The Israeli high court of justice on Wednesday rendered invalid a 2006 decision revoking the residency rights of three Palestinian lawmakers and a former minister in Jerusalem.
“The Israeli high court invalidated a decision taken by former Israeli interior minister Roni Bar-On in 2006 that annulled the residency of four Jerusalemites” an informed source told Anadolu news agency.
“The court however said that its verdict will enter into force during the next six months” the source said.
Former Palestinian minister Khaled Abu Arafeh along with MPs Mohamed Abu Teir Mohamed Totah and Ahmed Attoun were stripped of their Jerusalemite residency in late June 2006.
“On May 29 2006 Israeli minister Bar-On informed us that we should resign from the government and the Palestinian Legislative Council within one month or else our residencies would be withdrawn and we would be expelled from Jerusalem” Abu Arafeh said.
“On the last day of this period the minister revoked our residency rights and we were arrested along with dozens of other Palestinian MPs in the West Bank” he added.
Abu Arafeh was later released but he and the three MPs have been banned from entering Jerusalem.
The four Jerusalemites filed a petition against the ban slapped on their entry to the holy city with the Israeli high Court which held several hearings that ended in September 2015.
Palestinian MPs Mohammed Abu Teir and Ahmed Attoun are currently under administrative detention in Israeli jails.
