US says it would be concerned if Palestinian travel rights curbed

Jerusalem Palestinians are not Israeli citizens, but they hold Israeli-issued blue IDs that grant them permanent resident status.

By REUTERS, LAHAV HARKOV
Concrete barriers set up in east Jerusalem neighborhoods (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Concrete barriers set up in east Jerusalem neighborhoods
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
WASHINGTON - The United States said on Monday it would be concerned if reports that Israel could revoke the travel rights of some Palestinians living in east Jerusalem were true.
"If it was true it would certainly be of concern to us," State Department spokesman John Kirby told a daily briefing.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was considering revoking residency permits from Arabs living in east Jerusalem, according to sources in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, which Netanyahu was addressing on Monday.
Such a measure would be taken to deal with the recent spate of terror attacks that has left ten Israelis dead and dozens more wounded. Many of the attackers have hailed from east Jerusalem neighborhoods.
Channel 2 reported Sunday that Netanyahu first brought up the possibility of revoking some rights of Palestinians living in east Jerusalem at a security cabinet meeting two weeks ago.
At the security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu reportedly complained of lawlessness in Palestinian neighborhoods in those outlying areas.
Jerusalem Palestinians are not Israeli citizens, but they hold Israeli-issued blue IDs that grant them permanent resident status.