Just a peep into Palestine: Israel’s closed-door policy for internationals going to Palestine as an extension of its control over Palestinian movements. A case-study of denied entry by Israel

Abstract

Weaved into the discussion of Israel’s legality in occupying Palestine, in all its different meanings, is the issue of borders and migration. By controlling the Palestinian visible and invisible borders –within, in and out–, the Israeli state grants itself the power to rearrange the different spaces and to manage the individuals who move across them. Through a system of geographical fragmentation and administrative monitoring, it regulates the flow of (im)mobility of Palestinians in and out of Palestine; keeping refugees away, pushing residents out, locking persistent bodies in. Feeding into its project of denial, dismissal and erasure of Palestinian presence, the present paper investigates Israel’s policy of denied entry to internationals going to Palestine, suggestive of an intention to limit access and support to both Palestine and Palestinians, physically and discursively.