(RNS) — Eight U.S. Jewish organizations have written a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to rescind the most recent travel ban, especially its restriction on Palestinians with documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
The new ban, which Trump issued on Dec. 16, blocks travel to the U.S. for people from Syria, South Sudan, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as people traveling with Palestinian Authority documents — essentially, most Palestinians in the West Bank.
More than 35 countries are now under U.S. travel restrictions. American Jewish groups committed to an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement are particularly concerned that banning Palestinians from the country might undermine the United States’ role as peacemaker.
“Your administration has publicly asserted an interest in stabilizing the Gaza ceasefire and preventing a return to widespread violence, yet this policy moves in the opposite direction,” the letter says. “By further restricting Palestinian travel and engagement, the proclamation weakens and delegitimizes the Palestinian Authority at a moment when its credibility, capacity, and international support are essential.”
The letter was written by the group New Jewish Narrative and co-signed by Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, J Street, the National Council of Jewish Women, the New York Jewish Agenda, Partners for Progressive Israel, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and The Workers Circle.
Palestinians living in the West Bank can access Palestinian Authority travel documents, sometimes called passports. Palestinians living in Gaza may also accessed them in the past but now have far tighter restrictions on travel.
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After a two-year relentless assault on Gaza by Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, Trump laid out a peace plan to end the conflict. The plan envisioned the Palestinian Authority eventually taking over the governance of the Gaza Strip from Hamas.
A travel ban, the letter argues, further weakens the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank.
“The U.S. is claiming to take this role of peacemaker there in the region, which includes the realization of the obvious need for rebuilding Palestinian institutions there,” said Hadar Susskind, president and CEO of the New Jewish Narrative. “For the U.S. to say, ‘Oh yes, we want to make it better, we want to make peace, we want to rebuild Palestinian institutions,’ and then to take this action … is first and foremost going to have a real impact on people’s lives in terms of their ability to come here. But beyond that, politically speaking, it’s yet another blow to undermine the Palestinian Authority.”
Trump and his top advisers have argued that the restrictions are necessary to protect national security. But he has also shown disdain for immigrants. After last month’s shooting of two National Guard troops, Trump vowed to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries.”
In August, the Trump administration announced it was pausing approvals of visitor visas for people from Gaza after agitator and activist Laura Loomer called incoming flights a “national security threat” in social media posts. She was referring to flights with injured children who were evacuated from Gaza to the U.S. for medical treatment. Loomer is known for her anti-Islam activism.
The new travel restrictions, which go into effect Jan. 1, would most affect an estimated 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank.
The letter says, “This measure does not target specific individuals who pose a credible threat; instead, it forecloses access for students, medical patients, civil society actors, and family members based solely on the documents available to them. At a moment of profound humanitarian need and regional instability, this policy further restricts already limited avenues for lawful travel and engagement, compounding harm to civilians while doing nothing to advance security.”
The letter from the Jewish groups was dated Dec. 23 and is also addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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