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