HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual files a complaint regarding the humiliating attitude to which  a Palestinian resident of the West Bank was subjected while attempting to travel to Jordan through the Allenby Bridge border crossing: The woman was detained at the checkpoint for over seven hours, during which she was interrogated and forced to sign an “undertaking”, despite the fact that her exit from the Territories was authorized by the military prior to her arrival at the checkpoint.

The woman arrived at the Allenby Bridge border crossing along with her two daughters on their way to Jordan. Their exit had been authorized by security forces a few weeks earlier. However, when she reached the border crossing, her passport was taken from her and only four hours later a man in civilian clothing, most likely an agent of the GSS [later known as ISA], approached her and began interrogating her about her trip and her family. At the end of the interrogation, the man informed her she could exit only if she signed an “undertaking” to refrain from contacting “hostile elements or a terrorist organization”. She was also forced to pledge not to travel to an enemy country and to return home within three weeks. 

An hour later, she was informed that her request to leave to Jordan had been denied and that her luggage had been returned to the Israeli side. When she attempted to find out why she had been refused she received rude shouts on the part of the Israelis who insisted that she must return home. Only after HaMoked intervened and after more than seven hours of waiting, being given the run-around and suffering humiliation, did the mother and two daughters leave for Jordan. 

In a letter addressed to the Military Legal Advisor to the West Bank, HaMoked demands steps be taken to prevent such cases from occurring in the future. A pledge by military forces to allow passage of a certain individual through the Allenby Bridge border crossing given with no stipulations regarding further examinations or the signing of any documents – must be carried out as such. 

To view HaMoked’s letter from July 7, 2007