According to Israeli law, all permanent residents must carry their ID at all times. But not only must they carry their ID—it must be kept current. Any change in life status must be reported to the Ministry of Interior within a specified number of days. This may sound routine, but for Palestinians of Jerusalem who carry such IDs, every encounter with the Ministry of Interior requires them to prove that Jerusalem is their “center of life” with copious documentation, and each such interaction always opens the possibility that their “proof” could be deemed insufficient, and they could lose their residency.
This infographic sheds light on some of the basic points throughout one’s lifespan at which one is required to “recertify” one’s entitlement to residency through a process that appears banal and routine, but in reality is anything but.