Israeli court restores residency of Palestinian MPs

Israeli Supreme court on Wednesday rendered invalid a 2006 decision revoking the residency rights of three Palestinian lawmakers and a former minister in Jerusalem.

“The Israeli Supreme Court invalidated a decision taken by former Israeli Interior Minister Roni Bar-On in 2006 to annul the residency of four Jerusalemites,” Khaled Abu Arafeh, former Palestinian Minister for Jerusalem Affairs told Anadolu Agency.

“The court, however, said that the decision will enter into force during the next six months,” he said.

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Khaled Abu Arafeh, along with Palestinian MPs Mohammed Abu Teir, Mohammed Totah and Ahmad Attoun were stripped of their Jerusalemite residency in late June 2006.

“On May 29, 2006 Israeli Minister Bar-On informed us that we should resign from the government and the Palestinian Legislative Council [within one month], and otherwise our residencies would be stripped and we would be expelled from Jerusalem,” Abu Arafeh said.

“On the last day of this period, the minister revoked our residency rights and we were arrested along with dozens of other Palestinian MPs in the West Bank,” he added.

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Abu Arafeh was later released but was denied entry into Jerusalem.

They filed a petition against this decision with the Israeli Supreme Court, which held several meetings that ended on September 2015.

Palestinian MPs Mohammed Abu Teir and Ahmad Attoun are currently under administrative detention in Israeli jails.