Moab musings
"As the saga in Gaza continues,
the noose of occupation broadens
deceivingly deepening, tightening
its grip on the land of Palestine
inviolate ...
inviolate ...
yet grows smaller still;
and no-one notices
the insidious nature of oppression;
because
it's
called
it's
called
administration."
Rambling thoughts this morning as hubby and I had breakfast; felt like the last supper as I realised I had to drive him off to the King Hussein Bridge to cross over into Palestine, into the hands of the Israelis at the border. Well at least the drive would be pleasant down towards the Dead Sea.
"Did you know that America does not recognise dual nationality with Canada?" says me "a fact I learnt last night from a Canadian lady who just had her canadian passport cut up in front of her during the 'citizenship ceremony' ..... but that doesn't happen to Israelis ... apparently!"
"I wonder if that applies to Arab Israelis???"
"Didn't I tell you we should have taken Israeli citizenship," says hubby waxing lyrical about his impending trip to Nablus ...
We left early and approached the lowest point on earth where there was a rather pleasant breeze to counter the rather intense heat.
All smiles on the Jordan side; hope it lasted all the way over. "How long do you think they will have to wait on the other side?" asks me of the bus driver? "Fifteen minutes drive over, but who knows, one hour, two, three .... four" he said with a resigned air of someone who had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Hubby would be luckier than most, he had a 'samaritan' taxi waiting for him the other side .... a car with Israeli number plates that could drive anywhere it wanted, at least within a given time frame (illegal after 7pm in the occupied territories), unlike palestinian taxis, denied entry to the border posts and airport, subjected to constant stops, checks and often bullets of the infamous settlers or IDF ... occupation by administration ....
and the noose slowly tightens.
Couldn't get hold of hubby all day ... no news is good news you would think .... apparently not when it comes to the IDF and the paranoid conception of security. He left the Jordanian King Hussein Bridge at 10.30am .... and left the Israeli controlled border into occupied Palestine at 5pm .... sitting and waiting, sleeping and reading along with two young American men ....
Waiting and waiting and waiting .... for Godot perhaps, because nothing else makes any sense!
www.uruknet.info
Waiting and waiting and waiting .... for Godot perhaps, because nothing else makes any sense!
www.uruknet.info
J
posted by joladies at Saturday, July 26, 2008
6 Comments:
Have to admit I'm confused. As a dual-national American, what do you mean they don't recognize dual nationalities? If you are required to relinquish your second citizenship, it's the other country not the US (this happened to my German roommate in college. The US didn't care, but Germany does not allow duals. Having dual citizenship may negatively impact te US' ability to help you out of sticky situations abroad, but beyond that, they don't care at all...
I think that this unique situation of dual citizenship for Israelis and Americans started with the June War of 1967. Many US citizens went to Israel and served with the Israeli army which was clearly against US law. At that time no US citizen could serve in the army of another nation without losing his US citizenship. So making dual nationality was the easiest way to circumvent the law. The reason I remember was that my daughter was coming to the age where she would have to choose between her US and Jordanian citizenship since she didn't live in the USA. That law has since changed, but I was upset that she would have to choose when US citizens who fought with the Israeli army could have dual nationality. ASH
Teta and Jiddo Bean were just sworn in after 25 years as greencard holders. They had no issue retaining both passports. I suspect this may be a Canada/ America issue rather than an America/everyone but Israel issue. In your American passport it is rather clear that you can have both but having another will impact their ability to help you.
I think the issue often is the swearing of an oath or serving in another military. Both of these can be grounds to lose your American citizenship (if you have it). In fact, I guess both of these could be issues for JuniorBean in the future...
And, if this was one that America had and wanted to enforce, they would give me trouble upon entering the US since I have no entry or exit visas stamped in my American passport. According to my American passport, I've been hanging out in airports for years on end... :)
Hi Mommabean, sorry for the confusion, but I can only report what a Canadian friend told me a few days ago, as it applied to her, not Americans born and bred, as such. But there is a less obvious point in all of this .... so here goes my attempt at clarification of something that's a bit of a bone of contention for my friend's family....
This Canadian lady has lived in the US with a green card for the last thirty years, applied for nationalisation last year and was told she had to relinquish her Canadian passport at the swearing in ceremony if she wished to proceed. Canada does not care either .... as far as they are concerned once a Canadian always a Canadian, regardless of how many passports you have .... but the only other 'foreign nationals over 18' granted the right to 'legally' carry two passports are Israelis, according to some pissed off Canadian friends. Of course, once a foreign national becomes an American he/she goes straight to their Embassy of origin and gets a replacement passport, because their respective embassies don't care either.
Sorry for the confusion, I should have said for 'Canadian nationals applying for US citizenship' ... these days.
But the point being, as mentioned to me by someone whose children know the law quite well, is that Israelis are 'legally' granted the right to retain their citizenship of origin when they become American nationals these days .... so why not Canadians .... ! J
Thanks for added info ASH and Mommabean .... I wonder what the issue is with Canada then??
No idea. But when I was with IBM in the US, anyone who worked for IBM Canada and moved south had to officially QUIT before they were allowed to re-apply with IBM US (in other words they could find another job through IBM's internal systems, but could not transfer). It was something about the US/Canada regulations. I think they just don't play well together on certain issues. I found it quite ironic.
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