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Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Lebanon and Syria refuse to accept Palestinian passports

Here's a reminder as to who has been treating Palestinian Arabs like garbage over time.

From Timatic Web, a comprehensive travel information site:
National Palestinian Territory (PS)
Destination Lebanon (LB)
Lebanon (LB)

Admission and Transit Restrictions:

- Admission and transit is refused to holders of Palestinian passports.
And:
National Palestinian Territory (PS)
Destination Syria (SY)
Syria (SY)

Admission and Transit Restrictions:

- Holders of Palestinian documents are not allowed to enter, even if holding a valid visa. These passengers can only enter if:
- they obtain approval from Syrian Immigration Headquarters upon arrival, which has to be arranged prior to arrival; or
- they are holding a residence permit of any country, except Egypt, Iraq, Jordan or Libya.
So Lebanon and Syria, who always say how much they support the Palestinian Arab people, refuse to allow them to use their own travel documents to enter their respective countries.

But the US does accept the PA passport:
The U.S. Department of State has determined that the Palestinian Authority Passport/Travel Document meets the requirements of a passport as defined in Section 101(a)(30) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and therefore is acceptable for visa issuing purposes and travel to the United States.

However, according to an official at the U.S. Department of State, the United States does not recognize Palestine as a country, and therefore the Palestinian Authority Passport/Travel Document does not confer citizenship.