Hamad is among a growing number of foreigners in the West Bank who are having Israeli visa problems, according to Palestinian officials and Israeli lawyers. COGAT, a branch of the Israeli Defense Ministry, denied it has adopted tougher rules, saying visa applications are judged on a case-by-case basis. Palestinians and their foreign spouses are often presented with impossible choices — separation, emigration or life in the West Bank without legal status. Jewish Americans, including those in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, are instantly eligible for Israeli citizenship under Israel’s “law of return” for diaspora Jews. At the West Bank’s Bir Zeit University, 15 foreign teachers face visa problems, including department heads, said spokeswoman Tina Rafidi.

Source: Egypt Independent January 24, 2018 06:11 UTC