Illegal Debt Collection Roadblocks in E. Jerusalem

ACRI: End Illegal "Debt Collection" Roadblocks in E. Jerusalem: Mobile Police Checkpoints are Discriminatory, Violate Residents' Basic Rights

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) today submitted a petition to Israel's Supreme Court, demanding an immediate end to mobile police checkpoints set up to collect debts owed to the National Insurance Institute and the Tax Authority - almost exclusively in East Jerusalem.

These "debt collection" roadblocks are illegal and discriminatory, and therefore the practice must be ceased. In addition, ACRI found that the abovementioned institutions employ the police officers as debt collectors and not for security purposes, as the police claim. Under Israeli law, such roadblocks are legal only when police officers are executing security checks.

The debt collection roadblocks function as follows: police officers stop residents in their vehicles; serve them with verbal debt notices; threaten them; seize their vehicles; and demand immediate payment of debt without providing any proof or previous warning.

Police have also issued ultimatums to residents and threatened them with blackmail if they did not pay the debts. ACRI has not received reports of such checkpoints in other parts of the city; in cases where non-Palestinian residents were stopped, they were immediately released.

The "debt collection" roadblocks constitute blatant discrimination against Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem and a severe violation of East Palestinians' basic rights such as the right to equality and the right to due process and privacy.

In addition to residents who were stopped and forced to pay, many East Jerusalem residents are forced to wait for hours in traffic whenever these checkpoints appear. As a result, they arrive late to work, school and doctors' appointments, and their freedom of movement is severely limited as are their right to work, their right to education, and their right to timely medical care.

ACRI Attorney Tali Nir submitted the petition against the Tax Authority, the National Insurance Institute and, the Israel Police on behalf of four residents of East Jerusalem and three East Jerusalem organizations: the Community Center at Al-Quds University, the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights, and Al Quds Center for Social and Economic Rights.

In one incident, East Jerusalem resident and ACRI Board Member Dr. Adel Manna was stopped by police on March 7, 2006. The officer told Dr. Manna he owed the Tax Authority NIS 14,800 for property tax. Though he was in negotiations with the Tax Authority over a specific property, he thought it was being resolved and that the Authority owed him money. Nevertheless, the police seized Dr. Manna's car keys and threatened to tow his car if he did not pay half the sum (NIS 7,400) in cash within 30 minutes.

Dr. Manna was forced to walk to the bank, and withdraw the sum. Three weeks later, he received a letter from the Tax Authority, stating that a sum of NIS 26, 005 had been deposited in his bank account. Dr. Manna had been right all along: the Tax Authority owed him money.

Sami Mahmoud Za'atra, a resident of Jerusalem's Old City, was stopped by police officers at a roadblock at A-Ram junction on December 5, 2006, and told he owed NIS 8,000 to the National Insurance Institute.

"I was stunned at what I heard. I have not used the services of the National Insurance Institute for some time," said Mr. Za'atra. "The police officer said he didn't want to hear what I had to say and only wanted the money. He almost towed my car, until I produced the sum of NIS 4,000. I feel very frustrated by this traumatic experience. I feel pursued."

Palestinian East Jerusalemites hold the status of "permanent residents" of Israel. Permanent residents are required to pay taxes and are entitled to vote in the municipal elections and receive all the basic services provided by the municipality.

However, the resources allocated by Israel to East Jerusalem have been insufficient to meet the needs of the Palestinian population at its natural growth rate. As a result, there exists a severe shortage of public services and infrastructure in East Jerusalem, including health and education services, welfare services, postal services, water and sewage systems, and roads and sidewalks.

ENDS

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