Abstract
The movement of the Palestinians in the West Bank or Gaza Strip is restricted. They cannot enter Israel or illegal settlements in the West Bank without obtaining the required permits. Moreover, movement isn’t possible between Gaza and the West Bank – residents can’t move to either area without permits. These travel permits are issued by the Israeli Civil Administration. This military permit regime, founded in 1991, effectively controls the civil affairs of Palestinians including travel, work, and healthcare capacities. Continuing until now, the permit regime with new bureaucratic regulations was set up when the “Separation Wall” was built in 2002. As a result, the geographic continuity between the Palestinian Territories and Israel was physically blocked, necessitating permanent military checkpoints and access permits. It also created isolated localities behind called the “seam zone,” whose residents are constantly in need of permits. This study highlights the Israeli mechanisms of issuing different types of permits and the regime’s justifications. It also analyzes the socioeconomic implications of this regime and how it serves an oppressive political agenda. Key words: permit, the seam zone, the separation wall, geopolitics, settlements.
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Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
