Israel’s closure of Gaza and a strict permit regime for travel mean that Palestinians in the Strip face a constant state of uncertainty where they cannot control their access to needed medical care, attend to family members in distress, or plan and envision their future.
One of the most troubling aspects of the bureaucratic violence inherent in a permit regime that has become entrenched over decades is when permit applications receive no response at all. Months can go by and you don’t know if you’ll be able to embrace your mother before she passes or celebrate at your sister’s wedding. Non-response by Israeli authorities can even mean the difference between life and death.
At Gisha, we refuse to accept the negligence shown by the Israeli authorities towards Gaza residents’ legitimate requests to travel. Join us in promoting freedom of movement by making a contribution today.
Just last month, as a result of non-responses from the Israeli authorities, a woman couldn’t visit her sister in Israel who is terminally ill with cancer; a man needing to receive medical treatment in Jerusalem for an acute eye condition had to reschedule his appointment six times; a couple had to postpone their fertility treatment in the West Bank; a man remained stranded in Gaza for ten months unable to return home; and a young woman waited to receive urgent treatment for cancer in the West Bank after submitting six separate requests for a permit.
In all these cases, the Israeli authorities failed to respond despite the fact that these individuals meet Israel’s already extremely narrow criteria for travel. Thanks to Gisha’s intervention, they all received permits for travel and the authorities’ behavior in their cases informed our advocacy work against the bureaucratic violence that so many others are forced to endure.
Join us in challenging Israel’s bureaucratic violence in court and in the court of public opinion. The right to freedom of movement is universal and must be protected.
Consider making a contribution today to support Gisha:
$36 covers four hours of phone calls to Gaza residents, allowing us to hear their stories first-hand and provide them with necessary legal assistance.
$100 finances three months of alternative electricity supply that enables the work of our field researcher in Gaza.
$200 helps us to bring greater visibility of the lives of Gaza residents through the production of photo essays and videos about daily life in the Strip.
$500 allows us to file a petition to the courts on behalf of a client seeking to fulfil her right to travel.