Israel bans Jerusalem governor entry to West Bank for six months

The Israeli intelligence services yesterday banned Jerusalem Governor Adnan Ghaith from entering the occupied West Bank for six months.

The Israeli intelligence service summoned Ghaith for investigation and handed him an order, which bans him from entering the occupied West Bank from 5 December 2018 until 5 June 2019.

The order was issued by Israel’s Military Central Command Chief, Major General Nadav Padan, who claimed Ghaith’s presence in the West Bank “constitutes a threat to life and property”. Padan added that the Israeli army believes the governor engages in “illegal” activities, though did not elaborate on what these activities involved.

Ghaith was recently arrested for a week, before being released to house arrest and required to pay bail.

Israeli forces targeted Ghaith and a number of Palestinians it alleged were Palestinian Authority (PA) security servicemen. Israel also arrested Palestinian Issam Aqel, who was accused of buying Palestinian real estate in Jerusalem on behalf of Jewish settlers. The PA later bowed to US and Israeli pressure to extradite Aqel – who also holds US citizenship – agreeing to send him to the US at the end of legal proceedings.

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