Palestinians whose application for an entry permit to the “seam zone” – for work or the cultivation of their farmland inside – has been refused, may file an objection to the Civil Administration’s appellate committee. But although the Civil Administration has at its disposal four weeks to summon the applicants to appear before the committee,
appearance notices are routinely delivered just 48 hours ahead of time.
On August 15, 2016,
HaMoked contacted the Head of the Civil Administration following the late summons, on the previous week, of four Palestinians who were waiting for permits in order to reach their workplace or cultivate their farmland inside the “seam zone”. The appearance notices were provided less than 48 hours before the committee hearing. HaMoked strongly protested the Civil Administration’s disdainful conduct, which showed disrespect for the applicants’ precious time, and stressed that appearance before the committee, convening at the Beit El District Coordination Office (DCO), required advance preparations and the loss of an entire workday.
This letter joins HaMoked’s previous communications on similar issues, such as the
last-minute cancelation of appellate committee hearings and
failure to summon Palestinians to such hearings, contrary to military protocols. Recently, the
High Court of Justice harshly criticized the Civil Administration for failing to meet the stipulated deadlines for handling applications by Palestinians and instructed the military to present a formulated outline for eliminating such failures in the upcoming weeks. Thereupon, HaMoked has sent
a letter to the head of the civil administration, with details on the prevalence of the phenomenon.
