The Quiet Deportation Continues: Revocation of Residency and Denial of Social Rights of East Jerusalem Palestinians

In April 1997, B'Tselem and HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual published a report under the title The Quiet Deportation: Revocation of Residency of Palestinians in East Jerusalem. The report described the policy of the Ministry of the Interior since December 1995, pursuant to which it revoked the residency of hundreds of East Jerusalem Palestinian residents. In implementing this policy, the Ministry made cynical use of the law and totally disregarded its procedures it had implemented since Israel illegally annexed East Jerusalem in 1967.

Since publication of the report, the Ministry has continued to implement this policy. During the past year, hundreds of East Jerusalem families have been required to leave the city of their birth and have lost their inherent rights as residents, including their social entitlements.

East Jerusalem residents are liable to lose their social entitlements even without losing their residency rights. This occurs when the National Insurance Institute [NII] determines that they do not live in the city. The NII, which is responsible for implementing social policy protecting Israel’s disadvantaged, applies residency standards rigidly against East Jerusalem residents, so that many of them do not receive their entitlements, including health insurance.

The first part of the report examines the policy of the Ministry of the Interior regarding revocation of residency status and the developments of the past twelve months. This part also includes information that has become available since publication of the earlier report and describes in detail subjects that were not previously reviewed, such as registration of children and family unification.

The second part of the report examines how the NII operates in East Jerusalem. This part includes legal background, an examination of how the NII determines which East Jerusalem residents are entitled to allotments, and the consequences of NII policy. The report contains a special section on heath insurance, which has been the responsibility of the NII since the State Health Insurance Law went into effect in early 1995.