Israel will stop issuing passes for Arabs wishing to return to the west bank area from the Jordanian-held east bank after next Tuesday, it was announced here today, since the Jordanians already hold 10,000 unused return permits. After Tuesday, passes will be issued only in individual cases of Arabs seeking to rejoin their families already on the west bank.
Israel has repeatedly stated publicly that the August 31 deadline for the returnees would not be extended. The influx has been slow due to the fact that so many permits had not been used. For instance, last Friday, only 804 refugees sought return and were allowed to come in, although 3,000 had been expected.
One reason, it is believed, is that some of the Arabs on the east bank who had applied for return had been forced by Jordanian authorities to apply for permits. Others are believed to have been scared by the fact that Jordan itself had urged the would-be returnees to serve as a “thorn in Israel’s side,” and had no heart for return under such conditions.
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