The Supreme Court issued on interim injunction today barring the deportation of Mayors Fahd Kawasme of Hebron and Mohammed Milhim of Halhoul pending a final decision on their appeal. Premier Menachem Begin, as Defense Minister, and Maj. Gen. Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, commander of the West Bank, informed the court that they would abide by the order issued by Justice Miriam Ben Porat.
The injunction does not affect the deportation order which is being appealed but enjoins the army from taking unilateral steps against the two mayors before the judicial process is completed. The court secretariat will schedule a session to deal with the appeal, probably next week.
Ben Porat said she issued the interim injunction in the interests of “public order” and to avoid “unnecessary anxiety by the mayors.” Kawasme and Milhim, who were expelled from Israel-held territory last May on grounds that they had incited a terrorist act, were permitted to return a week ago to file an appeal with the Military Government’s review board. The latter decided last Sunday that there were insufficient grounds to lift the deportation order. Meanwhile, the mayors remain in custody near the Allenby Bridge.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
