[JURIST] The Israel High Court of Justice [official website] recognized on Wednesday the ties of several Jerusalem-born Palestinians, calling them “native-born residents.” The judges ordered [Times of Israel report] Israel to restore the residency of a Jerusalem-born Palestinian who came to the US in his youth but has since returned to Jerusalem. This is the first ruling of its kind for Jerusalem-born Palestinians, which could create precedent that may help protect the residency rights of these Palestinians in the future. After Israel captured east Jerusalem in 1967, more than 14,000 Palestinians were deprived of their residency rights.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been at the forefront of recent international news and reports. Last month Amnesty International urged [JURIST report] the Israeli Supreme Court to repeal a 2003 law that bans many Palestinians from entering the country, including those who are seeking reunification with their families. In January Benjamin Netanyahu said he will be lifting restrictions [JURIST report] on Israelis building settlements in East Jerusalem. Also in January US President Donald Trump was warned [JURIST report] by Palestinian leaders not to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. In December a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned remarks [JURIST report] made by then-US Secretary of State John Kerry on the current Israeli government. In a speech given in December Kerry criticized the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, stating that such actions jeopardize prospects of peace in the Middle East.