Naveh cancels travel restrictions in West Bank
In response to petition filed by eight leftist groups, head of IDF Central Command cancels order requiring drivers of Palestinians to carry permit
Major General Yair Naveh, head of the IDF's Central Command, announced Sunday that he is canceling the Order on Movement and Travel, which would have banned transporting Palestinians in vehicles driven by Israelis or foreigners, unless the drivers possessed a special permit.
Yesh Din petitioned the High Court, demanding that the order - supposed to go into effect January 19 - be canceled and fully erased as if it was never issued.
In addition to Yesh Din, the petition was co-signed by The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Gisha, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, HaMoked-Center for the Defense of the Individual, MachsomWatch, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights.
Following publication of the order, the eight rights groups announced they will not cooperate with its provisions, will not ask for special permits and will continue to assist Palestinian civilians asking their help.
In their petition, the rights groups stated: “The process for the legal cementing of institutionalized, methodical and deliberate discrimination...is a process which is designed to tighten the control of one national group over another. Here lies our disgrace at its worst: The combination of the two is precisely the legal definition of apartheid."
Seventy-two hours before the order was to go into effect, and following submission of the petition, the Israeli Attorney General's Office informed the petitioning rights groups that it "freezes" the order "until further notice."
'Firm stance saved us from moral abyss'
Representing the petitioners, Yesh Din's legal advisor advisor Michael Sfard demanded the order to be fully cancelled, not only "frozen", as a condition to removing the petition.
As stated, this cancellation was announced by Naveh on Sunday. The Attorney General's Office also called Yesh Din to confirm the cancellation.
"It was only by the firm stance of the Israeli human rights organizations, who refused to cooperate with the order and waged a campaign against it, that saved us from sinking into a moral abyss," said Sfard.
"It was proven that IDF commanders do not know how to make judicial use of the massive power entrusted to them and that tight political and legal oversight of their conduct is needed," he added.
