Israeli tax authorities imposed unreasonably heavy fines today without any reasons against several Palestinian shopkeepers in the Old City of Jerusalem, according to witnesses. Staff of the Israel Tax Authority accompanied by Israeli police stormed several Palestinian shops at Sultan Sulayman and Salah ad Din Streets in Jerusalem’s Old City and handed unreasonable fines to the shopkeepers. Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as “residents” whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years. They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel’s separation wall.
Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA
