Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10AMMAN396
2010-02-16 11:47:00
SECRET
Embassy Amman
Cable title:
JORDAN: HRW REPORT ON CITIZENSHIP WITHDRAWALS
how-toVZCZCXRO4673 PP RUEHBC RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV DE RUEHAM #0396/01 0471147 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 161147Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6913 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 5800
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000396
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2020
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF KPAL IS JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: HRW REPORT ON CITIZENSHIP WITHDRAWALS
DRAWS SHARP GOJ REACTION
REF: A. 09 AMMAN 1466
B. 09 AMMAN 1761
C. 09 AMMAN 1667
Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000396
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2020
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF KPAL IS JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: HRW REPORT ON CITIZENSHIP WITHDRAWALS
DRAWS SHARP GOJ REACTION
REF: A. 09 AMMAN 1466
B. 09 AMMAN 1761
C. 09 AMMAN 1667
Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)
1. (S) The release of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report
"Stateless Again: Palestinian-Origin Jordanians
Deprived of their Nationality" has elicited an angry response
from the GOJ. The report highlights the personal experiences
of eleven individuals who had their nationality revoked by
the Ministry of Interior, typically
while seeking routine administrative services, such as a
driver's license or a passport renewal. The loss of
status renders an individual essentially stateless. Although
post is unaware of any deportations, the change
in status does affect access to a variety of government
services. According to HRW, 2700 Jordanians of
Palestinian origin were stripped of Jordanian identity
documents between 2004 and 2008.
Background
2. (S) Citizenship rights and status for Jordanians of
Palestinian origin have long been complicated and
emotional topics in Jordan (refs a and c). Jordan issues
Palestinians one of several different color-coded
identity documents depending on when the family first came to
Jordan and their area of origin in Palestine,
and each of these types of ID documents allow access to
different privileges and government services.
(Note: A reference chart has been posted at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/
Levels ofJordanian Citizenship. End Note.) By replacing one
color ID card with another,
the GOJ changes the entitlement structure for the holder. The
government has previously defended this legal stratification
as a means of strengthening the Palestinian right of return.
3. (S) Many of these revocations were based upon the
withdrawal or expiration of Israeli residence permits
for the West Bankers who were unable to meet the GOI's
standards for eligibility, and they appear directly
tied to the East Bank anxieties about Jordan becoming and
"alternate homeland" for Palestinians. (Note: Post
does not have additional specific details for the eleven
cases cited by HRW other than the information in the
report. End Note.) Last summer, the GOJ at first denied
that revocations were taking place, but later the
Interior Minister (and now Deputy PM) Nayef al-Qadi
acknowledged and defended the "corrections." Contacts have
previously noted Qadi's hard-line attitude toward
Palestinians and explained this policy as indicative of his
determination to defend the position of East Bankers in
Jordan's political structure (reftel b.)
The Government Rejects Another "Foreign Report"
4. (S) The GOJ's response was predictably swift and pointed.
Minister of State for Media Affairs Nabil Sharif
blasted the report for what he referred to as its "fallacies"
and "unsubstantiated allegations," contending
that the Interior Ministry lacks the legal authority to
"withdraw" Jordanian nationality. He defended the
aforementioned reclassifications as a "correction of status"
resulting from the GOJ's 1988 decision to
withdraw its legal and administrative claims on the West
Bank. He stated these actions "had the aim of
preserving Palestinian identity, and forcing the Palestinians
to stick to their land with the avowed aim
of derailing schemes seeking to empty Palestinian territories
of their population, and therefore 'Judaizing'
them."
5. (S) COMMENT. Given the sensitivity of both human rights
issues and Palestinian-East Bank relations in
Jordan, the GOJ's sharp response to the report is not
surprising and is consistent with a recent trend of
testy rejections of criticism from independent organizations
or foreign governments, ranging from the
International Religious Freedom (IRF) report to the recent
Freedom House report.
