Prevention of racial discrimination, including early warning measures and urgent
action procedures : Israel. 20/08/2004.
CERD/C/65/Dec.2. (Decision)
Convention Abbreviation: CERD
COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION
OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Sixty-fifth session
2-20 August 2004
PREVENTION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, INCLUDING EARLY
WARNING MEASURES AND URGENT ACTION PROCEDURES*
Decision 2 (65)
Israel
The Committee recalls that in its decision 1 (63), it called for the revocation
of Israel's Temporary Suspension Order of May 2002, enacted into law as the
Nationality and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order) on 31 July 2003, which
suspended, for a renewable one-year period, the possibility of family reunification,
subject to limited and discretionary exceptions, in cases of marriage between
an Israeli citizen and a person residing in the West Bank or Gaza.
The Committee noted with concern that the Suspension Order of May 2002 had already adversely affected many families and marriages, and that the Nationality and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order) of 31 July 2003 raised serious issues under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Bearing in mind the renewal for a period of six months until 31 December 2004 of the Temporary Suspension Order of May 2002, enacted into law as the Nationality and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order) on 31 July 2003, in disregard of the Committee's request for revocation, the Committee reiterates this request;
Also bearing in mind its call, in decision 1 (63), for the submission of detailed information on this issue by Israel in its next periodic report, and the non-submission of such report, despite the fact that the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th periodic reports, due from 1998 to 2004, are overdue;
In accordance with article 9, paragraph 1 (b), of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and with reference, in particular, to article 5 of the Convention, the Committee requests the Government of Israel to send it an urgent report, no later than 31 December 2004.
1671st meeting
20 August 2004