The Justice Ministry empowered various other ministries yesterday to register Arab businessmen and professionals in East Jerusalem without requiring them to apply for licenses. The move was seen as a further step toward integration of East Jerusalem economically and legally with the rest of Israel. It was expected to bring a new protest from Jordan.
Jordan had called for an urgent meeting of the Security Council last February to protest Israeli law requiring East Jerusalem professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, as well as merchants and businessmen, to register under Israeli law or stop practicing. Jordan charged that the measure was a violation of a May 21, 1968 Security Council resolution that called on Israel to rescind measures designed to alter the status of East Jerusalem. Israel did not rescind the law but extended the registration deadline by three months, to May 23, and the Security Council meeting was called off. Secretary-General U Thant reported to the Council earlier this month that there was nothing he could do to prevent Israel from implementing the law.
The new procedure, published today in the official gazette, automatically registers and licenses Arab businessmen and professionals and subjects them to Israeli law. Informed sources here said East Jerusalem Arabs had privately asked Israel to take steps to relieve them of the onus of applying publicly for licenses which could be construed as acquiescence on their part to the annexation of East Jerusalem.
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