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| Ukraine's regional breakdown for the previous presidential elections. The colors almost represent the Ukrainian flag |
Russian males from 16 to 60 banned from entering Ukraine with strict travel requirements
As Ukrainian government's "anti-terrorism" campaign gets underway in Eastern Ukraine, Russian males between the ages of 16-60 years old have been ban from entering the country. Border guards at overland bordering crossings and regional airports in Dontesk and other Eastern towns have denied visas and ordered Russian visitors and journalists entering Ukraine to be a screen a second time. Some are even asked to return to their cities of origins within Russia if the border guards do not see any justification for the men and occasionally questionable women visiting cities of Dontesk, Kharkiv Luhansk or Dnipropetrovsk to be in Ukraine. The ban is in place to avoid the current Russian speaking protesters from being joined by militant supporters from Russia. The exception for some male travelers are invitations from family members or businesses. Even the citizens in Crimea are also facing stricter travel requirements by Ukrainian border officials. The Ukrainian government views Russia as a major supporter behind protesters against the Kiev government in the months old protest across the country's Eastern region. Never mind that Eastern Ukraine is home to the industrial and agricultural economy that keeps the country going.
Denied Entry: Israel's treatment of Palestinian American visitors in Israel-Palestine
Israel also has a similar ban on Palestinian males both Muslim and Christian between 14-60 years from entering Occupied East Jerusalem on important holidays and regular visits for fear of terrorism. Palestinian men from occupied Palestine are often denied special entry permits by Israeli border guards at militarized checkpoints along the apartheid/separation wall. The entry permits to Jerusalem are required by Israeli military and border guards for Palestinian families including Palestinian Americans visiting and working in the area seeking to enter occupied Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nablus and Hebron. Even foreign visitors/activists arriving in Israel who sympathize with Palestinians and want protest against the denial of Palestinian human rights in occupied Palestine (Flytilla activists) are denied entry at Ben Gurion Airport. Even the renown Professor Norman Finkelstein who has criticized Israeli policy towards neighbors, within US Foreign Policy and Palestinians, was slapped with a ten year ban from visiting or traveling to Israel. Freedom of movement whether it be in Palestine or Ukraine is recognized as a human right by every other country in the world but Israel, US and its European cousins when terrorism or national security concerns are invoked to limit border access by occupied citizens or citizen regarded as dangerous foreigners/aliens when political stability is in question. Coinciding with Ukraine's denial of entry to Russians, the State Department has issued a travel warning for American citizens either traveling or thinking of going to Ukraine.
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