6. (S) However, it is interesting to note that on the day the
HRW report was released, PM Samir al-Rafa'i
visited both the MFA and Ministry of Interior and met with
governors to emphasize the need to respect the
rule of law and protect the rights of citizens. Analysts
wonder if this is an attempt to reduce Jordan's
AMMAN 00000396 002.2 OF 002
recent negative press. END COMMENT.
Beecroft
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2020
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF KPAL IS JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: HRW REPORT ON CITIZENSHIP WITHDRAWALS
DRAWS SHARP GOJ REACTION
REF: A. 09 AMMAN 1466
B. 09 AMMAN 1761
C. 09 AMMAN 1667
Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)
1. (S) The release of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report
"Stateless Again: Palestinian-Origin Jordanians
Deprived of their Nationality" has elicited an angry response
from the GOJ. The report highlights the personal experiences
of eleven individuals who had their nationality revoked by
the Ministry of Interior, typically
while seeking routine administrative services, such as a
driver's license or a passport renewal. The loss of
status renders an individual essentially stateless. Although
post is unaware of any deportations, the change
in status does affect access to a variety of government
services. According to HRW, 2700 Jordanians of
Palestinian origin were stripped of Jordanian identity
documents between 2004 and 2008.
Background
2. (S) Citizenship rights and status for Jordanians of
Palestinian origin have long been complicated and
emotional topics in Jordan (refs a and c). Jordan issues
Palestinians one of several different color-coded
identity documents depending on when the family first came to
Jordan and their area of origin in Palestine,
and each of these types of ID documents allow access to
different privileges and government services.
(Note: A reference chart has been posted at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/
Levels ofJordanian Citizenship. End Note.) By replacing one
color ID card with another,
the GOJ changes the entitlement structure for the holder. The
government has previously defended this legal stratification
as a means of strengthening the Palestinian right of return.
3. (S) Many of these revocations were based upon the
withdrawal or expiration of Israeli residence permits
for the West Bankers who were unable to meet the GOI's
standards for eligibility, and they appear directly
tied to the East Bank anxieties about Jordan becoming and
"alternate homeland" for Palestinians. (Note: Post
does not have additional specific details for the eleven
cases cited by HRW other than the information in the
report. End Note.) Last summer, the GOJ at first denied
that revocations were taking place, but later the
Interior Minister (and now Deputy PM) Nayef al-Qadi
acknowledged and defended the "corrections." Contacts have
previously noted Qadi's hard-line attitude toward
Palestinians and explained this policy as indicative of his
determination to defend the position of East Bankers in
Jordan's political structure (reftel b.)
The Government Rejects Another "Foreign Report"
4. (S) The GOJ's response was predictably swift and pointed.
Minister of State for Media Affairs Nabil Sharif
blasted the report for what he referred to as its "fallacies"
and "unsubstantiated allegations," contending
that the Interior Ministry lacks the legal authority to
"withdraw" Jordanian nationality. He defended the
aforementioned reclassifications as a "correction of status"
resulting from the GOJ's 1988 decision to
withdraw its legal and administrative claims on the West
Bank. He stated these actions "had the aim of
preserving Palestinian identity, and forcing the Palestinians
to stick to their land with the avowed aim
of derailing schemes seeking to empty Palestinian territories
of their population, and therefore 'Judaizing'
them."
5. (S) COMMENT. Given the sensitivity of both human rights
issues and Palestinian-East Bank relations in
Jordan, the GOJ's sharp response to the report is not
surprising and is consistent with a recent trend of
testy rejections of criticism from independent organizations
or foreign governments, ranging from the
International Religious Freedom (IRF) report to the recent
Freedom House report.
6. (S) However, it is interesting to note that on the day the
HRW report was released, PM Samir al-Rafa'i
visited both the MFA and Ministry of Interior and met with
governors to emphasize the need to respect the
rule of law and protect the rights of citizens. Analysts
wonder if this is an attempt to reduce Jordan's
AMMAN 00000396 002.2 OF 002
recent negative press. END COMMENT.
Beecroft