A new military order will
take effect this week, enabling the army to deport tens of thousands
of Palestinians from the West Bank and prosecute them on infiltration
charges, which carry long prison terms. The order, uncovered by Amira
Hass in Haaretz yesterday, bears the signature of Maj. Gen. Gadi
Shamni in his previous capacity as commander of the Israel Defense
Forces in Judea and Samaria.
The order's vague language
will allow army officers to exploit it arbitrarily to carry out mass
expulsions, in accordance with military orders which were issued
under unclear circumstances. The first candidates for expulsion will
be people whose ID cards bear addresses in the Gaza Strip, including
children born in the West Bank and Palestinians living in the West
Bank who have lost their residency status for various reasons.
