This is an important cause of Zio=Nazi ethnic cleansing and i’d like to encourage you to add your signature,
thanks!
Sammi Ibrahem
Your Excellency, Mr Ben-Zeev,
Firas Maraghy from Jerusalem, who is currently resident in Berlin, has been on hunger strike since July 26th in front of your embassy building. We, the undersigned, urge you to use your discretion in considering his requests.
Mr Maraghy’s family has lived in Jerusalem for many generations. Because of Israeli legislation concerning Palestinian residents of Jerusalem he has neither a Palestinian nor an Israeli passport. He is stateless and is dependent on Israel for the issue of any residence or travel permits.
In September 2007 Mr Maraghy married Wiebke Diehl, who has German nationality, and he moved to Berlin so that the couple could live together during Wiebke’s studies in Germany. Their daughter, Zaynab Maraghy, was born in December 2009.
In May 2009 Mr. Maraghy went to Jerusalem to register the marriage. But the Israeli Home Office refused to do so, arguing that Mr Maraghy now lived abroad and had therefore lost his right to reside in Jerusalem; they referred to legislation that removes the residential rights of Palestinians after an absence of seven years, although he had only left Jerusalem 1 ½ years previously. (Whether this legislation is justified or not is neither here nor there for now.) He was however then issued with a travel permit, albeit only valid until May 2011, and only on condition that he then return to Jerusalem for a minimum period of 1 ½ years.
When his daughter Zaynab was born, Mr Maraghy requested the Israeli Embassy in Berlin to enter her name on his documents. On 17.04.2010 this was turned down on the grounds that her mother was German.
This refusal to register either his wife or daughter leaves Mr Maraghy with no choice but to either leave his family at the end of May 2011 to return to Jerusalem, so as not to lose his residency rights, or to stay with them and forfeit his rights. Because the Israeli authorities refuse to register either his marriage to Wiebke Diehl or the birth of their daughter, which would be legal requirements for them to reside in Jerusalem, but at the same time refuse to renew Mr Maraghy’s permit unless he returns to Jerusalem, they deny residency to Mr Maraghy’s family but force it on him.
It is almost impossible for someone attuned to a European justice system to imagine this situation. And as Mr. Maraghy points out, it contravenes article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Firas Maraghy sees no alternative but to go on hunger strike.
We call on you, Your Excellency, to use your discretion, and to approve the entry of Mr. Maraghy’s wife and daughter in his papers, so that the family has the right to reside in Jerusalem.
