Love in a Time of Apartheid: Israeli Forces Disrupt Wedding

RAMALLAH – The bride, a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, the groom, a Palestinian from the West Bank, accompanied by tens of activists approached Hizma checkpoint from its two sides and demanded their right to love and live without racist and separation policies.

Using tear-gas and sound bombs, Israeli soldiers at the checkpoint prevented the bride and the groom from meeting and completing the wedding ceremony, which highlights Israel’s apartheid policies, separating between Palestinians from two sides of 67 borders.

The action launched the Palestinian campaign “Love in the Time of Apartheid” to expose, challenge and put an end to Israeli laws and policies, in particular the so called Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order), which prevents the reunification of Palestinian families when one partner holds Israeli citizenship while the other is a resident of the occupied Palestinian territory, and thus depriving these families of their civil, economic, social, health and other rights.

On 11th of January 2012, the Israeli Supreme Court reemphasized (Resolution 466/07) the “constitutionality” of this law, which was described as “racist” by international law experts from several countries around the world.

The Campaign calls upon the international community and people of conscience around the world, to meet their international legal obligations and hold Israel accountable to its policies, in all regional and international forums in order to force her to revoke the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order), end all policies preventing Palestinian family reunifications and adhere to international human rights laws, and to put an end to all forms of racial discrimination towards Palestinians.

The launch of the Palestinian campaign “Love in the Time of Apartheid”, comes as part of the events of the ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’ which more than 200 cities world-wide participated in last year (2012).

The Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is an annual international series of events held in cities and campuses across the globe. The aim of IAW is to educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system.

Background

The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order) evolved from an earlier “temporary” order. In May 2002, the Israeli cabinet approved The Temporary Suspension Order,[1]renewable for one year, which suspends “temporarily” the procedures of family reunification if one of the spouses holds Israeli citizenship, while the other is a resident of the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in 1967 (the West Bank and the Gaza Strip). In July 31, 2003 the Israeli Knesset ratified and legitimized this governmental order, turning it into the so called Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order).

On 11 January 2012, the Israeli Supreme Court reemphasized (Resolution 466/07) the “constitutionality” of this law, which was described as “racist” by international law experts from several countries around the world.[2]

This racist law not only deeply affects Palestinian families socially, economically, and psychologically; its continued application causes severe, in some cases irreparable, damage to Palestinian families with spouses from across the Green Line.

For additional information, please refer to the legal fact sheet available at http://www.loveinthetimeofapartheid.org

__________________________________________________
[1] http://www.hamoked.org.il/items/2960.pdf
[2] http://www.adalah.org/eng/pressreleases/12_1_12.html