A Gay Palestinian Fled to Israel’s “Safe Haven.” Israel Tried to Exploit Him for Intelligence.

Palestinian Asylum Seeker Describes Family Threats and Israeli Permit Process

Kareem’s father threatened him with a firearm after hearing rumors in Ramallah about his son’s sexuality. “My dad aimed his gun towards me,” Kareem said, “and said that if he ever finds out that I’m gay, he would ‘rest a bullet between my eyes.’”

Kareem, whose name has been changed, lived in Ramallah until March 2024. That month the Tel Aviv Court for Administrative Affairs ruled that West Bank Palestinians could petition for asylum in Israel on grounds of sexual orientation, reversing prior policy that had treated such claims as ineligible under the Refugee Convention. In April 2024 Kareem entered Israel.

Israeli authorities have maintained legal protections for LGBTQ individuals inside Israel since the 1990s, including recognition of same-sex partnerships and anti-discrimination statutes. Palestinian applicants seeking protection have cited risks from family members and, in some documented cases, from Palestinian Authority security forces, which have conducted arrests and used blackmail against individuals on the basis of sexual orientation.

Kareem crossed at the Sha’ar Ephraim checkpoint. He told The Intercept that Israeli personnel questioned him repeatedly about relatives and acquaintances in the West Bank. His lawyer, Tamir Blank, stated that individuals in irregular status are sometimes offered assurances of continued presence in exchange for information. Kareem said he lacked information that would meet such expectations.

After the ruling, a small number of West Bank Palestinians filed similar petitions. Kareem received a welfare permit through HIAS, a humanitarian organization providing legal aid. He stayed briefly in shelters and later at an emergency facility in Tel Aviv operated under the Ministry of Welfare.

In October 2024 the permit was revoked. Court records indicate that Kareem’s family had submitted a report to Israeli social services alleging he planned attacks. His attorneys argued the report was intended to trigger deportation. A security notation appeared in his file, and he was directed to petition the military commander for reconsideration. Nimrod Avigal of HIAS Israel noted that security-related refusals increased after October 2023, frequently linked to family associations.

Kareem’s family posted notices in social media groups offering rewards for information on his location. He received dozens of calls daily from unknown numbers. A contact in Spain relayed a reported bounty of 35,000 shekels. Court filings stated the family sought to locate him “dead or alive.”

Israel’s position in related proceedings has been that some claims reflect a preference for living conditions in Israel rather than an individualized threat, language that appeared in a 2013 inter-ministerial report. COGAT, the Israeli defense body handling civilian permits in the West Bank, stated that such permits are issued to preserve life pending a durable solution in a third country.

Blank, who has represented West Bank applicants for a decade, said some clients provide information to Israeli agencies while others face pressure tied to permit status. Kareem’s case remains pending administrative review. The 2024 ruling established a formal channel for claims previously directed elsewhere, though outcomes continue to depend on individual security assessments and corroboration of risk.

Family members in Ramallah have described their actions as responses to reputational harm. Palestinian Authority officials have not commented publicly on Kareem’s specific circumstances. Reports from human rights monitors have recorded instances of both familial violence and official harassment of LGBTQ individuals in the West Bank, alongside separate accounts of risks faced by those who cross into Israel without authorization.

Kareem’s permit status determines whether he may remain lawfully while pursuing further legal options. Israeli courts continue to adjudicate individual petitions under the framework set by the 2024 decision.