Israeli authorities ferried them to the occupied West Bank, where they were dropped off on the side of the road
The Trump administration has now conducted two deportation flights with Palestinians on board from the US to Israel, using private jets (John Moore/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP)
The Trump administration has now conducted two deportation flights of Palestinians from the US to Israel, using private jets that can cost up to $26,000 per flight hour, The Guardian, in collaboration with +972 Magazine, reported this week.
The independent news outlet MintPress was the first to report the initial deportation flight, which carried eight Palestinians and departed from Arizona to land in Tel Aviv on 21 January.
The second flight took place on Monday. It was unclear exactly how many Palestinians were on board, but the luxury aircraft had 16 seats, The Guardian and +972 Magazine report said.
Both flights were operated by Dezer Development, which is a real estate company founded by dual Israeli-American citizen Michael Dezer. Today, his son Gil Dezer runs their real estate empire in Florida, the report revealed.
When reached by The Guardian, the younger Dezer said he is never made aware of exactly who boards his jet when it’s chartered by the US government through a Florida-based company called Journey Aviation – only the dates of use.
Dezer is known to be good friends with the Trump family, and made a donation of more than $1m to Trump’s presidential campaign.
The US government typically uses commercial planes for deportations.
In this case, it is also unusual for the Israeli government to assist in the repatriation of Palestinians, particularly as they are going back to military-occupied territory.
Israeli officials have also made no secret of their desire to see Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza go to third countries.
Middle East Eye reached out to the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
“Per longstanding Department policy, we do not discuss the content of private diplomatic and interagency conversations,” a State Department official said in a written statement.
“As a general policy, the State Department coordinates closely with the Department of Homeland Security on efforts to repatriate illegal aliens, in alignment with E.O. [Executive Order] 14159, ‘Protecting the American People Against Invasion.’ The Trump Administration continues to prioritize the rapid deportation of illegal immigrants, especially those with criminal records, to restore border security and public safety and protect the American people.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond in time for publication.
The flights reportedly refuelled in New Jersey, Ireland, and Bulgaria on their way to Ben Gurion Airport.
‘Reprehensible’
On Friday, opposition lawmakers in Dublin, Ireland, demanded answers, saying the permission to refuel in Ireland was “reprehensible”, “deeply disturbing”, and “outrageous”, The Irish Times reported.
Israeli raids across West Bank leave one dead and dozens detained
On board the 21 January flight was 24-year-old Palestinian Maher Awad, who was tracked down by The Guardian in the town of Rammun, in the occupied West Bank.
Awad said Israeli armed guards met him and the rest of the deportees at the airport, before dropping them off “on the side of the road” near the village of Ni’lin in the occupied West Bank.
Awad’s girlfriend and newborn son are in Michigan. He has been in the US since he was 15, when he arrived on a tourist visa, then stayed in the country. But he was provided with a social security number, and he worked and paid his taxes, he said.
Many immigrants in similar situations are now in detention centres awaiting deportation, or have already been deported. The Trump administration has aggressively cracked down on immigrants with legal paperwork who, in the past, may have overstayed their visas.
“I grew up in America,” Awad told The Guardian. “America was heaven for me.”
Another man confirmed to have been on the 21 January flight is 47-year-old Sameer Isam Aziz Zeidan. He and Awad both described having been shackled the entire flight from the US to Israel, making it difficult to even put food in their mouths on board.
But technically, neither one of them was undocumented.
Zeidan’s wife and children are in Louisiana. He had previously served prison time about a decade ago, and failed to renew his green card, a relative told The Guardian.
The Trump administration has made green card holders – otherwise known as permanent residents – who have been in prison, a target of removal operations.
“I don’t want to be here. I’m looking forward to going back as soon as possible,” Awad told The Guardian.