Israel revokes Palestinian FM's travel permit over UN move
Source: Associated Press
Israel revokes Palestinian FM’s travel permit over UN move
By JOSEF FEDERMAN
January 8, 2023
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Sunday revoked the Palestinian foreign minister’s VIP travel permit, part of a series of punitive steps against the Palestinians that Israel’s new hard-line government announced days ago.
Riad Malki said in a statement that he was returning from the Brazilian president’s inauguration when he was informed that Israel rescinded his VIP travel permit, which allows top Palestinian officials to travel more easily in and out of the occupied West Bank than ordinary Palestinians. It was not clear whether the permits of other officials had been revoked as well.
Israel’s government on Friday approved the steps to penalize the Palestinians in retaliation for them pushing the U.N.’s highest judicial body to give its opinion on the Israeli occupation. Rulings by the International Court of Justice are not binding, but they can be influential on world opinion.
The decision highlights the tough line the current government is already taking toward the Palestinians just days into its tenure. It comes at a time of spiking violence in the occupied West Bank and as peace talks are a distant memory.
-snip-
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/politics-israel-government-91ba538476380a16aad4e2cbdae2e235