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Restricted: Visas Good for West Bank Only U.S. Protests New Policy Targeting Arab Americans

The Jewish Daily Forward
Posted on Monday October 19, 2009

Washington — Omar Rahman was on his way from America to a friend’s wedding in Jerusalem. The 25-year-old journalist, born and raised in Washington to parents of Palestinian descent, had visited the West Bank and Israel many times before, and although he was used to the four-hour wait at the border crossing, he had never encountered any problems.

But last July, when Rahman went through the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-controlled West Bank, the Israeli officer put a new stamp on Rahman’s American passport, restricting his visit to only the West Bank.

When Rahman noticed the stamp, he was already dressed in a suit and riding in a taxi on his way to the wedding. He was stopped from entering Israel at the border crossing near Jerusalem. “We tried walking through, but the soldiers refused to let me in,” he said. “I told them it must be a mistake, but they wouldn’t listen.”

Rahman did not make it to the wedding. Nor did another American guest. The stamp, saying “Palestinian Authority Only,” meant they could not cross the Green Line that forms the border around the West Bank.

Dozens of Americans from Arab backgrounds have reported encountering similar problems since Israel instituted a new entry policy this past spring.

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