Paul Adams: "The result for thousands of Palestinians is a state of limbo in the land of their birth"

Two respected organisations - B'tselem and Hamoked - accused the Israeli Government of using what they call the veneer of legality to achieve what other governments have done more blatantly.

They say it is a systematic and deliberate discrimination against Palestinians with one simple aim: to reduce Jerusalem's Palestinian population and preserve its Jewish majority.

Controversial policy

Middle East correspondent Paul Adams says the policy first introduced in 1995 has now robbed thousands of Palestinians of their right to live in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is considered a Holy city for three faiths: Jews, Muslims and Christians

In 1997, 606 Palestinians lost residency benefits and, in the first three months of 1998, 187 Palestinians also lost permits.

Those who remain, do so illegally, with no rights whatsoever.

Israel says it is merely clamping down on those who have chosen at one time or another to live elsewhere.

'Quiet deportation'

Eitan Felner, of B'tselem, said Israel's policy has one sole objective: "To reduce the number of Palestinians residing in the city and preserving a conclusive Jewish majority so it will be impossible to question Israel's sovereignty over all parts of the city."

He called that a "quiet deportation".

The correspondent in Jerusalem says that a variety of bureaucratic measures make life intolerable for Palestinians who regard Jerusalem as their home.

• Access to health care is denied
• New-born babies are not registered
• Women who marry non-Jerusalem residents lose their own right to live there

Unwilling to abet Israeli policy, the Palestinian authority seems reluctant to grant residency in territory under its control.

The result for thousands of Palestinians is a state of limbo in the land of their birth, our correspondent says.

Call for official justification

The Israeli Government disputes the figures in the report.

In 1997 the Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had said his government would look into the policy.

The two human rights groups said the high court has demanded for the first time an official justification for the deportations.

The government is expected to give its response in the next few days.

Occupied territory

Israel annexed east Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967.