golden ticket - or so I thought

An American passport is golden all over the world.  It opens doors, particularly here in Israel and the West Bank.  Clearing a checkpoint?  Rarely do you get a second look with the USA stamped on the front of your paperwork. English is taught in all the schools and even the street signs conveniently accommodate those of us who are American.

In the years that I have been coming to the Holy Land, I have met many Palestinians who are American Citizens. We often compare notes about different parts of the US, discuss politics, and talk about the cultural differences between the US and Palestine. I had always assumed that as American citizens, they would enjoy all the same rights and protections that I have in Israel. 

I could not have been more wrong.

Last week, at a dinner with friends here in Beit Sahour (town next to Bethlehem), I met Tony and his family, Americans who live in Texas. As the conversation progressed, Tony mentioned that he couldn't drive in Israel. "What?" I said, "How is that possible? You are an American citizen!"

It turns out that in this crazy-making occupation that people who are of Palestinian descent (grandparents who lived at some point in Palestine) must use their Palestinian Identification card and CANOT use their American passports in this country. For these American citizens, their passports are stamped, "Void in Israel, see Palestinian ID #."

What does that mean exactly?  These folks are subject to all the restrictions of the Israeli military occupation. Here is a short, but by no means comprehensive, list of what this means:

Travel Restrictions

• Cannot fly in or out of Tel Aviv. Must fly into Jordan and enter through a much more involved checkpoint at the Jordanian border.
• Cannot drive a car in Israel proper. This means they must taxi all over the country.
• Are subject to the same permissions that West Bank/Gaza Palestinians need to cross into Israel. This means an American Citizen with a Palestinian background must apply for permission to go to Jerusalem! This is true if that same American citizen needs to visit the American consulate.

Rights Denied

• No right of free speech, assembly, or movement. Things like Facebook postings that criticize Israel can make one subject to arrest and detention.
• Can be arrested and indefinitely imprisoned without charge or trial (It's called Administrative Detention).
• A child who is 12 years old or older will be prosecuted as an adult.
• House, car, and person searches allowed without provocation or warrant.
• Family owned land is subject to military seizure without compensation.
• If an American of Palestinian descent married an Arab who lived in Israel, that person would not be permitted to live in Israel with their spouse.

I asked how the US responds to this injustice.  The official response was that if you want to travel to Palestine, these are the rules. 

This is the only place in the entire world where the US government allows another government to invalidate the rights, accessibility, and protections afforded the rest of its American citizens.  This is an outrage and a national shame.  

I guess you learn something new every day.  Unfortunately, what you learn is not always so good.