Alex Sobel has today put down an Early Day Motion in Parliament after reports of foreign residents being increasingly denied visa renewals in the Palestinian territories.
According to Aljazeera, renewals of foreign visas approved by the Israeli Government has dropped from 70 per cent in 2017 to about 10 per cent so far this year. This has affected many who have spent years in the Palestinian territories raising families and making lives for themselves. It has also affected humanitarian aid workers who depend on visas to get access to the territories.
The Early Day motion, put down by Alex Sobel and co-sponsored by John Grogan and Caroline Lucas said:
“That this House expresses concern over reports that the Israeli Government is increasingly refusing to renew the residency permits and visas of foreign nationals who live and work in the Palestinian Territories; affirms the view that foreign nationals must be granted access to visit, travel and live in the Palestinian Territories unless there are legitimate security concerns; supports those foreign nationals who have made the Occupied Palestinian Territory their centre of life and built their careers in Palestine; believes that actions and policies which isolate Palestinians will harm peace building efforts; and calls on the Government to apply all appropriate diplomatic pressure to ensure foreign nationals, including British nationals, as well as aid workers have unhindered access to Palestine and for Israeli authorities to provide all assistance required to those who seek permits to reside in the Palestinian Territories.”