Israel tries to deport stateless Palestinian journalist, Jordan refuses him entry 

A stateless Palestinian journalist was twice refused entry into Jordan on Sunday night, as Israeli authorities attempted to deport him, reported Haaretz.

Mustafa Al-Haruf was born in Algeria but has lived with his family in occupied East Jerusalem since he was 12. For some 20 years, Haruf had a residency permit for Jerusalem that was renewed periodically.

Israel’s Interior Ministry has “rejected Haruf’s application for family unification petition with his wife and their two-year-old daughter — his wife is from East Jerusalem, and both she and their child have permanent Israeli residency status.”

Haruf was arrested in January for “illegally residing in Israel”, and has been detained without charge or trial since then.

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Overnight Sunday, Israeli authorities attempted to deport him to Jordan at two separate border crossings, but Jordanian officials refused to grant him entry. Haruf was returned to Israeli detention.

Haruf has already exhausted various legal channels and appeals, including at the Israeli Supreme Court, where Justice Neal Hendel “ruled Thursday that Haruf and his counsel bear the burden of proof that he lacks residency rights or citizenship in Jordan or anywhere else”.

According to Haruf’s lawyer Adi Lustigman, “Haruf’s only travel document is a laissez passer that doesn’t permit residency in Jordan or any other country.”

Lustigman told Arab News that the Israeli actions were “both illegal and immoral”.

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