON AMCITS TRAVEL IN WB AND JERUSALEM

UNCLAS STATE 082689

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC CVIS KPAL PREF PREL IS
SUBJECT: LIMITATIONS ON AMCITS TRAVEL IN WB AND JERUSALEM
DEMARCHE

REF: JERUSALEM 1324


1. (U) Action Request: The Department requests that Embassy
Tel Aviv approach the GOI to gain clarifications on the
recent changes made in entry/exit procedures at Allenby
Bridge and Ben Gurion Airport that affect American citizens.
Objectives follow in para. 3.


2. (SBU) Background: According to reftel, there are
increasing reports of Amcits experiencing problems traveling
to and from Jerusalem and the West Bank. Reportedly new
restrictive measures include the use of a Palestinian
Authority area only stamp and the provision of a form to some
entrants restricting them from the West Bank. The GOI did
not inform the USG of these new restrictions and has yet to
provide clarifications to this policy. Incomplete
information has limited the ability of the USG to properly
inform the traveling public of the details of this new
program. For many Amcits this has led to serious
inconveniences and financial hardships. The Department has
worked with posts to update both the Travel Warning (TW) and
Consular Specific Information (CSI) for Israel, the West Bank
and Gaza to reflect these new restrictions; however, we still
lack complete details regarding the policies in place and to
whom this policy applies. The Department has engaged with
the Embassy of Israel on these issues and will continue to do
so. The Department requests that Embassy Tel Aviv approach
the GOI to formally request further clarification on the new
policies being implemented by the GOI and to underscore to
the GOI that the U.S. expects all Amcits to be treated
equally, including those of Arab and Palestinian origin.


3. (SBU) Objectives:

-- Request clarification on the policies in place at Ben
Gurion and Allenby. Specifically, inquire as to the
circumstances and types of travelers that are being subjected
to the new entry stamp and the new entry restriction form and
the reasoning behind these changes. Highlight that this
information must be appropriately shared with the American
traveling public.

-- Request that employees of the Coordinating Office for
Government Activities in the Occupied Territories (COGAT) be
instructed not/not to require a letter or fax or any other
kind of statement or support from the Embassy or Consulate
General when individuals made subject to these restrictions
apply for permission to enter areas of the PA from Israel or
to enter Israel from PA controlled areas. The fact that an
individual is a U.S. citizen, and bears a U.S. passport, is
sufficient evidence of the USG's interest in that
individual's free passage. Reference may be made to the
notation on the first page of all U.S. passports, which
states, "The Secretary of State of the United States of
America hereby requests all whom it may concern to permit the
citizen/national of the United States named herein to pass
without delay or hindrance and in case of need to give all
lawful aid and protection."

-- Underscore to the GOI that it is the expectation of the
USG that all Amcits are treated equally, regardless of their
national origin or other citizenships. GOI restrictions that
unfairly impact Palestinian American or Arab American
travelers are not acceptable.
CLINTON